My Keyboard Flow

This list maps my main keyboard flow. There are many more keybindings in my life than presented here, but these are some highlights.

My core flow runs through the spacebar. The tools I use most are mapped to its thumb thumpable expanse.

My workflow is very plain text and Markdown heavy. I’m a text and information worker, and these are some of my tools.

Legend:

Hyper – Karabiner Elements maps my Caps Lock key to Cmd+Ctl+Opt+Shift. This serves as my Hyper key. It also serves as an escape key when pressed and released (as opposed to using it as a modifier in a chord with other keys). This dual behavior is very useful. Launching with a Hyper key chord and then dismissing with the Hyper key is nice flow. If you have an app or miniwindow that doesn’t dismiss when it’s hotkey is pressed again, try putting it on a dual behavior Hyper key so you don’t have to reach for Escape or Cmd+w. Recent updates to Karabiner Elements make it easy to install a Caps Lock package with several different caps lock behaviors.

<KM> – This indicates the keybinding is handled by Keyboard Maestro, a favorite workflow automation tool.

Core

• Cmd+space = Alfred
• Cmd+Opt+space = Ulysses <KM>
• Opt+space = Copied
• Hyper+space = Things <KM>
• Ctl+space = Things quick entry
• Ctl+Opt+space = Things auto-fill quick entry
• Cmd+Ctl+Opt+space = Fantastical miniwindow
• Cmd+\ = 1Password fill

Launch

• Cmd+Opt+/ = Textexpander

• Hyper+e = Launch email (Spark)

• Hyper+r = Reeder <KM>
• Hyper+w = Open web browser (Chrome) <KM>
• Hyper+y = YNAB <KM>
• Ctl+Opt+d = Cardhop
• Hyper+m = Messages <KM>
• Ctl+Opt+, = Soulver <KM>
• Ctl+Opt+m = MindNode <KM>
• Ctl+Opt+/ = Alfred file browser
• Hyper+1 = Show 1Password mini
• Hyper+p = Launch P <KM>
• Hyper+t = Trigger Keyboard Maestro macro <KM>
• Hyper+i = iStat Menus combined view
• Shift+Opt+space = Spotlight
• Shift+Cmd+space = Lacona

Search

• Hyper+o = Search Ulysses <KM>
• Hyper+s = Search Pinboard with Shiori
• Cmd+/ = Search TextExpander
• Ctl+Opt+d = Search contacts with Cardhop
• Cmd+space = Search Chrome bookmarks with Alfred
• Cmd+space = Search web with Alfred
• Cmd+space = Search files with Alfred

Add

• Cmd+Ctl+/ = New Textexpander snippet from selection
• Hyper+b = Add bookmark to Pinboard with Shiori
• Ctl+space = Things quick entry
• Ctl+Opt+space = Things auto-fill quick entry

Ulysses

• Hyper+h = Paste from HTML <KM>
• Hyper+u = Clip Chrome to Ulysses <KM>
• Hyper+l = Markdown Link from Front Browser <KM>
• Hyper+c = Copy as Markdown | Copy as HTML | Copy as Rich Text <KM>

Text

• Hyper+delete = Kill entire line <KM>
• Ctl+s = Select current line <KM>
• Hyper+c = Paste Selection Into Last Application <KM>
• Shift+esc = Speak selected text
• “/-“ = insert four dash header on new line after cursor

Things

• Cmd+Ctl+Opt+m = Share Task[s] via Messages <KM>

Chrome

• Cmd+Shift+k = Search tabs with TabSwitcher

Textexpander

• Cmd+/ = Search TextExpander
• Cmd+Opt+/ = Open Textexpander
• Cmd+Ctl+/ = Create new Textexpander snippet from selection

Workspaces & Windows

• Cmd+tab = SuperTab app switcher
• Opt+tab = Switchem workspace switcher
• Hyper+tab = Switchem window switcher
• Hyper+z = Moom keyboard control
• Cmd+h = Hide application
• Cmd+Ctl+Opt+h = Hide all applications <KM>