It is a known fact that most people spend long hours every day in front of their computers or laptops. No matter what is your job position, most jobs require you to write reports or add data to your laptop. Some people are able to type everything in a matter of minutes and have time to get some much-needed coffee or continue to work, and some get stuck writing the reports for hours. What is the difference between the first and the second type? Well, the answer is simple, the first group knows how to type faster and they finish everything without having to spend too much time in front of their devices.
Another category where typing fast is required is when it comes to content creation and article writing. If you want to excel in that there are a lot of skills that you need, but the most important one for you is the typing skill. Some people need 15 minutes to write 500 words and some need a few hours to finish a 1000-word article. The only person who is actually losing valuable time is you. When you focus on your typing skills you are able to get things done faster and you can focus on other important things like the exact data, or sentence structure.
Here we are going to talk about the things you can do to learn how to type faster. And we will also tell you why it is important to learn this skill. The process is not that hard at all, and if you are using your computer every day, you will have the practice every day without having to spend more time learning something new.
How to start?
To know how fast you are typing and what your goal is, you will need to first find out what your speed now is. There are a lot of free online programs where you can test yourself and learn your actual speed of typing. This is important so you can make a plan and set a goal. The average typing speed people have is about 40 words per minute. However, professionals type about 70 words per minute.
It is said that if your typing speed is about 50 words per minute, then you will have no problem finishing tasks with ease and save valuable time. One thing you need to realize is that even if you can write 500 words in 10 minutes, it does not mean that you will finish the articles you are creating at that time. You need to factor in the thought process and the research process.
So, start slow, check your speed and make a plan. If you now can type about 20 words per minute, you should not be worried. If you focus on your skills and if you practice every day, you will be able to increase that speed to 40+ words in about a month.
Learning process
Now that you know how fast or slow, you’re typing the next thing you need to do is start your lessons. The great thing about the internet and people using their keyboards every day is that there are so many different applications, tools, and lessons available online for everyone to use.
Websites like easytype.org are a great place to start. You will first learn the basics of touch typing and then with time, you will get the skill of speed typing. There are only a few rules you will need to follow, for example where to place your fingers and which fingers to use for which letters.
Another thing that is really important is to focus on the way you are sitting. Not many people know this, but if you don’t have the right sitting pose, you won’t be able to position your hands correctly and in time, your arms will get tired. When it comes to this skill, it’s not only about writing random words fast, it is about pushing the correct keys and not having to go back and correct every sentence.
Most of the tools and programs that are used have their own spelling check, so even if you do make some mistakes you won’t have to go back and reread everything. You need to start slow and you shouldn’t push yourself.
Take breaks
When you start you will look at your keyboard, but in time you will learn how to only look at the text and your fingers will find their way to the correct keys. Another important thing you need to pay attention to is that you will get tired in time. When you get tired you will start making mistakes. This is not something you should ignore or push yourself even further.
When you notice that your fingers are getting stiff or when you start making more mistakes than usual, you need to take a break, refresh yourself and get some time to rest. Breaks are important when learning every skill, so they are crucial in this process as well.
Try and focus on typing the correct words, use both hands and try to minimize the mistakes. The speed will come over time, and you definitely don’t want to learn how to type incorrect words.
When you start a course that should help you develop this skill, you should not skip any lessons. We all want to just rush through things and get to the end, but try and read everything that is written, watch all the videos and follow all the tips they have. This is important because there are always some tips that are randomly written here and there and they will make a huge difference.
The great thing about the courses and lessons is that most of them are free. And even the ones that you need to pay for don’t cost much and they are affordable for everyone. Before buying a course, make sure you read what you are going to get and see if you are going to get a certificate. A certificate with your typing skills may make a big difference in your next job interview.
Gaining this skill is not a hard thing to do. You just need to have patience and know that you are going to make mistakes when you start. At some point it is going to seem like your previous way of typing was better or that you got the job done faster like that, but once you master touch typing you will never go back to anything you did before.
