40wpm

We had a touch typing class in university — a mandatory course what with computer literacy being a core skill in this century — and the minimum speed to achieve to pass was 40wpm, which was a trivially low bar to jump over. I remember that class being just plain leisurely, like riding a motorcycle to keep up with cyclists. I could’ve powered through the tests to try and break personal bests (and maybe even go beyond 200wpm) but there was no point in doing that there and then. Instead I sat there much like a pianist playing andante.

If there’s one thing I learned throughout school and work, it’s that you should never visibly operate at your peak even when urgency calls for it. This is because functioning at >=100% regularly, while possibly dazzling to your peers, managers, and spectators, is unsustainable and you’ll only end up burning yourself out, especially when this becomes perceived as your operating baseline and expected of you to be your minimum capacity every work day.

Of course this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to surpass your current peaks and grow as a person. Career progressions may require a show of skill growth after all. But think about what you want others to see as your baseline and manage your energy and stress levels accordingly.

For the sake of keeping work a low-stress part of my routine, I’ll type at just 40wpm.

—josh