We all have those super techie friends who seem to have an aversion to their mouse.
 
They sit there and peck away at the keyboard faster than Speedy Gonzales, while you watch in awe thinking, "How in the world are they doing that so FAST?!?!"
 
Some people hesitate to learn keyboard shortcuts. They think it's easier to just use the mouse, or they worry they'll never remember so many key combinations.
 
But trust us. Keyboard shortcuts can be your best friend, even if you only learn one or two commands that you use frequently. For example, our multitaskers would be lost without ALT + TAB and our designers sure do appreciate CTRL + Z.
 
Here's our basic lifesaver list of keyboard shortcuts if you're using Windows and Microsoft Office. Just hold down the keys in the order mentioned. (And just so we're clear, the plus sign tells you which keys to combine--you don't actually need to press the + key.)
 
CTRL + C   Copy the selected text or object(s)
CTRL + X   Cut the selected text or object(s)
CTRL + V   Paste the selection
CTRL + B   Make the selected text bold
CTRL + I    Make the selected text italicized
CTRL + U   Underline the selected text
CTRL + Z    Undo the last action
ALT + F4    Close a window
ALT + TAB  Switch to another open program or window (hold ALT and keep pressing TAB to select)
SHIFT + DELETE   Permanently delete an item (without moving it to the recycle bin first)
 
When you've mastered all those, check out a longer list of shortcuts for Windows. Or learn some common shortcuts for a Mac.
 
You'll be impressing your friends with your keyboard tricks in no time (and wondering how you ever lived without them).