The Esc Key Just Says ‘No’
The Golden Rule for Maximum Productivity says, “Keep your hands on the keyboard.” Every time you reach for the mouse, you interrupt your flow of genius.
That’s why you should learn the “Yes” and “No” keys on your keyboard, otherwise known as the Enter key (right side) and Esc key (top left).
Pressing Enter is the same thing as clicking the most prominent button in any message on the screen, like OK, Save, Print, or Search.
The Esc key is short for “Escape”—and it says no to any message or dialog box. It means “Close this” or “Cancel this.”
In a dialog box, pressing the Esc key “clicks” the Cancel button. This key also closes a menu you’ve opened (including the Start menu in Windows). And it makes a full-screen YouTube video shrink back down to regular size.
Once you’ve Entered the world of keyboard efficiency, there’s no Esc.
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Adapted from Pogue’s Basics, Flatiron Books. Order here.
