Knowing you shortcut keystrokes should be the number one priority when you start learning to use your computer but unfortunately with the advent of the mouse, learning your shortcut keystrokes seems to be less of a priority and more of a luxury. The really bizarre thing about knowing your shortcuts is that you can be up to 5 times more efficient than somebody that does not know them.

The real question is how can you learn them effectively and efficiently?

Well, the bottom line is practice …

Practice, practice, practice and more practice.

However, there are some basic principles you can follow which will help you master your shortcuts. The first thing you must do is to identify the shortcuts that are available in the application you are using. Let us take for instance Microsoft Office, actually let us be a little more specific, Microsoft Word 2003. In Microsoft Word 2003 there are literally over 200 plus keyboard shortcuts but the down side with Microsoft Word is that not all of them are easy to locate or identify.

So how do we find out our keyboard shortcuts …

The first and the simplest way to find out what shortcut keystrokes do what is by looking at the drop down menus. If you look at the File menu in Microsoft Word 2003 you will notice that as you scan up and down the menu you will see a combination of letters next to each command. For example next to the Save command is the text - [Ctrl] + . What this is, is a keyboard shortcut and when used it will do the same function as selecting the Save command on the menu.

What you will also notice is that not all of the commands in the menu actually have shortcut keystrokes. Do not allow that to mislead you though. In fact every command in the File menu has a shortcut keystroke. For example the shortcut keystroke for Save As is in fact [F12]. Using the function key [F12] will open the Save as dialog box and allow you to give the file you are working on a new name.

Some other examples of shortcut keystrokes that are available in that menu but are not well documented are the Close command. The Close command has no text next to it but you can most certainly close a document without using the mouse, you simply use the shortcut keystroke [Ctrl] + [W].

Finding out these shortcuts can be a little tricky. One spot that you can go to that will help you identify some of the shortcut keystrokes available in Microsoft Word 2003 is in the help system. Generally, you simply type in a question into the help system and it will return the right command and the documented shortcut keystroke. To get into help in Microsoft Word simply go to the Help menu and choose Microsoft Office Word Help from the drop down menu or if you know the shortcut keystroke use it. Just as a hint, the help keyboard shortcut is [F1]. One of the things I have noticed is that quite often the shortcut isn't provided in help, in particular for commands located on toolbars, however in the case of Microsoft Word, Microsoft has provided us with a nifty tool that when turned on, will tell you the keyboard shortcut just by moving your mouse pointer over the toolbar icon.

The first thing you need to do is to select the Tools menu and then choose the Customize command from the drop down menu. In the Customize dialog box you will need to choose the Options tab. You will notice towards the bottom of the dialog box a command that says Show Shortcut keys in Screen Tips. If you select the check box ensure there is a tick in it, as this will activate this function and then choose the OK button. You will find that as you move your mouse pointer now over any of the toolbar icons it will tell you the associated shortcut keystroke to use that command. For example if you move you mouse pointer over the Format Painter icon on the Standard Toolbar it will tell you the shortcut keystroke is [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[C] but what you will also notice is that some of the icons on the toolbar do not have shortcuts. This does not mean that there are no keyboard shortcuts for that command; it simply is a situation where Microsoft has chosen not to show the command.

For example if you move your mouse pointer over the Print Preview command you will notice that there is no shortcut next to the toolbar icon even though you can activate the Print Preview command using shortcut keystrokes. Why not try this out - [Alt] + [Ctrl] + which toggles you into Print Preview mode and out. Now to find out shortcuts like this the only real way is to go back to Microsoft's Website and search through their Microsoft Office Online help system which can be a laborious task.

Alternatively, there are lots of guides and cheat sheets available on the web to help you identify all the shortcut keystrokes you need to use your applications. If the application you are using is not a common application then certainly talk to the company that developed the application and find out if they have a cheat sheet.

Once you have identified all the shortcut keystrokes you need, then the next task is to STOP using your mouse. My recommendation is that you put your mouse behind your computer screen and try out just how far you get without touching it. It does take a while but once you have mastered the keyboard shortcuts what you will find is that you will be able to use the computer 5 times more effectively and people will be amazed at your computer usability, speed and agility.

Learning your keyboard shortcuts is really important and those people that do invest the time in learning them find that they will be more employable and more effective and efficient in the workplace. That is why many of the certification programs like the Microsoft Office Specialist programs require that the person sitting the certification exams know their keyboard shortcuts and I can assure you I have sat all of the exams and you can not pass the exam without knowing your keyboard shortcuts.

Chris Le Roy is the Managing Director of One-on-One Personal Computer Training. His company provides a range of Microsoft Office Cheat Sheets to help individuals learn their keyboard shortcuts. He has available for download the Microsoft Word 2003 Basic Cheat Sheet, Microsoft Excel 2003 Basic Cheat Sheet, and many many more are available now. Others will be available soon so why not visit his website at Microsoft Office Specialist Authorised Testing Centre - One-on-One Personal Computer Training.