Is learning shorthand becoming a painful chore? Are you
struggling to get the words written down in outlines that you can actually read
back?
Oh I remember the days well!
Sitting at my dining room table, tape cassette player
next to me – yeah, we practised shorthand using cassette tapes back then –
switch it on and this time, I was determined to get every single word
written down in perfect shorthand outlines that even a novice could read!
Sentence one – so far so good – sentence two – bit of a
struggle, bit of a scrawl but hey, I managed it – end of the first paragraph
and hell, too many words behind to catch up, outlines all over the place and….
rewind the tape and off we go again! And again, and again…
In the end I wasn’t sure if I was actually listening to
the tapes or just remembering the words!
Now if this sounds familiar or you are struggling to get
all the words down in shorthand at speed DON’T panic!
First off, I can guarantee you will not be on your own!
Loads of people who have studied shorthand for the first
time will tell you that they struggled to build up speed and for me, getting
from 80wpm to 100wpm seemed like an eternity.
But guess what? In the end I managed it, as you will too,
so don’t get disheartened and heed the words of a seriously slow shorthand
learner (me!) you will get there with these 3Ps: practise, patience and
perseverance!
Do, however, make sure you are:
Practising at the correct speed for you – It’s very
tempting to try and run before you can walk when learning shorthand and there’s
no real harm in practising shorthand at a speed a little faster than your
current one if you feel confident enough. But don’t get disheartened if you
can’t get all the words down and always revert back to practise sessions geared
to your own speed before you end your practise session for the day/night. That
way you won’t be going away with thoughts of ‘I can’t do it’ in your mind.
Focused only on the task at hand – Shorthand is not
one of those things you can practise when there’s noise around or knocks at the
door or a ringing phone in your ears. So always make sure you practise
somewhere nice and quiet where you are unlikely to be disturbed for the next
half hour. And turn off your mobile/cell or stick it in a drawer or somewhere
out of hearing distance until you’ve finished.
Using a good writing tool – Practise using a pen
or pencil as instructed by your shorthand tutor but make sure the pencil nib is
sharpened and there’s enough ink in your pen. It’s also good practise to have
two or three pens or pencils on hand ready for use just in case one fails. Put
them next to you rather than in a pencil case as fumbling around in a case or
bag for a spare pen or pencil is time consuming. Carrying around two or three
pens at a time is something I still do today and a tip I would advise that you
to do too, especially when you are a journalist, as there is nothing worse than
having a broken pencil or a dried-up pen when you’re out on the job!
In the mood for shorthand – As well as being
focused on your shorthand practise session make sure that you are in the right
mindset too. Shorthand practise requires a clear head, peace and quiet and
focus; so if you’re not in the mood or your mind is elsewhere, leave the
practise alone until you’re in a better frame of mind.
Not just remembering the words – However you are
listening to practise shorthand passages don’t forget to switch them around a
bit. To really practise shorthand it’s better not to become too familiar
with the passages that you’re using otherwise you’ll end up knowing the words
practically by heart and probably just be remembering the passages rather than
hearing the words firsthand, as you would do in a shorthand exam.
Not over practising – Don’t be tempted to
hammer the shorthand practise. Trying too hard to get it right can often result
in shorthand burnout! Ten to 20 minute bursts are best rather than labouring
over shorthand passages for hours and hours on end.
And remember, however frustrating and painful learning
shorthand can be, you will not be the only person in this boat and definitely
won’t be the last.
So don’t despair and remember my 3Ps: practise, patience
and perseverance is key to shorthand success!
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