Are you a business professional? Like many others in your field, you must be hard-pressed for time. Work-life balance has gone for a toss. Needless to say, you are desperately looking for ways to streamline tasks and increase efficiency so you can focus on commitments other than work.
If you are using a Mac for your professional endeavors, you are in luck. Apple's Macs come built-in with a wealth of tools and simple hacks that can save valuable effort and time. Let us walk you through a few of those to boost your productivity.
Master Preview for quick image & document edits
Preview is one of the most underrated Mac tools, especially for business professionals. This built-in application is primarily used for viewing and editing images. Most photographers use this app when they are starting out, and it does an excellent job of transforming colored images into black and white. If you haven't tried Mac Preview black and white, you are not using the tool's image editing capabilities to the fullest.
Anyhow, the features of this app go far beyond image editing. It offers powerful functions for quick document edits, annotations, and even signatures.
You can easily use Preview to view and edit PDFs by adding shapes, texts, or highlights. You can even add comments, fill out forms, or highlight important sections. Additionally, you can create and save your digital signatures using Preview. The signatures can be added to invoices, contracts, or even PDFs without the hassle of printing and scanning.
By fully utilizing Preview, business professionals can avoid purchasing expensive software for simple tasks while also saving a lot of time on everyday document handling.
Optimize Finder for better file access and management
The most crucial part of the Mac experience is Finder. You can personalize Finder to optimize how files are accessed and organized.
Start by customizing the sidebar. Add frequently used folders to the Finder sidebar to significantly reduce the time you spend navigating to essential files. This can be done by dragging a folder into the sidebar.
Then, you can use Tags to sort your files easily. Colored tags can be used to categorize your files and keep them organized. For example, you can tag urgent documents in red and completed tasks in blue.
Another Finder feature you mustn't overlook is Smart Folders. Smart Folders automatically gather files based on specific criteria so you can instantly access them without manually searching.
Maximize efficiency with Spotlight Search
Don't mistake Spotlight as just another search tool. This tool serves as a currency calculator, quick calculator, and even a web search tool. Unlocking the full potential of Spotlight will help save a lot of time.
Press Command + Space to bring up Spotlight, and then type the first few letters of the app or file you need. Spotlight will find the files on your behalf and save you from unnecessary opening and closing folders.
Once Spotlight is open, you can use it to launch apps or perform simple conversions and calculations.
By mastering the use of Spotlight, you can handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
Learn keyboard shortcuts to save time
Learning and using keyboard shortcuts is a game-changer for efficiency. Luckily, Mac has a wealth of shortcuts to streamline daily tasks, and you can even create custom shortcuts by going to System Settings > Keyboard.
Some common shortcuts you must know are Command + C/V/X (copy, paste, and cut), Command + Tab (switch between apps, web browsers, documents, or emails), Command + Shift + 5 (screenshot of the entire screen), and so on.
Reduce the number of mouse clicks or the frenzies movements across the trackpad by mastering these shortcuts.
Automate everyday tasks using Automator
Automator is another built-in tool that is often overlooked by Mac users. This powerful tool allows users to create custom workflows to automate repetitive tasks. Thanks to its easy drag-and-drop interface, it makes it easy for everyone to create custom workflows.
You can use Automator to set up automatic sorting of files, batch renaming files, or creating calendar events.
As a business professional, you'll love using the Automator tool as it will automate all your tedious tasks and free up your time.
Multitask like a pro with Split View
Split View is a Mac feature that allows users to work on two apps side by side. This is what makes this feature enviable to business professionals who need to make multitasking more manageable.
Using this feature, you can work on one document while referencing another on the side. No need to switch between apps or browsers. No going back and forth.
You can enable Split View by holding down the green maximize button of any window and dragging the window to one side of the screen. Then, repeat the same process with another window and drag it to the opposite side of the screen.
The Bottom Line
Your Mac computer already comes with all the tools and features you need to boost your productivity. All you have to do is master them.
Incorporate the tools and tricks mentioned above to save time and reduce effort while maximizing your efficiency. Best of luck!
