My experience has been that there are some people that are mouse people and there are some people that are keyboard people.
As a long time act user I have developed habits when working with act on a daily basis. Some of those habits include keyboard shortcuts that I use on a regular basis. However, there are many more shortcuts that I never use that you might find helpful. I have included a download to a PDF of acts quick reference card for act Pro and act premium version 17. Most of the shortcuts will work for other versions of act as well. Here is a sampling of some of my favorite shortcuts that I use on a regular basis:
F8 Key: Contact List
F6 Key: Flip Between Last Two Layouts Selected
F10 Key: Group List
CTRL Key + L: Schedule a Call
CTRL Key + M: Schedule a Meeting
CTRL Key + T: Schedule a To-Do
Click here to download the PDF of the Quick Reference Card for Act 17 Pro & Premium: