(This is part 1 of a 3 part series on reading. Click to read part 2 & part 3)
You did it too, didn’t you?
You had a plan to read. You ordered that book on Amazon (or 3). And it’s been sitting on your desk for weeks—staring at you.
Sure! I know you peeled open that cardboard strip with excitement and quickly read through the first few pages…maybe even the preface if you’re a perfectionist like me 😉
But then something happened.
You just stopped.
You couldn’t bring yourself to pick it up again.
So, you did what all book lovers do: you ordered another book.
What if there was a way to break out of this cycle? What if you had a system where you could consistently take in at least 5 books a month, retain the information, and improve your effectiveness in your life and ministry?
Now I know what you might be thinking…I’m not a fast reader! This isn’t going to work for me. Don’t worry. None of these have to do with reading speed. That will get better automatically as you start to read more.
Over the next few weeks, I’m going to give you 3 tips that will help you read better, read more, and help you retain what you are reading.
Read Strategically
You have to change the way you think about books. Reading for development is not the same as reading for enjoyment. If you want to relax on the beach, sip on a drink, and enjoy a nice fiction book for entertainment then by all means, casually read line by line soaking in all the details. That’s slow reading…but that’s okay because it’s purely for pleasure.
Reading for development is a different story.
The problem is most people read like they’re in third grade. You read and expect there to be a test at the end asking you what color dress Shirley was wearing when she got made fun of at school. It makes you read slowly, methodically, and remembering every possible detail.
No wonder you don’t read more.
Well guess what!? There is no test! Remembering every detail is not the goal of your reading.
There is a phrase I want you to remember: “I read to apply.” Say it with me…
I.
Read.
To.
Apply.
Say it 3x maybe…
The reason you are reading is to develop yourself. It’s to change you and to grow you.
You want to use the book. Don’t let the book use you.
You’ve got to remind yourself that YOU are reading this book to make your life better.
You will actually learn to enjoy reading even more because you will start to see tangible changes in your life and thinking.
The book you choose to read has ideas in it that you need to consume and apply. Your ONLY goal in reading is to find those ideas and apply them.
Put it into Practice:
So how do you be strategic?
Most people pick up a book and just start to read it. If that’s you, you’re doing it wrong.
When you pick up a book you FIRST open to the table of contents and find which chapters are going to help you the most.
Then flip to those chapters and quickly scan through them to see if the content is what you are looking for. If it is, then read through those chapters.
Highlight, circle and underline the key ideas. Mark up the book.
With practice you will learn to see the meat through the fluff.
Most books out there have tons of filler content that publishers require to make books/chapters certain lengths. You will learn to skim and skip that stuff. Remember: there is no test at the end.
Depending on the content, there are some books you may only choose to read a few key chapters. Those chapters have the main ideas you are looking for to apply them to your life and live better.
That’s not all books. Every once in a while, you will come across an exceptional book and will want to read every chapter. When that happens, great! Keep that book and go back through it periodically.
“I read to apply” is your mantra. That’s strategic. You don’t need to remember key details or inspirational phrases. You need action steps—things that you are going to think, believe, feel, and do differently.
Remember, no one is testing you on this content!! Your goal in reading is to gather the information that is helpful to apply to your life.
Now that you’re ready to start reading strategically, it’s time to pick your first book. Check out last week’s article to see what I’m reading this summer.
Let me know what you’re reading in the comments.
Next week I’ll share the second tip I’ve learned that has helped me read faster and better.
