I hit an all-time high of 90 words per minute sometime this week. I was excited, mostly because the little drops in the ocean every day are paying off somehow. When I started learning to touch type in May 2023, my speed was around 10 words per minute. The journey from 10 to 90 WPM has taught me certain things I would like to share today, in the hopes someone finds it easier to grow with them.
I never thought much about typing with all my fingers on the keyboard until I made a friend who was really skilled at it. I would often see how much more efficient he was on his PC just by being able to type really fast. You can imagine how quickly he made his Hive posts and responded to comments. Inspired by him, I made up my mind to embark on my own touch-typing journey.
Starting Out:
I installed the popular software Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing and got started. I ran the first test, and that was how I knew I was around 10 words per minute. I took a few lessons and learned a few things. However, the software would always crash and make me start all over again, hindering me from making progress after a while. That pushed me to seek alternatives online. I found typingtest.com, and then I began to really learn with its typing lessons.
The first challenge was learning the keyboard layout, memorising finger placements, and breaking the habit of typing with the hunt-and-peck method. The hunt-and-peck method involves searching for each key before pressing it with any available finger.
I wanted to be able to type without looking at the keyboard, and so it was very frustrating that I had to look at the keys each time I wanted to press them with the correct fingers. The faster way to memorise the keys was to not look but rely on my memory of the keys' positions, however, and so I leaned towards that instead. With time, I knew where all the keys were located, even though I couldn't speedily call on them when typing at that time.
Practice:
I wanted to be able to type so fast so early that I was beginning to feel frustrated with how slow my growth was. I would spend a lot of time learning one day, hit a wall, and then not show up for a day or two. Soon enough, I gave up and didn't return until a month or two later. When I was ready to try again, I tried something else.
I decided that I was going to practice every day, but for only one minute each day. I would take these 60-second tests that would bring up random words and do them once a day. I usually do that in the mornings before I get all busy with the day and forget about it. It seemed so small, but it worked.
The practice sessions that I did for only one minute a day did not only help me get better at typing but also helped me get used to showing up every day to practice. Then I started to increase the time little by little. And then, I would practice for a cumulative of 15 minutes by running 1, 2, 3, 4, and five-minute tests just once on some days that I was really into it.
I still practice, even now. Ever since I started, I have always practiced every day, no matter how little. Of course, I have missed a couple of days, but I have now gotten used to coming back, and that's what starting out really small helps you build.
It is important to practice every day. There's a thing called memory consolidation, where our brains solidify what we learn best when we are asleep. Showing up every day for consistent practice is key to reinforcing new skills and establishing muscle memory. This helps in building a strong foundation for touch typing. Hence, practice every day and at a comfortable speed.
Accuracy First
You see, everyone wants to be fast at the end of the day. It not only looks cool, but you really get things done way faster—like finishing an 800-word article in 15 minutes when you have a tight schedule. The truth is, you really cannot consider that speed useful if half of the things you type aren't even correct.
What you do not want to do when you are practicing is focus on getting faster and neglect getting more accurate.
Get the keyboard layout and finger positions locked in first. As you practice, try to make very few errors, even if it makes you slow. The fewer errors you make, the higher your accuracy. And accuracy is way more useful. The more accurate you become, the more consistent you become with pressing the keys quicker, and then speed just naturally tags along with time.
Overcoming Plateaus
The more you show up every day, the better you get, and consequently, the faster you become. Something that is bound to happen, however, is feeling stuck at certain points.
I grew from 10 WPM to something around 25–30 WPM. 30 WPM was an all-time high at some point, but growing past it seemed really difficult. For a long time, my speed wouldn't get any higher. I would feel frustrated some times, but I realised something that kept me going. And this also happened at 40, 45, 65, and 70 WPM. I am there again around 80-90 WPM where I can't get any faster for now.
You see, I began to understand those plateaus as a "soaking in" phase. I took it that my brain had been stretched for a while to attain a certain feat, and so it needed more time to get used to it. To truly grow, I needed to explore and master that speed that seemed like it wouldn't get any higher. And there are ways I do that.
Show up every day online, put that plateau into work, and hone that feat you have achieved. Type regularly by making posts often, leaving comments around, and chatting with family, friends, colleagues, and even enemies. With time, you'll see yourself climbing out of that place where you once felt stuck.
Add Excitement
It gets really boring to use the same website to learn and practice. Exploring other websites that provide learning and practice facilities helps make the journey a little more exciting. For a little more on that, you can peruse this article, Touch Typing Websites to Improve Your Skills.
If you know anyone who is into touch-typing and that you're friends with or acquaintances with, you can simply let them know about your journey. Or join a community where touch typing is an important discussion. This helps to provide some sense of accountability.
Speaking of community, the very reason the Touch Typing community exists is to foster interactions and camaraderie among ourselves as typists on Hive, as well as encourage beginners to acquire touch typing skills.
Document Your Growth
Sometimes, you never really realise how much you have grown until you look back and see for yourself. In this case, screenshots come in handy. Each time I beat my own all-time high, I take a screenshot. Somehow, it just helps me know that I am actually improving.
Some touch-typing websites provide the option of recording their practice sessions. The one I have been using the most lately is monkeytype.com. It has the most appealing and exciting UI to me.
In Conclusion:
My new all-time high is 90 WPM. On a normal day, my average speed for typing is way less, and even less when writing posts, as I have to process what I am saying sometimes. Reaching 90 WPM didn't happen by accident anyway. It happened through dedication, consistency, and resiliency. One just has to show up every day and put in some work, no matter how little.
This is a personal journey for anyone, of course. But if you think that touch typing is something you'd like to consider learning if you're new to it, don't overthink it and just start. If you have acquired the skill for yourself already, sharing your experience could help someone out. The community exists just for them.
Key Takeaways:
- Practice consistently, even if only for short durations.
- Prioritize accuracy over speed initially.
- View plateaus as opportunities for mastering current speeds.
- Explore different typing websites for variety and excitement.
- Document your growth through visual aids like screenshots.
More on touch typing:
Touch Typing Websites to Improve Your Skills
Unlocking Productivity: The Transformative Power of Touch Typing
Exploring the Typing Journey: Achieving Consistency Over Speed and the Impact on Accuracy
Images belong to me