37 working tips on how to start reading more and faster

Tips on how to start reading more

1. Record every book you read. This will make it easier to track your progress and understand how much more you should be reading. By tracking how much you read in a month or a year, you will understand that there is not so much and motivation and even a kind of excitement will appear to increase this number. It is convenient to use reading trackers for this.
2. Set a goal for the year. Everyone has their own limit. For some, 20 books a year is an achievement, while others consider 150 books a year to be insufficient. The main thing is to determine what you are aiming for. Having a goal in itself motivates action, and it is also important to correctly formulate the goal and write it down.
3. Don't waste time and money on nonsense, read only worthwhile works. Selecting reading material for leisure is a very important and scrupulous process. If you don’t choose carefully, several days of your life will simply be lost. Always allow enough time to search for a good piece. View reviews, ratings, get acquainted with annotations and opinions of other authors and critics. If the first pages of a book don't pull you in, then it might not be to your taste at all. Write down a list of books you plan to read in your planner or notes on your phone, and when you go to the bookstore, don't forget about it.
4. Buy a book. I mean a paper book, with a cover and other goodies. Reading a paper book is a special pleasure. They smell nice and there is no risk of being distracted by a message popping up from the messenger. But in addition, books made of flesh have a beneficial effect on the cognitive functions of the brain, since reading trains fine motor skills.
5. Set yourself a daily minimum. Let it be 20 pages a day, 50, or even 100. How long can it take to read 100 pages? If desired, in just a couple of hours. But this is already depends on your goal for the year. You need to regularly increase this minimum in order to read more and more books.

6. Make a list of books to read. If we are talking about non-fiction books, then it is useful to divide the list into categories related to areas in which you want to deepen your knowledge. You can be inspired by the advice of famous successful people in order to learn something interesting and new for yourself by comparing it with the person who recommended this work. Place the list somewhere conspicuous so that the question “What should I read?” disappeared immediately.
7. Use a psychological trick. Imagine if there was an apocalypse in a few months, you would die, what books would you read then? This will help determine your true desires , and not what you think you should read.
8. Set aside dedicated time in your schedule for reading. This will help you organize your time without sacrificing reading; rather, you will have to adjust other items so that you always have enough for books. Consider it as unshakable as going to the dentist.
9. Buy and collect paper books, even if you don’t have time for them yet. They won’t run away anywhere, and will simply silently wait in the wings on the shelves. You can get into the habit of buying a book every month.
10. When you need to read a book, but the process doesn’t go well. Sit with a book for a few minutes, doing nothing, with the cover closed. At some point, your hands will reach out to open the hostile book and read it.
11. Read consciously. Social networks are filled with reposts of texts with enticing headlines. The number of tabs in your browser multiplies, and your ability to focus on information weakens. You read 50 articles a day, without really delving into anything, getting only a momentary thrill, and practically nothing remains in your head. To benefit from reading, you need to read according to the list. And it’s better to spend time on books that you chose consciously, rather than absorb tons of information garbage that the media shoves down your throat.
12. Add some fun. Read what brings you pleasure. If a person says that he doesn’t like to read, it means he simply hasn’t found his book or author yet. Read books related to topics that interest you.
13. Set a deadline for reading the book. Decide to yourself how soon you want to finish this book. And knowing a certain number, you are less likely to succumb to procrastination. It will be like a small promise made to yourself. And promises cannot be broken, even to yourself.
14. Go to the library. If you need a quiet atmosphere for reading, almost all libraries have reading rooms. And if you take the book with you, libraries usually have a return period, often about two weeks. Try to read it, otherwise it will be a pity to return the book unread, or you will feel embarrassed in front of the library staff for why you are renewing the book. After all, two weeks was more than enough to read it.
15. Make a bet or state your goal in some way. For example, “If I don’t finish reading 100 books by the end of the year, I’ll donate my favorite book to the library.” The Smartprogress service has such functionality as , which will help you achieve your goals.
16. Organize your time. Think about what useless activities you can take a couple of extra hours of reading from. It is unlikely that scrolling through a feed or watching TV can be considered a fruitful pastime, which means this time can be given to reading.
17. If you have very little time, read stories. They are easy to read in one sitting and are not very energy intensive. Chekhov, O. Henry, Edgar Allan Poe, Murakami, Twain...
18. Start reading the next book on the list as soon as you finish reading the previous one. Don't take breaks between books. You need to read at least a couple of pages on the same day, so that the next day you already have the feeling of starting something, but not finishing it.
19. Bonus motivation. Your surroundings may be inspired by your successes and start reading too; you will become a good example for them. This is both pleasant and useful. Especially considering how few people read books these days.
20. Give yourself an incentive to read. List the advantages of reading books, what they can give you if you start devoting more time and effort to this activity. You will become more literate, it will be more interesting to have conversations with you, and you will improve your erudition. Just imagine for a moment what success you will achieve and how much new knowledge you will gain if you read 1000 quality books in the next few years. Keep a diary of your achievements and record your reading progress.
21. Organize yourself a comfortable place to read. Reading in bed is not a good idea, because the bed is perceived by our brain as a resting place, which means there is a high risk that this reading will not be productive for you. Prefer a chair at the table or a sofa.

22. Lighting is important. Don't jeopardize your eyesight by reading books in poor light. Moreover, good consecration will not allow you to nod off, losing the meaning of what you read.
23. Read in a comfortable position. If you hunch over and generally position your body in an incomprehensible way, you won’t be able to read for long. And even if you can, your shoulders, back and neck are unlikely to thank you and may even lead to problems with blood circulation and headaches.
24. Use special glasses when using the computer. They prevent bright light from irritating your eyes. Let them always be in view of the monitor so that you can reduce fatigue and preserve your eyesight.
25. Take breaks every half hour. Try to alternate reading with physical exercise. In this case, the brain will rest, and the body will work a little to stay in good shape longer. Turn off all unnecessary thoughts, breathe carefully and correctly to saturate your brain with oxygen. Even just getting up from a chair from time to time will not be without benefits.
26. Give your eyes a rest periodically. If you feel that your eyes are tired, do the following exercise: rub your palms and close your eyes so as to ensure complete darkness. Peer at a point in the middle of the blackness, as if trying to see something through this curtain. This will help relieve eye tension.
27. Learn to speed read. At some point you will be able to tell good books from bad ones. Therefore, it is worth taking the time to learn how to speed read so that you can read as much as possible. The fast reading technique will allow you to understand most of the information at high speed. Move your finger across the book
28. Cut off the left and right 15% of the page
29. Read with 80% comprehension

Books on self-knowledge and self-improvement

Now we will move on to examples of books that touch on the topics of self-knowledge, self-development and self-improvement and are useful for general education. I will divide the lists into two blocks, according to the stylistic complexity of reading.

A list of literature that is stylistically very pleasing to the eye and easy to read

From fiction:

1. Flowers for Algernon - D. Keyes.
2. How steel was hardened - N. Ostrovsky.
3. The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
4. Divine Comedy - A. Dante.
5. Book of Mirdad - M. Naimi
6. The language of birds - A. Navoi.
7. Rubai - O. Khayyam.

Basic literature:

1. In simple words about mindfulness - G. Henepola
2. Triple wisdom - R. Blackt.
3. The art of controlling destiny - Sun Light.
4. The richest man in Babylon is D. Clason.
5. The art of loving - E. Fromm.
6. The Tao of Winnie the Pooh - B. Hoff.
7. About good deeds - L. Seneca

In-depth literature and primary sources:

1. Tao Te Ching - Lao Tzu
2. 2. The Art of War - Sun Tzu
3. 3. Sri Ishopanishad
4. 4. Sutta Nipata
5. 5. Subjective evolution of consciousness - B.R. Sridhar Maharaj.

A list of references written in complex stylistic text.

Artistic:

1. Father Sergius - L. Tolstoy
2. Martin Eden - D. London
3. Faust - I. Goethe.
4. Oblomov - I. Goncharov.
5. Mtsyri - M. Lermontov.
6. Woe from Wit - A. Griboyedov.
7. No change on the Western Front - E. M. Remarque.

Basic:

1. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey
2. Fear and Trembling - S. Kierkegaard.
3. Willpower - K. McGonakal.
4. Super Thinking - Tony Buzan.
5. Confession - Leo Tolstoy.
6. Book of Five Rings - Miyamoto Musashi
7. Hagakure - Yamamoto Tsunetomo.
8. On duties, old age and friendship - Marcus Tulius Cicero

In-depth literature and primary sources:

1. Bible
2. Koran
3. Bhagavad Gita
4. Mahabharata - Srila Vyasadeva
5. Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita - Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami.
6. Srimad Bhagavatam - Srila Vyasadeva.
7. Nicomachean Ethics - Aristotle.
8. Dialogues - Plato.

50 page reading rule

The fact that any book you read increases your level of intelligence is an undeniable fact. So count how many books you need to become twice as smart. Only 100. Quite doable.

Here you should resort to the 50 page rule. Read the first 50 pages, and if the book drags on with boring language and plot, just put it down. Maybe later you will return to it or give it to someone who will like it more.

Only a few percent of the books published each year turn out to be worthwhile. But even this figure will be unaffordable for you. Therefore, use this rule and read only what will hook you.

Limit distractions

If you are usually distracted by the TV or computer, sit down and read in another room, away from it. Otherwise, you will spend all your energy not turning on the TV or going online, and you will have no energy left for reading.

This is confirmed by an experiment by psychologist Roy Baumeister. Hungry subjects were asked to solve the challenging puzzle Ego Depletion: Is the Active Self a Limited Resource? . One group of participants was given cookies and told not to eat them, the other was given nothing. Participants who received cookies gave up much earlier.

How to learn to read faster

Everyone has their own reading speed. There is no need to strive for the results of Guinness World Record holders. You just need to increase your speed a little. Once you master the right techniques, you will be able to read faster without losing the meaning of the text.

Speed ​​Reading Techniques

• Reading with your finger

Using this technique, we track reading speed using our finger. Move your finger along the lines as you read. Increase your speed little by little. This technique is characterized by a high degree of concentration.

• More words per glance

For faster reading, it is recommended to read a couple of words in one glance. This pace is easy to achieve.

• Fast pace

Read quickly even if you don’t have time to grasp the information, this will come with time. Your brain will adapt to the fast pace and will take in all the important information.

• Do not pronounce the text while reading

This habit is the hardest to break. Not everyone can achieve it to the end. But other techniques simply won’t allow you to speak the text. Each new step will help increase your speed.

Take advantage of travel time

If you take the subway or bus to work, use this time to read.
Before our editor Jeremy started working for us, he rode the bus to work every day and used that time to read. During this time he read several books. My favorite time to read is on a plane. You'll be surprised how much you can read in an hour or two of flight without WiFi-dependent distractions. In this amount of time you can read the entire book. Short, of course. During the two-hour flights, I managed to read books such as The Road, The Great Gatsby, Death of a Salesman, Bhagavad Gita and The Innovator's Dilemma. Next time you plan to fly on a plane, don't load your phone with movies and apps, load it with books. Better yet, take one or two paper books with you.

Find like-minded people

It is always better to read something new and useful in the company of like-minded people. They can be anyone. Friends, colleagues, acquaintances, people from social networks. The main thing is that they love books as much as you do. Chat with them, discuss stories, share your impressions and get advice. This is not only pleasant, but also useful, because someone can give you an idea of ​​which book should definitely be included in your list.

In company, you will start reading faster, because it’s so great to quickly share your emotions with new friends. Moreover, nothing stimulates more than the desire to declare that you have already read this or that book.

Consider the volume

Even an interesting book risks being put aside and forgotten forever. Some people, thinking about how to start reading more, pick up a major novel. It may even be relevant and captivating, but in the end it will still end up unread because the reader did not take into account its length. You should start with not too large works, and not choose a thousand-page novel.

The constant appearance of the same characters gets boring. Even great interest can fade for this reason. It is optimal to start with 200-400 pages

.

Remember the fun

It is impossible to force yourself to read every day if the thought of it causes negativity. This must be done in such a way as to feel pleasure, comfort and freedom. If you are not in the mood, then the idea should be postponed until later. You need to pick up a novel and get down to business with desire. Otherwise, it will turn into a routine, and there is absolutely nothing good here.

This also applies to those cases when negativity arises only with a certain writer’s creation. You can’t force yourself to finish reading something you don’t like, hoping for changes by page 200. If you really want to, you can give him a second chance, but later.

The only exception can be the first attempts to join the literary world. They often cause difficulties; many people become bored or find it difficult to concentrate. Then you can put a little pressure on yourself to overcome these problems and achieve results.

Create the conditions

When you want to make reading a part of your life, you need to pay more attention to the conditions. The maximum possible silence and solitude is the key to success. The reader should not be disturbed by extraneous sounds, electronics (TV, computer, telephone), people or pets. It is important to focus on the text.

You can, of course, and even need to, read on the way to work. But in cases where a person has a choice, he should prefer comfortable conditions. You need to choose a place where it is warm, cozy and comfortable.

You should think about time in advance. You can read as soon as possible, but there should be one specific time when you are absolutely sure you can read. It is better to do this in the morning, while your head is free and relaxed, but evening is also perfect - the main thing is that there are suitable conditions.

Challenges, deadlines

The last tip is similar to setting specific goals. However, it implies a slightly different method. The difference between a challenge and a goal is that it is a test of yourself, and with a bit of excitement. After completing a task, a person passes it on to someone else. You can set up a challenge for yourself – read for 20 minutes every day.

This is what Mark Zuckerberg did in 2015. He decided that he would read one book about technology, history and culture every 2 weeks. By doing this, he gave motivation to many other people who were able to successfully complete the test.

Interesting Facts

• Warren Buffett - read up to 1000
  pages a day, devoting maximum time to literature, considers this the key to success;
• Elon Musk - with the help of literature, he learned to build rockets on his own in order to circumvent the issue of huge financial costs for such a service from third parties;
• Tony Robbins - mastered 700
  books in all areas that could change life, was able to achieve success, become strong, having been born in a dysfunctional family;
• Mark Cuban - devotes 3 hours
  every day, extracting all the best ideas from any text;
• Bill Gates - with an extremely busy schedule, allocates enough time to add 50 works a year to the list of completed goals.

How often do you read?

Morning evening

In any activity, it is important that it brings not only benefits, but also pleasure. Books need to be felt. For example, you watch new TV series with great interest! And books are just as much entertainment. They, like TV series, are different, and you don’t have to love them all. One will give you a good time, and the second will give you deep knowledge in the field of physics, for example.

Therefore, it is better to read scientific literature (nonfiction) in the first half of the day (then your mind is clear and your thinking is clear), and fiction - after lunch and before bed (it perfectly helps you fall asleep quickly!). Adjust your reading speed depending on the type of information and the end goal. With every page you read, you will practice the fundamental skill of speed reading.

Make a list

Making a future reading list is a good way to force yourself to read books every day. It should consist of dozens of options, and they should be sorted by priority, but not so strictly, but with the ability to choose one of the first.

The available options need to be checked. This means reading the abstract, reviews or testimonials, as well as skimming several pages. For convenience, you can make tags by genre, author or complexity.

Listen to audiobooks

I don't listen to very many audiobooks;
This is not my favorite method of consuming literature. But if I'm going on a long trip where I'll spend the most time driving, I'll buy a couple of books on Audible to pass the time. If you spend a lot of time on the road, your time behind the wheel can be a great opportunity to consume a large library of books. Pro Tip: Increase playback speed by 1.5 to 2 times. You will be able to understand everything, but this will allow you to finish the book faster.

Communicate

Discussing a novel you have read is an important component of the entire process of getting to know it. This will allow you to express your opinion and hear someone else’s, which can open up a new perspective on the work, as well as radically change your ideas about some moments from it.

If among your friends there are no people who read, then you can join some club where you can find new friends. Communication with them will give you even more motivation. And the opportunity to receive a list of recommendations will fuel interest in making new acquaintances. Read more literature, and you will become even more interesting in the eyes of others.

Unnecessary information

You will be surprised by this advice, but it is very good. It would seem that you should not skip lines and paragraphs, because there may be important information there, and then why read if you are not interested in it. Logical, but only partly. The point is to quickly gain a general understanding of the content of the text. It can be quickly analyzed in whole chunks without reading individual words. Often this is just so-called water, information that performs one function - to give the text shape and volume.

With each book you read, you will be able to predict these fragments and skim through them without wasting extra time:

• pay attention to the first and last paragraphs (these are the most important phrases that give an understanding of the value of this section of the text;
• carefully read the table of contents and summary of the book (perhaps you are looking for some specific information and you do not need to read the entire book, but can only work through a few necessary sections);
• predict in advance what will happen next in the text.

Choose

It is important to choose the right literature. You should not make spontaneous purchases, hoping for an annotation. It is recommended to study several reviews and then make a purchasing decision. It is not recommended to choose only from popular novels, because... fame is no guarantee of useful and interesting reading.

The best approach would be to consider representatives of your favorite genre or a proven writer. This will keep risks to a minimum. But they need to be “diluted” by reading something new, and they should be the basis.

Form a Habit

Human life consists of habits. The more positive, the better. Habit is what beginning readers lack. It is important to develop it gradually, slowly. To do this, you need to read for 20 minutes every day. After a week, the amount of time can be doubled, and then tripled.

You cannot interrupt the process before the time that has been allocated. If there is an urgent need to do this, you should come back later and finish what you started. This is the only way to achieve results.