There's richness in what books offers that is incomparable to watching YouTube video's, or merely listening to audio books. Authors have a room to write however as much and be detailed enough to communicate and illustrate a point, and readers can take as long as they wish to read each page or paragraph until the words sink in.
All mediums of learning have their place, and we must be cognizant of the fact that the most effective way to learn and gain knowledge is to combine all of them.
But when it comes to reading, its downside is that you can easily just go through the motion of just reading and not really get what you reading and not be able to build on what you've just read.
Read the right books with the right approach, you will definitely create a better you with every book you read. There's an approach called intentional reading.
Below are the simple five steps to Intentional Reading:
1) Keeping a reading list
There are many books and authors out there that you do not know of, and finding the right book can be difficult. Often, good books will refer and reference other books that influenced the author on the subject.
If you find a book and an author that you resonate with, pay attention to their references. This is a valuable paper trail that will lead you to other material that will aid you into building on what you'd be reading in the current book. If you see an interesting reference mentioned in a book, add it to your reading list.
A reading list is a great way to build on what you read and create a greater depth in your knowledge of the subject.
2) Read in short bursts
How long you want to spend reading depends on each individual. Others can read an hour, two or three hours of reading in a single sitting. What is critical is that it is important to pause after perhaps every chapter, or every 15/30 minutes of reading to let the information digest.
You would also have to try stick to the natural break points in a book. The start and end of a chapter are the best points to pause. Pausing half way in a chapter can make it hard to jump back in without spending a few minutes skimming through the previous pages. And this can be time consuming.
3) Highlight and capture chapter summaries
Highlighting a book is one of the most useful ways to grasp and remember all the information you have consumed.
Whether you are reading a physical book or an eBook, write down short summaries of each chapter as you go along. I personally usually use my Notes app on my phone. This is a great way to pause and reflect on what you've read after each chapter.
This is an effective way to see whether you are following the material. Also, these help when you refer back to the book in future without having to dig back through the book itself.
4) If it's really good, read it twice
There are books that are life-changing or resonate with you so well that you want to remember every detail in them. In those cases, nothing beats reading the book again.
Like watching your favourite movie for a second time, there are going to be details that you spot the second time around that you have missed on the first time watching it. So is book reading.
5) Have a sticky note
This is not always relevant but there are books that have messages and meanings that really stand out. For me, it is Napoleon Hills' six steps by which one's desire for riches can be transmuted into its financial equivalent.
Sometimes there are lessons that you may want to adopt as a habit in your entire life. For this, nothing beats writing it on a sticky note and pinning it onto your wall; somewhere where you will see it every time until it sinks in.
All these steps can help you better remember and fully grasp all that you have read. And they surely will help in building yourself with greater clarity and organisation.
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