Table of Contents
Want to read faster but don’t know where to begin?
You are probably familiar with the feeling of reading a chapter and at the end of it not remembering what it was about. Once you get to the end of this article, you’ll be able to read faster without skimming over what the book/chapter/page is telling you.
Briefly but concisely, I’ll show you how I do it. Based on the framework presented later, I can read a non-fiction book of average length in a couple of hours. It takes me roughly 1-1.5 hours to finish 100 pages, at the end of which, I can tell someone what the book was about.
A common belief in self-improvement circles is that the quality of reading should not be measured in terms of knowledge, but in terms of how many books have been read. Personally, I believe that efficiency and speed can be improved, but in a way that still leaves us with the meaning of the book.
Why should you read?
A book is a medium created by someone to share their own information and conclusions. A well-written book has the potential to bring you from a situation to a completely new level by investing a few hours.
Reading can have the following benefits:
- Improving language skills
By reading, you can learn new languages or improve the ones you already know. I prefer books in English (as my mother tongue is Hungarian), as it helps me to improve/maintain my knowledge.
- Developing other skills
We live in an age of short content (shorts), which completely shreds our ability to focus. Such content can leave you unable to process and understand longer, coherent text. By doing so, you can block your own opportunities in life.
Reading a book requires perseverance and stamina. Lacking these, you may become incapable of maintaining the same energy level over an extended period of time.
- Expressing yourself
Regular reading gives you the ability to express your own thoughts without anyone misunderstanding anything.
- Creativity
Generally, to interpret and understand a book or an idea, you need to put it into your own context. In this way you develop your creativity and problem-solving skills.
- Learning
As the main purpose of reading is to get new ideas or solutions (at least for me it is), we can draw conclusions from what we read and then improve or progress in life.
Why should you read faster?
Similarly to everything else in life, you can read smarter and better. An average book takes 6-8 hours to read, which is fine if you are reading for entertainment. In contrast, with a good framework, you can (at least) halve that number and have more time for other things.
In addition, the faster you progress, the reading will not be a chore, but a ritual at the end of which you will stand up knowing that you have just done some hard work and there will be a result.
Problem solving while reading
If you read slowly (6-8 hours a book), you are likely to have the following problems you may encounter it. These actions/patterns suggest that reading is not the most efficient way.
Internal narration
The voice you hear inside your head as you read this sentence is stopping you from moving at the pace you want. This voice can be reduced and eliminated, but it requires you to experience one thing. Our brains work more efficiently when we read by phrase or even whole sentences rather than letters.
A very good example of this is “?”. Instead of saying “question mark” to yourself, you know what it means and move on. That’s what we want to achieve with sentences.
How can we proceed faster with the text?
- Don’t slow down at the end of sentences
Keep reading at your previous pace, without slowing down between sentences.
- Focus on keywords
Just pay attention to the main keywords in the sentences, because those will tell you what the sentence is about.
- Understand the whole picture, section by section
Usually, the new paragraphs contain new information, so try to find the gist of the paragraphs.
Following these tips can increase your efficiency by at least 20 percent right now. While you may feel like you’re missing important information, you can trust that when you finish the book, you’ll only remember what the book is about and not whole sentences. Try not to feel bad about skipping to the next paragraph/page/chapter. Even so, in most cases, there will be a summary at the end of each chapter, which will include all the important information.
Tourism (lack of framework)
Have you ever picked up a book but didn’t really know why you were reading it? This has happened to me a lot. Before even starting to read, it’s important to define why you are reading, what you want from the book. Whether it’s knowledge or entertainment is fine, just be clear about it.
If you treat it as learning, be sure of what you are looking for in the book/chapter. Once you have found it, you can move on. However, for this you need a plan and a challenge (I’ll give you an example). Additionally, I would point out that it helps if you are interested in the topic, as this will keep you curious about what you are reading.
Interruptions
Whenever you read, be in an environment that is calm and free from distractions. It may seem obvious, but turning off your phone and putting it far away ( unless you’re listening to a book) will in itself increase your energy to concentrate.
Sometimes, if you read faster than usual, you may find it harder to understand a more complex sentence. You should know that the author will clarify it in the next few sentences (or at the end of the chapter). Avoid jumping back to the beginning of the sentence/paragraph.
Lack of summary
Frequently have I seen that someone reads through a book, but does not draw the conclusions when that is the whole point of reading.
My suggestion is that, if not at the end of each chapter, then at the end of the book, you should do a summary. Find examples from your own life for each section of the summary (or imagine it). This way you can take what you have read and make it your own, and the information will not be forgotten.
Read these conclusions once a month, but in a way that you recall the and read them only if you can’t remember (it won’t be easy). If you want to take it even further, you can use the spaced repetition system with the help of Anki.
Sticking to the book
One common mistake is not liking the book and it not serving your needs, but instead of moving on, you just keep on dragging your feet. Without any qualms find the next book (if you don’t have a list) and get started.
The framework
In order to progress faster you need a system. The following framework has given me the results I expected. I can finish a book in 3-4.5 hours on average, depending on the quality and length of the book.
In what form to read?
I would recommend electronic books or book readers. The main reason is that note taking and processing them is much easier. I cannot imagine having to re-edit every underlined sentence in a physical book, whereas a Kindle can export them.
In addition, it makes more financial sense to buy e-books. There are many books available at discount, and, also, you can buy the audiobook version of the book as an add-on.
Moreover, it’s more practical, because when you’re traveling, you don’t want a book taking up the bulk of your bag.
Steps of the system
The system is made up of a few self-explanatory steps, but overall it speeds up the reading process. If you want to get the best possible results, I recommend using the framework in this way, in addition to correcting the errors mentioned above.
- Reading plan/challenge
To understand the purpose of your reading, I suggest you make a plan. I prefer to think in terms of quarterly projects, as this is already a time frame in which you can achieve visible results, but it’s not so distant to be a dream.
Should this be too much for you, shorten the interval to a short one that suits you, but it is important that it has a theme or purpose.
Learning takes place when one overcomes a challenge or difficulty (pressure makes a diamond). That is why I stress thinking in terms of projects.
Alongside these, set a fixed time in your day when you know you’ll be reading. I read in the morning after I get up and in the evening before I go to bed. (a ritual)
- Read the summary
I would first like to stress that the summaries are not a substitute for a book, on the contrary, they complement it.
Well-written summaries can give a first impression of the book. It will give you an idea of what it is about and what you can expect from it.
You can find them here: FourMinuteBooks.
- Table of contents
Once you’ve got the book and made it a goal to read it, start with the table of contents. You might want to look through all the chapters, but keep in mind why you are reading. If a chapter doesn’t meet your expectations, skip it.
- Overview
Once you have identified the first chapter for you, scroll through. See how the text is structured, whether it is in bold, highlights.
- Summary overview
As a next step, if there is a summary at the end of the chapter, read it.
At this step you already have an idea of what the chapter will be about and you will strategically look for these details in the text.
- Reading + listening to a chapter
This is where we start reading, so you already have a good idea of what the chapter is about.
If you have an audiobook version of the book, you might want to read and listen to the text at the same time. Speed up the audio to 1.5-2x the tempo and follow the text with your finger. It’s hard to take notes at this point, but it’s worth doing it backwards to make it easier to remember.
If you do not have an audiobook version, concentrate on understanding each paragraph by focusing on the key words. Highlight ideas that will be useful for summarizing. If the text is very story-heavy, I tend to skip over those parts; in most cases, the conclusion and the lesson are after the story.
- Summary of chapter (optional)
I find it helpful to write a short note of a few words about what the chapter was about for me when I get to the end of the chapter. If I don’t, I tend to forget what I was thinking while reading.
Then you can move on to the next chapter from point 3).
- Book summary
When you have finished the book, you should collect the notes from the chapters and use them to make a summary of what the book was about from your point of view. From all the noise in your head, you will extract a sign/learning. Try to find examples from real life to illustrate.
- Put it into practice (optional)
Start using the things you learn in the book in your everyday life.
+1) Summary overview
I recommend keeping the summary in Anki and reviewing it monthly.
FAQ
- Where can I find the best books on the subject? Google can help you with a quick search for: best books on …
- How can I improve my reading skills? It is important to read consistently. Everyday or every other day. Then you will see results.
More tips
- Set achievable reading goals. Whether it’s a certain number of books per month, or a certain amount of time each day.
- If reading for longer periods of time, take short breaks. Stand up, stretch, or simply look into the distance.
Issues to be discussed
- How does reading affect mental health?
- Do you set reading goals or participate in reading challenges?
Conclusion
Overall, reading can open new doors in your life. If you follow these tips/suggestions, you will notice a significant change in the quality and speed of your reading.
Believe me, with this attitude, you will find it much easier to learn new things and it will give you confidence in taking on projects.
Let’s get started!