Don't just use Outlook, Conquer it!

Outlook 2003 does so many tiny things to aid your productivity. I wanted to share with you a few tips that I use to move around Outlook (which is really the application I spend the majority of my time in).

Let's not waste time, let's just jump right into the tips!

• If someone sends you an email and asks you to setup a meeting, what's the easiest way to do this? Simply drag the mail with the right mouse button onto the "Calendar" button, you'll get a menu, like this one:
  
  and you can choose to copy the text of the email into a new calendar request. This tip works the same way for tasks and contacts. Play around with it!


• Quickly jump around Outlook without using the mouse. You can use the CTRL+# key's to jump to sections, CTRL+1 is mail, CTRL+2 is calendar, CTRL+3 is contacts, and so on.


• Everyone knows that you can use CTRL+N to create a new {whatever section you're in}, but what if you want to create a new contact, do you have to press CTRL+3, CTRL+N? Seems like too many keystrokes. I guess the Outlook team thought so too:
  
  
  • CTRL+SHIFT+M - New mail message
  
  
  • CTRL+SHIFT+A - New Calendar item
  
  
  • CTRL+SHIFT+C - New Contact
  
  
  • CTRL+SHIFT+B - Open your Address book
  
  
  • CTRL+SHIFT+U - New Task (Also CTRL+SHIFT+K)
  
  
  • CTRL+SHIFT+N - New Note
  
  
  • CTRL+SHIFT+L - New Outlook Distribution List
  
  
  • CTRL+SHIFT+I - Change to the Inbox from anywhere
  
  
  • CTRL+SHIFT+O - Change to the Outbox from anywhere
  
  
  • CTRL+SHIFT+F - Advanced Find
  
  
  • CTRL+SHIFT+X - Open a new Fax
  
  
  • INS - Toggle the flag on a mail message

Hopefully this will make you more productive with your primary email tool. I know it's nice for me not to have to move my hand over to the mouse every time I want to see what's coming up on my calendar.