Read faster

Why read faster?

This is a no brainer for me. Experts put years worth of knowledge into books. I can shorten the learning curve on ANYTHING by reading and learning about it. If you don't understand this then nothing I can ever say or show you will mean anything.

Test your reading speed:

Set a timer for 1 min. Place a mark in the margin and read until the timer goes off. Count the lines. (lines/minute. If you want an average word/minute count multiply the number by 10)

Most people read at a rate of 200-250 words per minute.

Obstacles to efficiently read:

1) lack of education - when was the last time you took a class on reading/comprehension? The material is probably a little harder than I was in grade school.

2) lack of focus. You're reading too slow. One. Word. At. A. Time. With. An. Internal. Voice. Of course your mind wanders.

How to read faster:

1) use a visual pacer.

A pen, your finder, a stylus, your cursor on a computer. Underline the words(not touching the paper or just under tex on a computer) as you read. Use the visual pacer to draw your focus. As a child you did this automatically until your teachers told you to stop. It turns out the science agress with the pacer.
I almost guarantee if you timed yourself reading you then proceeded to use your finger or something to count line by line. Your eyes are attracted to motion. Evolution has adapted us to focus on motion for survival.
Think about how your sense of taste and smell are related. Touch and sight are intertwined in a similar manner.

2) Read at YOUR peak times. If you're a morning person reading in the evening will probably not lead to as much retention.

3) Silence the internal voice "reading" the words in your head. You can take in information much faster than one can speak it. That's why podcasts have a variable play speed. Utilize your environment to make reading easier. Play music with an average of 60 BPM (Baroque is a personal favorite.) in the background to drown out the internal noise.
Try counting in your head if you notice yourself "reading aloud" in your head as you read. You won't be able to do both.

Time yourself with a visual pacer. I'd bet money you can increase your reading pace by 15-25% just doing that.

Train your brain and your reading skill just like you would your physical body. Reading is an acquired skill.

If you aren't reading every day you have no advantage over someone who is illiterate.

The average person reads 1-3 books a year. The average CEO 4-5 a month.

We are what we consume my friends 🙏

P. S. I generated these notes but these are not original ideas.