The Journey to Touch Typing Mastery: A Month of Discovery, Growth, and Vim
The Spark of Inspiration
About a month ago, my world of typing and productivity was turned on its head. It all began with an encounter with a peer, an adept touch typist clocking in at an eye-watering 130 words per minute. This was an eye-opener to me as someone who typically typed at a more mild 60 words per minute as to the potenial productivity that I was missing out on. This motivated me to start a journey to make myself stand out from the crowd and improve the essential skills I’d most definitely need in my future endevours.
Embracing the Challenge
Motivated to emulate this efficiency, I embarked on my touch typing quest using platforms like TypingClub, Monkeytype, and Keybr. Initially, my typing speed took a nosedive to well below 20 WPM. It was a humbling start, but perseverance is key. Over this the previous onth, I watched my speed climb to a respectable 60 WPM, a testament to the power of dedication and practice. It took time to get used to fully using all ten fingers and to stop myself from peeking at the legends on my keyboard, but eventually I broke through and managed to wrap back around to my starting speed, albeit with proper form this time.
The Fascination with Vim and ThePrimeagen’s Influence
During my exploration, I encountered ThePrimeagen, a notable figure whose expertise profoundly influenced my approach to coding. His mastery of Vim, and its modern iteration, NeoVim, was particularly captivating. Vim, at its core, is a powerful text editor known for its efficiency, flexibility, and reliance on keyboard commands rather than the mouse. NeoVim builds upon Vim’s foundation, offering more advanced features and a more robust ecosystem for plugins, making it an attractive choice for modern developers.
What truly sets Vim / NeoVim apart are their “motions”. These are keyboard commands that allow for rapid, efficient navigation and manipulation of text without removing your hands from the keyboard. For instance, you can jump to the start or end of a line, move between words, or even scroll through pages with simple keystrokes. This method of interaction significantly speeds up coding, as it minimizes the need for manual cursor movement and streamlines the editing process.
By integrating Vim motions into my touch typing practice, I aimed to enhance my programming efficiency. These motions, once mastered, enable a programmer to navigate and edit code with unparalleled speed and precision. It’s akin to developing a fluency in a language where your fingers instinctively know where to go, transforming every keystroke into a purposeful action. This proficiency not only boosts coding speed but also fosters a deeper engagement with the coding process, allowing for a more seamless and intuitive interaction with the text editor.
The Ergonomic Revelation
However, my exploration took an exciting turn upon discovering a YouTube video by Code to the Moon, which highlighted the benefits of split keyboards and custom key layers. This insightful content was more than educational; it ignited my curiosity and prompted me to explore the realm of split keyboards further. Renowned online developers like, Jonathan Blow and ThePrimeagen, also advocate for ergo split keyboards such as well known brand Kinesis, which further pushed me to research into which one could potentially suit me. Among the plethora of options, the Glove80 emerged as the ideal choice. Its design resonates with the key ergonomic features I sought: an ortholinear layout for natural finger movement and a curved keywell to minimize key travel and strain. Additionally, its compatibility with ZMK firmware offers extensive customization, allowing me to tailor the keyboard to my exact typing preferences and workflows, thus significantly enhancing comfort and efficiency.
Upgrading My Workspace
Alongside my quest for the perfect keyboard, I also focused on optimizing my overall workspace. To this end, I invested in a monitor stand to ensure proper screen alignment, crucial for avoiding neck strain during long hours of study and coding. Complementing this, I chose the Herman Miller Aeron ergonomic chair, renowned for its comfort and support. This chair not only helps maintain proper posture but also integrates seamlessly into my commitment to an ergonomic and efficient workspace. This combination of a carefully selected keyboard and an upgraded workspace environment marks a significant step towards achieving optimal comfort and productivity in my daily computing endeavors.
Reflections and Future Endeavors
As a university student, this month-long journey has been a persistent effort in improving both my work efficiency and physical wellbeing. The integration of touch typing, ergonomic considerations, and Vim has reshaped not just how I type, but how I approach interaction with technology and problem-solving. To fellow students and aspiring programmers, my journey is a testament to the power of embracing challenges and continuously seeking improvement. From touch typing at 20 WPM to maneuvering through code with Vim, each step has been a building block towards a more efficient, health-conscious, and productive approach to technology.
Your journey might be different, but the message is universal: Explore, adapt, and never underestimate the power of the right tools and a well-structured workspace. The journey of discovery and improvement is ongoing, and each step unveils new possibilities and horizons.