There is an axiom in fitness that states “If you want to get stronger, you must introduce instability into your workout.”
This is a way of saying you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. In our Teeline shorthand world, instability represents the things you are not doing that are preventing you from achieving what you want.
Author Luca Dellana puts it this way: "Two lessons. First, working harder only scales to a certain point. Second, what got you here won’t keep you there. Life is made of stages. What works in one stage often doesn’t work in the next one. People plateau when they abandon learning new things and instead focus on doing the old ones harder. What produced improvements in the past won’t keep delivering them forever."
Which brings us to comfort zones. It’s not that they are to be avoided. In fact, we all need to ensure that along the path of mastery we’re taking the time to celebrate the small wins. You can’t do that if you don’t take the time to consolidate on where you’ve been, what you’ve learned and where you want to go. The danger isn’t in taking a timeout: it’s getting stuck there. While short breaks are beneficial, longer ones will not serve you well if you’re not careful.
When it comes to the type of instability one needs to add, there are some broad categories to consider.
To begin: at what speed do you normally practise? It’s not a simple question. Many will argue they haven’t moved up because they haven’t mastered the existing level. And if they haven’t mastered that, should they be going beyond that to where they are definitely not comfortable?
Short answer: Yes.
Deliberate practice research tells us skill improvement of any kind is not proportional to the total amount of time you practise, but to the amount of practise you do at the outer edge of your abilities. If you are not pushing up against that wall, you are not practising as much as you think you are. Instead, you are performing. There is a big difference between the two and that difference is what is keeping you from the next level.
While you need to mature at each speed level, the longer-term goal is to challenge yourself. The Cambridge Dictionary defines a challenge as (the situation of being faced with) something that needs great mental or physical effort in order to be done successfully. Ask yourself: Am I doing that? By incorporating speed work beyond where you feel comfortable for a period of time, you will soon return to the slower speeds and be surprised that it feels “slow.” Try it and see.
You should note two things about writing and speedwork. One of the benefits of taking faster dictations is that it exposes your shortcomings. If you don’t know how to write something well, you’re going to find out quickly at speed. Secondly, speed is about “moving” your brain faster, not your hand. When you know your outlines and word groupings well, the speed will be there. You must not get discouraged if you don't see immediate results. Everything good takes time. Stay focused, keep practising, and you will see results. Speed aside, you will not "lose" your speed if you practise from time to time with slower dictations. Slower speeds are important for theory consolidation and ensuring your writing is clear and legible.
Time under dictation is next. Is it your normal practice to only take dictation of two or three minutes at a time? Have you tried writing for five or six minutes? Ten minutes? More? As in sports, shorthand fitness can be improved by “working out” for longer periods. But increase it gradually.
It’s also worth considering breaking away from that “one comforting voice” that you likely use for most of your dictation. We all have that voice we love to listen to, but if you expose yourself to different voices, dialects and geographical regions, you’ll be adding instability which will make you a better writer.
Incorporating a variety of different learning strategies is a critical consideration as well. You don't need to practise from the same book you learned from. If you need some new ideas, refer to the Let's Love Teeline Together - Teeline Resources page for some help.
When was the last time you took a mock examination? We have more than thirty five and counting. Even if you never plan to sit for an exam, you should still consider taking a mock exam now and then and completing them under the same time restrictions exam candidates face. This, too, adds instability and any challenge to an existing routine is helpful. However, remember there is a difference between practising and mock exams.
As the quote on top of our Exam Tips page reads: “It is one thing to feel confident of your knowledge; it's something else to demonstrate mastery. Testing is not only a powerful learning strategy, it is a potent reality check on the accuracy of your own judgment of what you know how to do."
In conclusion, if you want to improve your shorthand skill, you need to consider how much time you are actually spending at the outer edges of your ability, not falling back on comfortable speeds and expanding beyond the materials you've always used. If you introduce instability into your shorthand practice, it won’t be long before you will see your skills soar!
A final note: It’s important to seek feedback. If you need some guidance or suggestions, please reach out. Our Contact Form is at the bottom of our Home Page. Send us your Teeline questions!
