Valuable Tips to Reading faster

Jolo Lat
Jolo Lat
Sep 4, 2018 · 4 min read

Today, I’ll be giving you my no-nonsense tips in reading faster. By following these tips, You will become better at reading instantly.

My most productive reading time was duringChristmas Break of college, around December 2017 to January 2018, I was able to read 17 books in less than a month. I attribute my success to the tips below, and the fierce determination to absorb knowledge. In this very short and valuable piece, you will read about simple yet effective tips to reading quicker.

Me trying to read in College

1. Read books that you are interested in

I cannot stress this enough. Read what you like to read about. If you like to cook, read about famous chefs or how-to cook books.

If you’re into sports, read the biography of your favorite player. Don’t read books just because someone said you should try it or because you saw it somewhere.

If someone suggests a book to you, check it out, read the summary then see if you are GENUINELY Interested in it. I was able to read 17 non-fiction books because I was able to pick books that I was really curious about. I just checked out goodreads.com before I bought it. No one recommended anything to me at that time.

You’ll read much faster in books that you are passionate about what you’re reading instead of being forced to read it. (That’s why being forced to read in high school and college sucks)

Sapere Aude, “Dare to think for yourself” -Kant

2. Start with books that are easy to read

Now that you’ve narrowed down your passions, start with books that are a bit easy to read. One of my favorite books is the power of habit by Charles Duhigg because he writes in a engaging way that it doesn’t really feel like a book.

Just like in math, start with the easy problems first before moving on to the harder ones.

Obviously, reading books like these makes you faster and at the same time in builds confidence in your reading skills and momentum will drive you forward to the next book.

3. Remove the distractions

This will be the hardest step. Putting your phone away or putting it on Do Not Disturb (and Not looking at it!!) was the hardest thing for me to do.

And at times, the hardest things to do are the most important ones.

Whenever I read in my room on the second floor, I would put my phone as far as the first floor of the house in the dining room. I would make sure it’s on do not disturb.

If I am reading on my laptop, I would block twitter,facebook, instagram and all other sites I check (Bleacherreport.com and Youtube.com) for an hour.

This is the hardest part for our generation right now, staying disconnected in a very connected world.

This will prove to be hardest and most important step in your reading skill, make it count.

Also, this is an important skill in life so you might as well learn it!

Useful apps:

Cold Turkey Blocker on Laptop

Forest on Mobile Phone

4. Set a Time limit

Setting a time limit will make sure you don’t pressure yourself to finish the book. At the same time this builds the reading muscle. If you vow to read the whole day, you will probably get sick of it before noon. Set a time everyday to read. Just like the way you set time to exercise.

I started with 15 minute time limits and eventually reaching 1 hour a day to reading.

I don’t get to follow it everyday since I have work, but slow progress is always better than no progress

Slow progress is better than no progress

5. Read in bursts and take breaks!

After I set a time limit, I vow to focus hard, and give a little bit of self-talk and immediately start reading until time is up. I resist the itch to grab my phone or look at something else. I would read anywhere from 15–60 minutes and then afterward I take breaks.

My breaks don’t have a time limit, I usually just walk around, drink water, check my phone real quick and then get back if I want more.

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If you follow these steps, I guarantee you will read faster. Let me know if you have any more questions or suggestions! Don’t forget to click the “Clap” button below if you liked this piece!

Jolo Lat

Written by

Jolo Lat

Working in a Marketing Company but a Student in Real life.

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