An IDE has lots of tools I need to use to get my work done efficiently. Because there are so many tools it is not obvious which tools should I should use when

An IDE has lots of tools I need to use to get my work done efficiently. Because there are so many tools it is not obvious which tools should I should use when and in which order. And it depends on the context. Should I search for a string globally or in the current file? Or current directory or project? Should I split the code-editor vertically or not, or should I split it horizontally. What I'm fascinated by is how working with an IDE it feels like I'm constantly creating a program in my head for myself to execute, to use the tools and functions of the IDE in a given sequence. I am thinking ahead what tasks I need to do and then I do them, in other words I am writing a program in my head for myself to execute. I wonder if people are doing this kind of thing generally, or think of it this way?