Breaking down complex projects into smaller tasks is crucial for their success. Doing it is one thing, but managing it effectively is a completely different and more important part. This is exactly what you use Asana for. But did you know that you can accelerate the speed and effectiveness even further? Use the keyboard shortcuts Asana project management tool offers. Is it the first time you have heard about such a feature? Read on to find out all the details of this marvelous simplification!
What are Asana Shortcuts?
Asana keyboard shortcuts are the keyboard commands you can use to perform many Asana actions without having to take your fingers off the keyboard. To effectively use them you must, however, first learn how to and remember them. The former we will help you with today. The latter depends on how frequently you use them (repetition is crucial to an efficient workflow). After all, practice makes perfect.
Benefits of using Asana shortcuts
Before we start our guide, it is imperative to know why making a little effort to learn how to use all the shortcuts will aid your business. Let's have a look at what you can gain thanks to using shortcuts.
Enhance Productivity
One of the most essential advantages of mastering the use of Asana shortcuts is a substantial boost in productivity. Just like practicing the guitar chords can make you a brilliant guitarist, knowing Asana shortcuts will make you a pro in navigating the software. It will help you focus, making the distractions non-existent.
Switching from keyboard to mouse makes your actions quicker and your workflow steady. As a result, your entire productivity will increase.
Save time
Fast-paced seems to be the most frequent word used to describe today's world. Because in such a world every second counts and indirectly equates to money, time becomes currency worth saving. Asana shortcuts are one of the best ways to save it.
Time, just like pennies or cents, accumulates. All the seconds saved thanks to not having to click through all the menus while looking for the appropriate function, sum up. Imagine how many more actions, tasks, or projects you can perform by simply learning a few tricks on your keyboard.
Use with ease
One of the best things about shortcuts is that they do not require much of your effort. Learning a few combinations is as easy as pie. However, what you can get in return is much more valuable than the few seconds you devote to memorizing the shortcuts.
Do you remember the time, when to copy a text you used the right click of your mouse? No? It is because at some point using Ctrl+C became intuitive, as it is simply quicker. Your brain is wired to search for the simplest solutions, which is why it chose to use the keyboard shortcut. The same will happen with Asana shortcuts. Cutting down on unnecessary clicks and page loads is simply smoother and more enjoyable.
Work smarter and faster thanks to the Asana keyboard shortcuts by devoting time to actually doing things.
Basic Asana Shortcuts
We will start our journey through the land of keyboards from the most useful combinations which are called Basic Asana Keyboard Shortcuts. They can help you perform basic actions such as task creation, assigning tasks to your team members, marking tasks complete, undoing the last actions, and task searching. Using the shortcuts comes down to pressing a specific combination of keys on the keyboard, for example:
Create a new task – Tab + N
Assign the task to a team member – Tab + A
Mark task complete – Tab + M
Undo the last action – Ctrl + Z
Search for a task – Ctrl + F
There are also other useful functions, such as creating subtasks, duplicating tasks, and moving tasks to different projects. Thanks to them managing complex projects, improving team collaboration, and streamlining workflow are all a piece of cake.
Ready to stop wasting and start saving time with Asana shortcuts?
Navigation Shortcuts
Navigating through Asana can be time-consuming, which is why using shortcuts will save you the hassle. Have a look at the below shortcuts for macOS and Windows to streamline your processes:
Go to My Tasks – Tab + Z
Go to Inbox – Tab + I
Hide/unhide Sidebar – Tab + O
Add a comment to the selected task – Tab + C
Assign the selected task – Tab + A
Assign a due date – Tab + D
Add a Follower – Tab + F
Assign a tag to the task – Tab + T
Focus on Subtasks – Tab + S
Search – Tab + /
Task Management Shortcuts
Make working on your tasks easy with the below task management shortcuts for Windows:
Create a new task – Enter
Remove selected task – Tab + Backspace
Remove current task – Backspace
Mark a task as Complete – Ctrl + Enter
Move up – Ctrl + Up Arrow
Move down – Ctrl + Down Arrow
Jump up to the next section – Ctrl + Shift + Up Arrow
Jump down to the next section – Ctrl + Shift + Down Arrow
Copy highlighted tasks – Ctrl + C
Paste tasks – Ctrl + V
Assign the task to yourself – Tab + M
Go to Home – Tab + H
Create a new Section – Tab + N
Add to a project – Tab + P
If you want to quickly create sections, type '@section' into the task name and press enter.
You can also work on your tasks using three simple shortcuts (both in macOS and Windows):
Mark as Today – Tab + Y
Mark as Upcoming – Tab + U
Mark as Later – Tab + L
Selection shortcuts
Usually, selection is what you need to use your mouse for. Not with Asana! Most important actions can be performed with the use of your keyboard only. Just have a look at the below:
Select previous item – Up Arrow
Select the next item – Down Arrow
Select previous range – Shift + Up Arrow
Select next range – Shift + Down Arrow
Multi-select individual task – Ctrl + Click
Inbox shortcuts
You can not only use shortcuts within the project management area but also in relation to your inbox. What actions can you perform?
Go up – K
Go down – J
Access the Inbox – H
Access the Archive – S
Follow or Unfollow – F
Send to Archive – I
Move to Inbox – U
Application shortcuts
Finally, there are a few application-related shortcuts that make various other functions (along with your life) easier:
View keyboard shortcuts – Ctrl + /
Hide/unhide the right pane – Esc
Access Focus Mode – Tab + X
Quick add – Tab + Q
Post a comment – Tab + Enter
Say it out loud – Tab + B
To use the above shortcuts in macOS, simply swap the 'Control' key to the 'Command' key, and instead of 'Backspace use 'Delete'.
Creating your own Asana shortcut
Pre-prepared keyboard shortcuts are one thing, but the real fun begins when you get to choose what you press to perform a chosen action. The good news is, that Asana gives you such an opportunity.
Firstly, you need to create an accessible shortcut for the action or task. You can create the shortcut in three simple steps:
Decide which task or action you need to create a shortcut for.
Right-click the chosen item and select 'Add to My Tasks' from the menu.
Drag the chosen item to the favorites bar, right-click it, and select 'Create Shortcut.'
Every time you want to access it now, you can do it from the favorites bar.
The time has come to assign a keyboard shortcut to it. Click on the three dots next to the shortcut and choose 'Set Keyboard Shortcut.'
In such a way you can prepare shortcuts for the tasks you often do. It will significantly save you time and help you complete tasks faster.
How can I memorize Asana shortcuts?
So many shortcuts, so little memory to remember them all, you might fear. However, the truth is, it is not that hard to get the hang of them. Plus, we are here to give you a hand. Below you can find three good methods to getting you where you want to be, which is being the Asana wizard.
Practice makes perfect
The more you use the presented shortcuts the more instinctive they become. However, do not introduce them all at once. It is a bit like changing a diet. If you restrict all good things, the diet will simply not be effective as too big of a change has been put in place. Add shortcuts gradually to your daily work routine to change the way you do things permanently. Start with the simple ones and once you get in the habit of using them constantly, focus on more complex shortcuts.
Cheat sheets are not a sin
Unlike at school, with Asana, cheating is not a big thing. Remember, it is all about learning not testing yourself and making your life more difficult than before. If you need to peak in the cheat sheets, do it. We would even go a step forward- print your cheat sheet and place it on your desk if you need to! It is a quick reference guide to help you once you are stuck, but by using it, you also memorize the shortcuts. Soon enough they will become ingrained in your memory and you will not even realise when exactly that happened.
Tricks to use in memorizing shortcuts
Some shortcuts will be memorized instinctively, others will take time to sink in. No wonder, as there is a whole long list of them! Remembering them all is not an easy task. However, there are some methods you can use to speed up the process:
group similar shortcuts together
associate a shortcut with its function
visualization of what the shortcut does.
You can also start teaching shortcuts to your team members. This surprisingly makes you remember them better through the process of explanation out loud which will trigger your memory differently than if you were to practice them silently.
Probably the most helpful piece of advice would be: be patient, my friend! As with every skill, it takes time to master the Asana shortcuts. Remember to be regular in your practice and the success will come sooner or later.
Other ways of boosting your productivity
As you can see, shortcuts are a fabulous way of managing your time within Asana and minimizing its waste to the minimum. If you are delighted by such solutions you will be pleased to know more practices can help you manage time and become more productive. One of them is using a third-party integration to track time. Such tools as TimeCamp help you achieve your goals quicker as you can monitor closely how much time you or your team spend on certain tasks and actions. Have a look below at some other benefits such an integration gives you:
Automatic Time Tracking- log time spent on tasks without the need for manual input
Timesheets- automatic timesheets and timesheet approval features that help in payroll and allocating resources
Reporting- more than 20 built-in report types
Invoicing- billing clients accurately and efficiently
Budgeting- accurate billable hours, ability to set different rates
Expenses- have a clear picture of the money spent, digital copies of receipts
You can start for free by choosing our free forever plan or a 14-day trial with one of our premium paid plans.
Time management
