I was talking with a driven entrepreneur this morning and he said something I’ve heard all too often.
“I know I’m using my Mac at a fraction of what it can do but I am WAY too busy to even think about it. I have way more important things to do.”
We get it, and we know how frustrating it can be to cope with inefficiency. Here are three things you can do to start chipping away and recover some of the time you’re wasting.
1. Start small.
Take just one inefficiency and replace it with the faster option and force yourself to do that for 30 seconds a day for a week. If you normally switch apps by clicking the icon on the Dock, try a three-finger swipe upwards on the trackpad or use command-tab. If you normally reply to emails in Mail by clicking the “Reply” button, try command-r for reply or command-n for new message. If you normally use Calculator for quick tax calculations, try using Spotlight with command-space and then typing 99.99*1.05.
Interpreting menu shortcuts and keyboard commands…
You can look under any menu to see keyboard shortcuts. Take just one and turn it into muscle memory. It’s clumsy and awkward at first but you’ll get it after a day or two and enjoy the satisfying new efficiency forever thereafter.
2. Befriend Siri.
She’s getting smarter by the day as voice recognition technology improves. I do this a lot while walking or driving.
“Hey Siri, read my messages.” or “Play my voice messages.” or “What’s ninety-nine point ninety-nine times one point zero five?” or “Give me directions to Cactus Club Cafe on Davie Street.” When you get there, say “Cancel directions.”
I also particularly enjoy asking her to dial phone numbers for me. “Call 1-877-707-6227” and she does it! I feel so important with the personal service.
Note that it’s legal to drive in BC with one earbud and without touching your phone so you can do a fair bit with Siri – but please stay safe!
3. Get personalized help where you are, on your schedule.
We can do a “power hour” wherever you are, or you can check out our Powerpreneur program specifically designed for you. We specialize in non condescension as we know how humiliating it can be to ask for seemingly basic help. We recognize that people are not born knowing this stuff. Yes, you can get help during evenings and weekends so you can be out making money during the day.
As always, email us at solutions@macinhome.com with your quick question. If you just need a quick answer with a tip we’ll do that no charge so you get warm fuzzies from our service and want to call again when you need more help.
