The Morning Routine Friction
Every morning when you sit down at your Mac to begin work, you likely perform the exact same digital chores. You open your email client, launch Slack, open a specific project management website in Safari, and perhaps start a focus playlist on Apple Music.
Doing this manually takes only a minute or two, but that friction adds up over a year. More importantly, repeating these mundane clicks drains your mental energy before you have even started actual work.
For years, automating these tasks on a Mac required learning complex programming languages like AppleScript. Today, Apple has brought the powerful, visually driven Shortcuts app from the iPhone directly to macOS. It allows you to build powerful automations using simple drag-and-drop building blocks, completely eliminating your repetitive daily routines.
Launching the Shortcuts App
The Shortcuts app is built into macOS by default (running macOS Monterey or later).
- Press Command + Spacebar to open Spotlight Search.
- Type Shortcuts and press Enter to launch the application.
The interface is simple. The main window displays your existing shortcuts (which might be empty). On the left sidebar, you can organize them into folders. To create a new automation, click the + (Plus) icon at the top of the window.
Building Your First Automation
Let’s build a “Start Work” routine that opens three specific apps and a specific website simultaneously.
When you click the + icon, a new blank canvas appears. The right side of the screen contains the “Action Library,” which lists every single action your Mac knows how to perform.
Step 1: Opening Applications
- In the search bar on the right side (Action Library), type Open App.
- Double-click the “Open App” action to add it to your main canvas.
- On the canvas, the action will say “Open [App]”. Click the word “App” and select Mail from the list.
- Repeat this process. Add another “Open App” action and select Slack.
Step 2: Opening a Specific Website
- In the Action Library search bar, type Open URLs.
- Double-click it to add it to your canvas.
- In the box that appears, type the exact web address you need every morning (e.g.,
https://trello.com).
Step 3: Naming the Shortcut
At the very top left of the window, click on the default name (“New Shortcut”) and rename it to “Morning Routine”. You can also click the icon next to the name to change its color and symbol.
Running the Shortcut
You have just built a functional automation. To test it, click the Play button at the top of the Shortcuts window. Your Mac will instantly launch Mail, Slack, and Safari (loaded to Trello) simultaneously.
However, opening the Shortcuts app every morning just to click Play defeats the purpose of automation. You need to put this trigger somewhere accessible.
Adding to the Menu Bar
The best place to store daily automations is in your Mac’s top Menu Bar.
- Look at the right-hand panel in the Shortcuts app (where the Action Library is). At the top of this panel, click the Shortcut Details icon (it looks like a small ‘i’ inside a circle).
- Check the box next to Pin in Menu Bar.
Now, look at the very top of your Mac screen, near the Wi-Fi icon. You will see the Shortcuts icon. Click it, and you will see your “Morning Routine” listed in a dropdown menu. Tomorrow morning, you only have to click that one button, and your entire workstation will configure itself instantly.
Conclusion
Your computer should work for you, not the other way around. By spending five minutes dragging and dropping actions inside the macOS Shortcuts app, you can automate your tedious daily setup routines, saving time and starting your workday with immediate momentum.