No matter where your profession leads you, being able to type quickly and accurately is a valuable talent. Despite the fact that individuals nowadays type a lot of messages on their cellphones using their thumbs or pointer fingers, there’s a high possibility you’ll be requested to complete at least some of your job on a desktop or laptop computer.
The less time you spend thinking about how to type accurately and effectively, the more time you have to think on the content of what you’re typing. You’ll be able to generate better work with fewer mistakes that need to be corrected later. An individual who has learned typing is adaptable and capable of doing a variety of duties. During a meeting, you can be required to type notes on the spot. You may experience worry and tension if your talents aren’t up to the task. Spend some time practicing typing, as it is an important workplace ability.
What can you do to increase your typing speed and accuracy?
Using efficient typing skills demonstrates your commitment to efficiency and a strong work ethic. Here are four suggestions to help you enhance your typing abilities:
- Begin gently:
Start by slowly typing the most popular words in the language to familiarize yourself with the appropriate hand position on the keyboard. This will allow you to concentrate on minimizing mistakes. After that, you may try speeding up. If you don’t look at your hands, your brain will ultimately train your fingers to fly over the keys.
- Learn how to type in the appropriate position:
Although you probably have a general idea of where the keys are on the keyboard, the objective of developing your typing abilities is to be able to type without glancing at the keys. Set yourself up for success by positioning your body in the most comfortable and injury-free position possible. To enhance your typing posture and alignment, follow these seven steps:
Sit up straight in a chair, with the keyboard or laptop on the table or desk at a comfortable height.
Placing your feet flat on the floor is a good idea.
Make sure the screen is 15 to 25 inches away from your eyes and that you’re gazing down somewhat.
Keep your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle and attempt to put as little tension on your shoulders, arms, wrists, and elbows as possible. You should avoid acquiring any behaviors that might lead to a long-term repetitive stress injury.
Examine the keys before you begin. The layout for conventional English-language keyboards is known as “QWERTY”—a non-alphabetical configuration that dates back to the 1800s. Some keyboards may have some function keys in various locations or be somewhat curved in the centre or on the borders for ergonomics, but the alphabet and punctuation keys will always be in the same location.
Place your pointer fingers on the F and J keys, respectively. Many keyboards include a raised tab on certain letters to help you position your fingertips without having to look. Allow the remaining fingers on each hand to fall on the keys in the home row (D, S, and A for the left hand; K, L, and ; for the right hand). The space bar is pressed with both thumbs.
You’ll teach your hands to reach all the other keys without having to look if you keep your fingertips on the home row. This is referred to as “touch typing.” Essentially, each finger is in charge of the keys immediately above and below the home row key on which it rests. Consider vertical dividers around each of your fingers. The return, shift, and delete keys are controlled by the right pinky, while the shift, caps lock, and tab keys are controlled by the left pinky. Because our pinky fingers aren’t always strong, it may seem odd at first, but with repetition, it will feel more natural.
- To avoid errors, begin by typing slowly:
Words per minute (WPM) is a unit of measurement for typing speed (WPM). Stella Pajunas, who typed 216 words per minute on an IBM electronic typing machine in 1946, was the fastest documented typewriter. For most of us, that is unthinkable. For the average person, 60 to 80 wpm is sufficient. Some tasks that demand a lot of typing may require something faster, although this would be stated clearly in the job description.
- Rehearse, rehearse, rehears:
Malcolm Gladwell’s thoughts on how to form habits are frequently quoted. “It takes 10,000 hours to perfect something,” he writes in his book Outliers. If you practice 24 hours a day, 10,000 hours corresponds to 416 days, or about a year of your life!
While spending so much time practicing typing may seem overwhelming, neuroscience research reveals that our brains do not grow according to a set of preprogrammed patterns. To put it another way, our brains are always prepared to learn new abilities. In both the developing and adult brains, practice leads to learning, and the ensuing structural changes in the brain encode that learning.
Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals of finger placement and movement on the keyboard, practicing with intention will give you lifetime proficiency, making typing simpler in every situation.
Make careful to provide a welcoming environment for practice sessions. Don’t, for example, lie in bed with a laptop between your legs or droop on the couch while watching TV. Maintain excellent posture when typing by sitting in a chair with sufficient lumbar support. A comfy set-up will inspire consistency when you’re serious about any form of practice.
Make a practice program for increasing your typing abilities, just as you would for studying a musical instrument or creating art. It’s simple to fulfill a promise to a buddy; use the same logic to keep your promises to yourself.
