Sure, AI is transforming the way we work, making us more productive than ever. But what about your speed before AI ? There are plenty of powerful, old-school tricks that can boost your productivity without any AI involved. Here, I’m sharing some tried-and-true tips that have significantly accelerated my workflow, and they can do the same for you.

1. Master Typing with All 10 Fingers 🖐️🤚

This is the bedrock of every productivity hack to come.

Can you type without looking at the keyboard ? If so, are you using all 10 fingers?

Back in university, I could type without peeking, but my technique was off — I was slower, made more typos, and overused certain fingers. So, I took the time to properly learn 10-finger typing, and it completely changed the game. Now, I’m quicker, make fewer mistakes, and can use keyboard shortcuts far more effectively.

Learning this skill took a few weeks, but it’s one of the best investments I’ve made.

My go-to tool for this ? Typing Club. It offers a step-by-step program to build up your 10-finger skills and improve your Words Per Minute 🏆

2. Supercharge Your Terminal with Zsh and Oh My Zsh 🖥️✨

For any developer, the terminal is a daily tool. Zsh and Oh My Zsh let you customize your terminal and add powerful features easily.

With plugins, you’ll enjoy streamlined Git commands, smarter auto-completions, and a generally enhanced terminal experience. Check out the full list of plugins here: https://github.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/tree/master/plugins.

3. Ditch Editor Tabs

Stop relying on editor tabs ! They slow you down. Instead, use the "recent files" menu or "search everywhere" function in your editor. You’ll navigate your code much faster.

4. Create Your Own Editor Shortcuts

A few years back, I tried to memorize all my IDE shortcuts — bad idea ! Only 20-30 shortcuts were truly useful, and many were awkward combinations, like Shift + Ctrl + Alt + U. I ended up removing all defaults and creating my own custom shortcuts for the most useful commands. Now, each one is mapped to an easy-to-hit key combo. It took a little time to learn, but it was absolutely worth it.

5. Navigate Your Browser with Vimium

The Vimium extension (Firefox|Chrome) allows you to use keyboard commands to move around in your browser. Pressing "f" highlights all clickable elements, making it easy to navigate. This is where 10-finger typing comes in handy — you’ll need to know your way around the keyboard to fully enjoy this extension !

6. Remap Arrow Keys

This tip is a game-changer for me. We use arrow keys constantly, so I mapped them directly on my keyboard (I took this idea from Vim). On my French keyboard, I mapped left to “j,” up to “k,” right to “l,” and down to “m” (on Qwerty it would be mapped on "hjkl"). This setup works across all my software (terminal, IDE, browser, etc). My hand stays in place, and I can even make more complex shortcuts. The only trade-off ? I had to sacrifice my “Caps Lock” key, but it’s a small price to pay.

You're using Ubuntu too ? Here how I did it.

7. Keep All Your Configs in a Repository

Even if it doesn’t happen often, there are times when you’ll switch computers. To avoid reconfiguring everything, save your custom configs in a GitHub repository. Be sure to include detailed steps in the README; your future self will thank you ! Here’s mine if you want some inspiration: etienneleba/configs.

8. Go Mouse-Free

With these tips, you should be able to work mouse-free. Try it for a week and every time you reach for the mouse, think of a shortcut instead and write it down. By the end of the week, you’ll be surprised at how much faster you’ve become.

Don’t throw away your mouse, some tasks still need it, but ask yourself every time: “Could a shortcut replace this mouse action?”

9. Share Tips with Your Team

Everyone has their own shortcuts and tweaks for faster coding, but we rarely share them. Take a moment to discuss and exchange these tips with your team, colleagues, or community, you’ll all benefit!

10. Invest in Yourself

Most of these tips aren’t instant wins, they require time to master. But, I encourage you to make that investment in yourself. These practices will level up your developer game, guaranteed.

Final Thoughts

I hope you’ve learned some new tips to speed up your work ! I’m sure I missed some obvious ones, so please drop your favorite shortcuts and productivity hacks in the comments below 👇