how I improved my reading speed by 235%
We all can read - you are here, so that pretty good indicator it's true. But can we do it well?
The last time I took a reading class was when I was 7 years old. Since then things I read have changed quite a bit but my reading skills - not so much.
Using the following techniques I went from 170 WPM (words per minute) to 400 WMP, doubling my reading speed!
the techniques
Use your finger
Straighten your back
Count out loud
but first, why does your reading speed matter?
Reading quicker = more time for other things
We live in the Information Age, being exposed to articles, emails, posts, books, and articles every single day.
We want and have to read a lot both in our personal lives as well as at work. I spend hours during the week reading Slack, documentation, requirements, project descriptions, how-tos, etc
Imagine all the time you’d save if you could go through all the emails, or read books twice as fast.
The better you are at reading the more edge you have!
1 - use your finger
Our eyes are naturally attracted to motion. Ages ago, when bush moved this instinct helped us 1) get a meal 2) avoid being a meal.
When you open a book, your mind automatically will be looking for movement all around which will slow you down.
You can use this mechanism to your advantage by pointing your finger where your eyes should go.
Pacing yourself line by line will help you to be more engaged & focused. It’s much easier for your brain to consume the words you point at instead of staring at a wall of text.
Bonus tip - use your left hand to engage your imagination more by activating the right part of your brain.
2 - straighten your back
When you’re hunched over your reading material your lungs don’t get all the oxygen they need. And that’s why all of a sudden tiredness & sleepiness appear.
When you read keep your back straight and make sure your content is right in front of you. If it’s a book/kindle hold it up and tilt it a bit so it’s easy to access all of the text.
The goal is to be both physically comfortable and make it easy for your eyes to see what they need to see.
3 - count out loud
When you read and hear the words in your head - that’s subvocalization.
It’s a blocker to improving your speed as you can read only as fast as you can speak!
Start counting out loud 1-2-3 over and over again to minimize subvocalization.
It felt like magic when I tried it for the first time!
It was a true revelation as for years I believed to understand what I read, I need to hear it.
You can also count in your head but for me, it was easier to do 1-2-3s out loud.
All those great techniques (and many more) I learned in Jim Kwik’s quest on the Mindvalley platform.
I can’t explain to you my excitement when Kindle’s estimated time to finish a book went from 6 to 3 hours :D You need to try it for yourself.