3 (Tried & Tested) Ways to Complete Any Book Without Dread Returning.
The problem is you’ve been misled.
Timothy Ferris, Leon Ho, and James Clear have this in common:
“They’ll encourage you to read books faster.”
The world has almost 129 million books, and the average human life is 25,201 days (69 years). This means there’s no way a person can read all the books in his lifetime.
Many authors and entrepreneurs have revised their reading habits. Some read faster, skip pages, or intentionally only read classic books like Ryan Holiday.
Let me confess something: you and I are normal creatures.
We hardly get time to read, let alone read faster. If you’re also tired of people telling you to read strategically, use the below 3 tips. Give your reading a new angle.
Let’s get started.
1. The 3–2–1 or 1–2–3 Method
We live with two kinds of people:
- Clockwise/ forward countdown
- Anticlockwise / backward countdown
For example, if you ask someone to start a countdown, most people will begin with 1. But most people will begin with 10 as well. The problem is not the countdown.
We’ve been fed different skills. That’s why some of us like to reveal the big surprise at the end of the talk, while some people blurt the big fat news right at the start of the conversation.
Authors are also one of us. Some authors write in forward motion, while others write (inversion) backward.
In other words, most authors reveal their exciting scenes at the start of the book, while some do at the end.
That’s why some books start to bore you after a certain point.
How to apply?
I read a lot of books.
I’ve realized: every author is different.
Before starting a new book, I study a few pages to analyze if the author follows a backward or forward pattern.
If the author follows
- Backward: you’ll find secrets at the (end) of the book
- Forward: you’ll discover secrets at the (start).
Using this method, I realize which part of the book I need to give my undivided attention to. That’s how I make the most out of the book without wasting time.
2. Swim in Quotes
Reading quotes is the best and easiest way to make the most out of any book.
As Remez Sasson writes:
“People love to read quotes, because quotes are inspiring and motivating thoughts condensed into a few words.”
Here’s what I do:
Without starting any book, I read the quotes from the book. With GoodReads, you will see the page number illustrated with the specific section. I keep the numbers in mind.
The next time I read a book, I know where to find the real crux.
Most authors, on average, make a specific point and spend at least 5–6 pages explaining and elaborating on the issue. To read faster, you must know where the author is making the point and where he is magnifying the point.
How to apply?
- 90% of self-help books teach tactics.
I am not a cheetah, but it’s obvious that if a book is talking about “creating a sleeping routine” and talking the same sh*t in the next five ages, I don’t have to read it.
I already have an excellent sleep routine. I skip content when I am 100% sure.
With the help of quotes, I inspect the book in less time. This way, I am not guilty of skipping content or worrying about any important news left behind. I master the book in less time.
3. Treat it Like An Exam
Imagine:
Tomorrow is your calculus paper. Suddenly, you check your timetable and say you have a biology exam. You slap yourself quietly because you don’t want your mama to know. Here’s what most students would do:
- Skim and repeat
Since we have no time, skim-reading the whole book is a better alternative. When you peek-read, you realize you know a lot of stuff.
Hence proves: you don’t want to read everything.
Use your peripheral vision to give an idea of all the headings. If a title is about sleeping or exercising (the area you have already mastered), skip it. Some people might feel bad for overlooking things.
You have to become selfish.
Either you get to read many books in your life or stay loyal to reading a handful of complete books.
The choice is yours.
How to apply?
Peripheral vision is your rescue.
Flip pages and analyze what the headings bring you. Read two lines of paragraphs, the middle portion and the last, to analyze the type of content in the paragraph.
If it’s not worth it, skip the page. You can also use the word chunking method to read 2–3 terms together. Some words like “you, can, to” can easily be understood in one glance. In other words, master your peripheral vision.
Read more by utilizing less energy.
- Because if you’re choosing a para to read, you’re abandoning a piece you could have read.
The choice is yours.
Final Thoughts:
The problem is you’ve been misled.
You’ve been told reading is sacred. You cannot play with reading. You cannot skip the holy pages.
If you don’t get smart with reading, you’ll eventually skip reading. So, in other words, play strategically. Smart reading is better than no reading at all.
(Read it again.)
Join 1,260+ writers and get your next writing inspiration right now.
Or join Medium with my referral link.
