5.14.2013

750 Words

As some of you know, I teach computer classes at an organization that serves women looking to improve their situations by learning a new skill (e.g. computers). I came across this organization following the death of two of my co-workers almost two years ago. I'm on my 3rd class and last night we finished up the keyboarding portion of our course - which means we're a third of the way done with the program! Time seriously flies!!!

Anywho, a common thread among some of these women is that at some point they've been victims of domestic violence. Sometimes they suffer from low self esteem or self worth. They've never had someone tell them that they could do something - they've always been put down. This is where my 750 words comes in.

Think back to a time when you were learning something... say keyboarding. I take for granted that (once we moved to Texas) the schools I attended had computers and we always had a computer in the house (Thanks Dad!) so keyboarding is a skill I never really put much thought into learning. Now, I can type upwards of 75 words per minute. 


One reason I'm a stronger typist than others is that I spend a lot of time writing / blogging / etc. So I've encouraged my students to start doing the same. 750words.com is a website developed on the idea of Morning Writings. The thought is that if you write three pages every morning (roughly 750 words) it frees your mind and allows you to think more clearly for the rest of the day. The added bonus is that if you're learning to type, you can get practice and comfort typing to your little heart's desire. 


The thing I L O V E about 750words.com is that it is completely private - unless you change the settings. They also give you fun statistics (nerd alert) about your writing and who doesn't love getting into their subconscious? The only downfall at this point, is that they're going to a paid only subscription to assist in offsetting the cost of running the site. It is very modestly priced but my point is that even if you don't use this particular platform - getting those pesky thoughts out of your head every morning really helps you become a more productive and creative person. 


Give it a try. You never know what you might find out about yourself. Even if it's just that you improve your typing speed :)

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