_Ready to design your perfect productivity system in Notion? Our upcoming course[Supercharge Your Productivity]() is your first step to transforming your life and career._ Do you prefer video instructions to a written blog post? No worries, we’ve got you covered: Have you tried Notion, the [new all-purpose app]() for productivity, task management, and knowledge management? Its power lies in the ability to merge the functionality of countless apps into a single platform. Plus, its clean and sleek design makes it a delight to use. But like any growing child, it’s got its share of issues: it’s slow, search is wonky, and it’s hard to navigate on mobile. Here are some shortcuts, tips, and tricks to keep your Notion zippy and productive. And please visit [notion.courses](), the premier learning destination for all things Notion. ## __Keyboard shortcuts__ When you’re on desktop, keyboard shortcuts can help you fly through your documents and tables. __Our favorite__ keyboard shortcuts * Press `__cmd/ctrl__` \+ `__enter__` to open/close a toggle * Press `__cmd/ctrl__` \+ `\\` to close “file explorer” * Press `__cmd/ctrl__` \+ `__p__` to open search or jump to a recently viewed page. * Press `__cmd/ctrl__` \+ `__1__` or `__2__` to change workspaces (which you can re-order with the mouse). * Type `__/turn__` at the beginning or end of a block to turn it into a different type of block. You’ll see a list of choices pop up, such as `__/turnh2__` or `__/turntoggle__` __Our Top Navigation Shortcuts__ * Press `__cmd/ctrl__` \+ `__n__` to create a new page (desktop apps only). * Press `__cmd/ctrl__` \+ __`shift`__ \+ __`n`__ or use `__cmd/ctrl__` \+ `__click__` to open a new Notion window. * Press `__cmd/ctrl__` \+ __`[`__ to go back a page. * Press `__cmd/ctrl__` \+ __`]`__ to go forward a page. __Our Top Editing shortcuts__ * Type `__*__`, `__-__`, or `__+__` followed by __`space`__ to create a bulleted list. * Type `__[]__` to create a to-do checkbox. (There’s no __`space`__ in between.) * Type `__1.__` followed by __`space`__ to create a numbered list. * Type `__#__` or __`##`__ or __`###`__ followed by __`space`__ to create an H1-H3 heading. * Type `__>__` followed by `__space__` to create a toggle list. * Type `__"__` followed by `__space__` to create a quote block. ## __Navigating Notion’s speed issues__ Let’s face it: Notion’s lack of speed (especially on mobile) is a huge deterrent for many users. But we can hack up a few workarounds to maintain our efficacy. __Using pagename prefixes__ I use set prefixes to name my frequently access pages and tables. I use __”JJ_table_name”__ for my master tables: and __”KK_page_name”__ for pages that I frequently reference. That way, when your search begins with those prefixes, it will __rule out__ all the other pages and get you to your desired page asap. __Using “emoji taxonomy__ I borrowed this idea from [Josh Levy at Presstige.io]() who employs a consistent emoji set to match a page’s intent. Customize these emojis to your own use cases, just remember that the __key is consistency.__ Here’s Josh’s taxonomy: __Navigating Tables on Mobile__ Tables on mobile are hard. Not only is it a lot of data to navigate, the structure of rows and columns doesn’t lend itself to sequential processing (like a paragraph). One workaround: defining __mobile specific views.__ Create these views on desktop and focus on the following screen-saving approaches: * Limit the data to check boxes and tags (if possible) * Re-size the columns to be as narrow as possible (as it will port-over to mobile) * Label the view with a ? emoji so that you can find it quickly Here’s the mobile view that I use to process my reading list: Next up, you’ll learn the [differences between Notion and Evernote](). [![Blog post image](/images/blog/Copy-of-Copy-of-BASICS.png)]() [![Blog post image](/images/blog/Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-BASICS.png)]() [![Blog post image](/images/blog/Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-Copy-of-BASICS.png)]() [See all Notion Guides]()