5 Tools that Help You Work 2x Faster
Quick and easy ways to impress your boss and colleagues
We techies (developers, designers, etc) put food on the table by sitting at a 90-degree angle in a chair, staring at a screen, and performing repetitive tasks on a day-to-day basis. That’s our M.O. Whether it’s copying commands from notes or collecting fake test data from data generation sites, the fact is that time is money. And an increased number of inefficient backspaces and micro context switches hinders efficiency. Thus, I have invested copious (non-work) hours in finding tools to help me work more efficiently. Now let me help you help yourself! Here are the 5 main tools I use every day that help me produce quality work effectively.
1. Alfred 4 (With Powerpack)
Alfred 4 is the ultimate productivity tool that allows you to use hotkeys and custom actions to open applications and run scripts instantaneously. Its core feature to open files and applications is very similar to Mac’s Spotlight; However, it’s faster, has multiple themes, and is overall much more customizable. With the Powerpack upgrade, you can unlock features like the clipboard history, snippets, workflows, app integrations, and more.
1a. Clipboard History
Alt+tab, ⌘+C, ⌘+V, Alt+tab, repeat... I lose count on how many times I do that in a day. It is especially tedious when I need to copy fake test data from Chrome. Alfred’s clipboard history shows a modal with all of the previously copied contents which you can traverse and select the correct one you wish to copy. Now you can copy multiple selections from one application and paste them into another without needing to switch back and forth. This also enables you to confidently close any search tabs after copying the contents you need.
1b. Snippets
As a developer, I keep a little cheat sheet (shh) that contains code snippets, links to coding guides, and useful resources in a Notes application. Alfred snippets allow you to store snippets of code and search/filter by keywords. Now you have a centralized place to store just about anything, from code snippets to your partner’s address (or more importantly anniversary). Never will you need to worry about losing or misplacing that information again.
1c. Workflow
Alfred Workflow allows you to integrate your favorite application into the Alfred interface. The capability of this feature is limitless. You can either develop workflows from scratch, extend from their templates, or download other people’s masterpieces online. One of my favorite workflows is Git Repos by Dean Jackson. Once integrated, I can open any git repositories in Vscode, Chrome, or any compatible applications in just a few keys.
2. iTerm2
Programmers have created a myriad of utility tools with intuitive UI such as Git Kraken and Postman that aid developers and enhance performance. I, on the contrary, am an advocate of avoiding context switches and prefer to do everything in the terminal. iTerm2 is just the tool for that. It is an advanced terminal that supports split panes, hotkey windows, and autocomplete just to name a few. Its 24-bit color also works exceptionally well with Oh My Zsh and Powerlevel10k themes.
2a. Oh My Zsh
If you work with the terminal every day, you probably want it to look appealing (~aesthetic~). Oh My Zsh is an open-source framework for managing your zsh. It offers an endless list of themes out-of-the-box. In addition, it has 275+ plugins you can add to the configuration file to help you expedite your workflow. Apple also announced at the WWDC 2019 (Worldwide Developers Conference) that they are switching the default shell to zsh, so Oh My Zsh is def a must-have.
2b. Powerlevel10k
While Oh My Zsh has many theme options, Powerlevel10k is by far my most-loved theme. As you may have imagined, I wouldn’t have listed p10k here if it was just a theme. It promises speed, flexibility, and out-of-the-box experience. Immediately after you install p10k, the configuration wizard is quick and simple but highly customizable. Furthermore, the theme also offers an instant prompt option where it allows you to start entering your next command instead of being halted by the previous command. To make your terminal look like the screenshot below, I am using the Snazzy color and this p10k configuration.
2c. Status Bar
iTerm2 has repeatedly launched useful features in the past, but the relatively new status bar definitely completes the picture. You can navigate to the setting as the image below and add multiple useful data such as CPU, memory, network speed, git state, and custom data you wish to display at the bottom of your terminal. Although you are able to display most of these information with p10k, it adds another interesting attribute to decorate your terminal and make it your own.
3. Git custom commands
Where are my Git CLI users at?? We prefer to use the Git CLI over apps like Git Kraken, Sourcetree, Github Desktop, and others because we are used to navigating around with keyboards instead of clicking around pretty UIs. Some zsh users even have the Git plugin installed (We love a good shortcut, don’t we? 🤓). Now let’s take it to the next level and add custom Git commands to the Git path. In order to do that, we’ll need to create a folder that contains all of the Git scripts written in bash and add it to the PATH like so:
# syntax
export PATH=$PATH:[PATH_TO_FOLDER]# example
export PATH=$PATH:/Users/rjzheng/Helpers/git-custom-commands
now if we have a script like the git-resync command I have here:
and we give it the correct permission, we can easily use it as a part of Git’s native operations:
$ chmod 777 git-resync
$ cd git-project
$ git resync4. Things 3
To become a streamlined cost-effective developer, it’s crucial to plan out your day and not twiddle your thumbs trying to figure out what to do next. Things 3 is a great to-do app that enables you to plan out your tasks coherently. You can create outlines to keep your projects in different scopes, link your calendars, search for keywords in a task, set reminders, and more. (But wait, there’s more!) Things 3 also supports all platforms and sync events over the cloud so you can access the same data anywhere. I also leave meeting notes here for simplicity’s sake and to keep everything in one place.
5. Contexts
If you’ve learned anything from this post, it’s that I hate context switching. Coincidentally, Contexts helps you navigate through context switching in the most subtle way possible. Contexts are the task switcher (Alt+tab) and Dock replacement. In the Contexts window, you can search for a specific application or chrome tabs to switch to instead of keep Alt+tab-ing until you find the correct window. The interface also has hints next to each window to help you speed up your searches.
Conclusion
Repetition gets boring, and I’m not sure if this type of muscle memory makes us more ‘swole’. No one looks forward to doing the same things over and over again at work. We find excitement in working on new features, being innovative, and trying something new.
These 5 tools may only save you a few minutes every day, but I promise you these minutes will add up to hours and hours of time saved. I encourage you to notice unnecessary repetition and find or build tools to overcome it. If you find anything cool, please don’t hesitate to share with me, let’s all be on the hunt to work faster together.
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