3 Practical Mac Productivity Tips That Improve My Workflow
1. Switch & open apps efficiently
I only use command + tab to switch apps and Alfred / Spotlight (coomand+space) to open apps.
I don’t use the dock or the launchpad to open apps because it’s so slow compared to Alfred.
I got used to searching Google with Alfred which is a lot faster than opening your browser (it can also see your bookmarks so opening YouTube is also a lot faster).
I keep the dock hidden at all times because it steals free screen real estate.
If you use the dock use this command in the terminal to remove the slow animation when the dock hides and shows itself:
defaults write com.apple.dock autohide-delay -float 0; defaults write com.apple.dock autohide-time-modifier -int 0;killall Dock
If you want to go back to the default animation use this terminal command:
defaults write com.apple.dock autohide-delay -float 0.5; defaults write com.apple.dock autohide-time-modifier -int 0.5 ;killall Dock
2. Stop multitasking - use fewer spaces and fewer apps
“You need more command + Q, not more productivity apps” - ikario
While humans can quickly switch between different tasks, they’re a lot more efficient at one task.
Quitting all unnecessary apps gets rid of distractions and allows you to direct your focus to the most important thing.
I try to learn and use keyboard shortcuts because the fewer things I do with the mouse the quicker I can get them done (eg. opening files, searching Google with Alfred, switching apps with command + tab, etc)
Learning keyboard shortcuts is annoying now but pays dividends later.
3. Use an external mouse (with 3 apps)
The trackpad is just slower.
The trackpad is good for leisure time, consuming media, or using your Mac in bed.
For everything else - the mouse is faster.
Unfortunately, macOS poorly handles external mice.
Here are 3 apps that make your mouse usable:
SensibleSideButtons - enables side buttons to go back and forward in your browser.
Linear mouse - removes terrible pointer acceleration, reverses scrolling but leaves trackpad scrolling direction the same.
Mac Mouse Fix - adds middle click to your scroll wheel.
Thanks for reading 👋.