I Read a Book a Week, and You Can Too!
A Method to Get Through Your Reading List Quickly
I had a goal at the start of 2023. I wanted to read at least one non-fiction, business, personal development book each month. I’m not much of a reader, but I knew that it would be good for me. After a few months of this, I realize that I’m adding more books to my “plan to read” list than books I’m checking off. If I wanted to actually complete my “plan to read” list, I would have to pick up the pace.
I don’t want to dedicate more time to reading, and I’m not a very fast reader, so I had to get creative to solve my problem. As of now, I have 279 books on my “plan to read” list. If I were to go about trying to read all of these books, who knows how long it would take me to get through them.
So how am I now reading a book a week? Simple, I’m not. I listen to at least one book a week. Audiobooks are popular, which is no surprise, but I’m not just listening to audiobooks. I listen to my books at 2X speed, bare minimum. When I tell people this, I tend to get one of two reactions.
- Wow, that’s a great idea, I should do that!
- You’re ruining the “integrity” and “enjoyment” of the book!
More often than not, I get the latter. Here’s my argument in favor of listening to books at 2X speed. Humans can process information they hear much faster than people talk, as such, you can listen to more books in a shorter time span, with little to no comprehension loss. That said, if you’re listening to a super dense book, definitely start at a slower speed.
Also, I’ve found that I enjoy audiobooks just as much at 2X speed as I do at normal speed. In fact, ever since I started listening at 2X speed, I can’t go back.
If you want to consume more books, I would highly recommend giving it a try to listen at 2X speed. It may be difficult at first, if so, then try starting at 1.5X speed, or even 1.25X speed. You can slowly increase your listening speed, and eventually listen and comprehend books at speeds of 2.5X or more!
I’ve been able to listen at work, while I exercise, and while I travel. Take advantage of whatever time you can to listen. You may enjoy your music, but what are you getting out of your music? Sure it’s nice every once in a while, but consider switching it up every once in a while.
It’s pretty easy to start. Pretty much every audio/video app has a speed controller built-in, usually under a hamburger menu or in some settings tab. Give it a shot, and I can guarantee once you adjust to the faster speed, you won’t go back. Since I started listening to everything at 2X speed, I’ve actually listened to more than double the books.
There’s some psychology work at play here, but it’s simple. What’s easier to commit to, watching a 3-hour movie or watching a 12-episode show with episodes 20 minutes long? The show tends to be easier, but why? Even though it’s more time overall, it’s easier to break up, and it doesn’t feel like as much of a commitment. The same can be said for books.
Take 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene, for example, it’s about a 10-hour (9 hours and 52 minutes to be exact) audiobook. Even though the chapters are short, just seeing the 10-hour length makes it difficult to commit to. But, when the actual listening time gets cut down to 4 hours and 26 minutes, I can finish that during a 5-hour shift at work.
I’m telling you, listening to all of my books at double speed has been a game changer. If you want to learn more and learn faster, then give this a shot.
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