#02 Challenge: can you improve your typing speed?
You will reduce errors, focus more on what you want to write, and be less stressed about typing.
Published
Let's get good enough to be able to forget the keyboard.
Photo by Izzy Jiang on Unsplash
This challenge is meant for letting you learn something new. Not by explaining, but by doing.
Why?
Most people use a computer keyboard every day. Yet little or no attention is given to typing efficiently: fast enough and with fewer errors. Most people can type at 40 words per minute (wpm). For following your thoughts you should be able to type at around 60-80 wpm.
Fast and accurate typing helps you focus on what you are writing rather than being distracted by struggling with typing on a keyboard. You can reduce the number of corrections and stay in the flow while writing on a computer.
Improving your typing speed is easy and requires minimum effort. As all things human, you can learn how to do it by training. Moreover, it is easy to reach 80 wpm by just training for 5 minutes a day. In this challenge you will understand if you are able to improve your typing speed.
Who?
Before thinking about improving your typing speed, you should know what your typing speed is. You can check your speed at 10fastfingers.com. Do it and check your speed. I'll wait.
If your typing speed is below 50 wpm, then I suggest you to take the challenge, you may be able to make a big improvement and enjoy the benefits in a very short time. In fact, the challenge will last only 5 days.
It is not a hard challenge at all, perfectly doable and useful.
If your speed is above 50 wpm, then maybe you are already fast enough, so don't take the challenge.
If you seldom write on a computer keyboard, don't do the challenge.
My score is 39 wpm, so I am going to take the challenge.
What?
To win the challenge you must have improved your typing speed, after training for 5 days for 5 - 10 minutes a day.
How?
Test your speed at 10fastfingers.com every day. Then train for 5 - 10 minutes on this website keybr.com
It uses a smart algorithm for progressive training, helping you go through your personal typing pitfalls and helping you improve quickly.
Post your speed test result alongside mine, on Twitter or LinkedIn. After all it's a challenge and it will be more fun, and easy if you compete with other people.
Touch typing
If you want, you can learn touch typing, which consists in learning to type without looking at the keyboard. You learn to memorize the placement of the keys with your fingers.
You can learn touch typing for free on typingclub.com
When?
Start recording your speed every day on Monday and train for 5 - 10 minutes a day, for 5 days.
I will start the challenge on Monday May 10th 2021, and will post my records on my Twitter and LinkedIn feeds.