“I would rather tear my eyelids off than work off of one monitor” was one of the top-voted comments on a quite controversial internet post on reddit.com with the heading Dual Monitor Setup is bad for productivity. While the general consensus is highly in favor of using multiple monitors to perform computer tasks, I echo the author’s sentiment that spreading work across screens often creates more friction than it solves. For my workflow, the greatest productivity gains do not come from adding monitors or using a mouse, but from focusing on eliminating friction, by using the right tools for the right job.

I am using my computer to solve problems. From answering emails, drawing architecture diagrams, being present in meetings, writing code, instructing AI agents or just buying used stuff on Kleinanzeigen (German version of Craigslist). The computer is my tool to solve them. Like a carpenter swinging a hammer to drive a nail into wood to connect it to another one. But in this analogy, the computer is not just a hammer or a nail; it’s the carpenter’s whole toolbox, the layout of his work car, the organization of his workplace. From the correct approach to storing nails and nuts, to using the right hammer and having access to the right tools at the right time.

Just as the carpenter needs to have a well-organized system to perform work as efficiently as possible, so do I. To my benefit by using a computer, I, however, do not have to think too much about physical components; where to place the hammer, the nails, and the screws so that I can use them at the right time with a minimal amount of reaching. My way to solve problems is reachable only by my fingers, and I think that’s great.

To get a well-organized system, you have to start looking for the inefficiencies and, most importantly, do it over and over again. Challenge the way you work and your processes; ask yourself if there is a way to perform the task with less friction. Reducing friction means freeing up cognitive space to preserve what is often so jeopardized: focus.

For computers, the lowest-hanging fruit is using keyboard shortcuts. The most well-known example is hopefully Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V (or Strg+C, Strg+V) to copy and paste text. Gone are the times of moving one of your hands off the keyboard to the mouse, selecting the text with a left-click, making a right-click, clicking on copy, and doing it again for pasting when needed. By reducing the tasks required to solve a problem (in this case, copying and pasting with the mouse) to a simple gesture of pressing only keys, you increase speed and lower friction.

Focusing on reducing friction has allowed me to build an efficient toolkit to solve problems in the most effective way. I am not just using a ton of shortcuts; I started to tweak my computer, the operating system, and the applications in such a way that it creates the least amount of friction and helps me concentrate on my work:

  • OS-Based Shortcuts: These are the easiest to implement. Accessible by everyone. Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V for copy/paste is the classic example, or Alt+Tab for quickly switching between active windows (in Windows, at least).

  • Application-Based Shortcuts: (My favorite in Chromium-based browsers: Ctrl+Shift+T to reopen the last closed tab, or Ctrl+L to jump directly to the address bar). There are tons of other useful shortcuts tailored to each specific program (e.g., VS Code or Outlook).

  • Webpage-Based or Intra-Application Shortcuts: Most applications offer distinct shortcut layers. In Chrome, for instance, you can use application-level shortcuts to control the browser itself, but you can also use webpage-specific shortcuts inside the web app (in YouTube, you can jump to the search bar with / and make a video fullscreen with f; in Gmail, you can compose a new email with c).

  • Linux Operating System: Now we move from the low-hanging fruit to building the actual foundation of a well-organized, specialized toolkit. A Linux distribution like Debian gives you complete control over your system, allowing you to circumvent the rigid design patterns forced upon you by traditional commercial operating systems while tapping into a vast ecosystem of free, open-source software.

  • Tiling Window Manager (Hyprland): Most Linux distributions come by default with a floating window manager like GNOME or KDE. For higher efficiency, I prefer a tiling window manager: a system that automatically arranges application windows into a non-overlapping grid or split-screen layout so that every open program fits neatly on screen and can be opened, closed, navigated, or resized purely through keyboard shortcuts.

  • Further Software Selection Tools: Okay, but what about the mouse? In today’s GUI-driven world, there cannot be a shortcut for every single interaction; websites in particular are built around mouse inputs. But who says we actually have to take our hands off the keyboard and touch a physical hardware mouse to use the pointer? Utilities like Wayland Keyboard Pointer help me move the mouse cursor, click, and make selections without lifting my hands from the home row. Similarly, (neo-)Vim is another prime example of editing text and writing code entirely within the terminal using only your keyboard.

By treating my computer like a master craftsperson’s workshop, where every tool has an exact place, every motion is deliberate, and every interaction requires the least possible mechanical effort, my single computer screen transforms into an intensely focused command center, allowing me to focus on one goal: to solve problems.