The idea that buying some new piece of hardware or software will make our lives easier is tempting. It’s usually a bad idea.

Many professionals operate their core software—be it a word processor, spreadsheet, or project management platform—at only a fraction of its capacity, leaving a vast reservoir of time-saving features untapped. Becoming an expert in your most important tools is a major productivity multiplier.

Consider your primary writing tool, such as Microsoft Word. Going beyond basic text entry by mastering built-in features like Styles and Macros is transformative. Styles ensure consistent formatting, enable instant, document-wide changes, and automatically generate a professional table of contents or table of authorities, saving hours of manual adjustments and eliminating formatting headaches. Macros automate recurring tasks.

Pro Tip: Google Docs is a worthy competitor to MS Word—unless your organization has been assimilated by the Borg.

Bonus Pro Tip: Are macros too much for you? Learn just enough about them to identify where they would help you most, then ask your IT staff to develop one or more.