By Catalina Chiang Yuri
What does your steno dream board look like this year? Every minute spent on your machine is an opportunity to expand and achieve your goals. 2025 is the year to create an effective and consistent practice routine. Here are some tips to take your practice to the next level.
Set goals
Create a plan for exactly what you will work on each session. For example, if you have a speed you’d like to reach in six months that is way faster than your mind can currently tell your fingers to move, work backwards from the goal. Start practicing at half the speed and don’t move up until the dictations at that speed are sounding clean and clear. Set a goal for a new speed the following week, and another for the week after. If you approach practice with clear goals and outcomes, you’ll accomplish more and be motivated to practice more often!
Warm Up
Warming up can often feel like the most tedious part of your routine, but it is a key component to setting and building on your theory daily. Start at a comfortable point. Don’t start with any extremes, and slowly work from your comfort speed to your full capacity. If you’re not sure how to warm up, ask your teacher or mentor for appropriate exercises.
Break It Down
Reading your notes is the most important part of your practice routine because it helps you create a roadmap for where you’ll need to go next. Once you identify your mistakes, you can use them as material brief review and/or warmups.
Take Breaks
Social media has accustomed our brains to receiving constant pings of dopamine, which can make concentrating for long periods of time a difficult task. The Pomodoro Technique helps to keep you focused because it provides a clear measurement of time for productivity and breaks. It also rewards your progress. Practice in intervals of 25 minutes, then take a brain break for 5 minutes. Repeat this process four times and take a larger break of 15-20 minutes.
Experiment
If you ever feel like you have reached a plateau, consider diversifying you practice material. Practice to your favorite songs, books, podcasts, and TV shows. Do some light research on a special interest and write what you find. If you want to make your practice more accessible for on-the-go, get a practice board or a StenoKeyboard.
Be Consistent
It can be frustrating to be stuck at a certain speed. On the days when my writing isn’t the best, I try to remind myself that small incremental changes compound and eventually lead to big results. An object in motion stays in motion!
In need of some extra motivation? Leave it to us! Don’t forget to tune in for the upcoming student webinar, “Master Your Practice Plan,” which will be live on February 5 at 7p.m. Eastern. Registration is free for NCRA members and $10 for nonmembers.
Catalina Chiang Yuri, from Orlando, Fla., is a student at SimplySteno. She can be reached at cchiang15@gmail.com.
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