Using a Stream Deck to be More Productive

As a self-employed work from home writer, designer and publisher I want to work better and smarter not longer and harder. In that pursuit, I seek out marginal gains. Individually marginal gains add little to my day, but collectively, they offer substantial savings in time and energy--particularly over time.

One marginal gain comes from my Stream Deck XL.

A Stream Deck is basically a programmable set of buttons you can use to trigger a vast array of actions on your computer. They come in various sizes and connect via a bus-powered USB A cable. Commonly, Stream Decks are used by gamers, Podcasters, YouTubers and the like to enhance their streams. But why should they have all the fun?

Consider the following actions:

• I want to open a file I’m working on. On a Mac, I open Finder, navigate through my folders to the appropriate location (assuming I remember where it is) and open the file. With a Stream Deck, I push a button to open the file.
• I want to open an app. On a Mac, I open Launchpad, search for the App I want and open it. With a Stream Deck, I push a button to open the app.
• I want to go to a favourite website. On a Mac, I open Safari, navigate to my favourites and click on the relevant bookmark. With a Stream Deck, I push a button, and the website opens.

I think you get the idea.