One thing I think a lot of the naysayers here are missing is that you don't sit down and read a book on vim -- or even this stackoverflow answer -- and immediately expect to begin using all you've learned. It takes time. And it's painful at first. But it's a lot like gripping a tennis racket correctly or properly positioning your fingers at a piano. Your default method is indubitably the most comfortable -- by definition -- but the payoff of attempting the more difficult path can be likened to the magic of compound interest.