Learn how to R.E.A.D!
Reading is one of the best ways to improve ourselves. It has been said that the company we keep determines who we are. I agree with that statement. We should choose carefully who we spend time with, including the authors of the books we read.
In the past I have found myself reading one book after another, feeling very excited about the content, to forget most of it a couple of days after finishing it. I started asking myself the purpose of my reading and if the time I spent reading was worth it. Certainly, I enjoyed learning from the author’s experience. I also appreciated becoming better informed. However, time is precious and I started wondering if this was the best use of my time. Was that all I was getting out of my reading habit?
As I read, I got a lot of ideas floating on my head. Exciting thoughts about how the concepts in the book apply to me and could make my life better. Clever things that I could bring in conversations with my friends and colleagues. Sadly, most of the time when I finished the book, all those thoughts would vanish from my mind and I will find myself looking for the next book to read.
I decided to change that. I wasn’t about to cut my reading time, since I enjoy it so much. But if I was going to spend valuable time reading, I decided to make the most of it, and learn how to read effectively. By experimenting, I found 4 things that are key to capture the essence of the books and how to use it to improve myself. I made them easy to remember, since the spell R.E.A.D:
- R – Record. Taking notes is the most powerful way to capture the essence of what you read. Even if you read on an electronic device, I suggest that you keep a notebook handy. Taking notes by hand helps you retain information better than taking them digitally. Psychologists argue that when people type their notes, they have the tendency to copy the text they just read. However, when taking longhand notes they are more selective, they summarize to just record the main concept that has called their attention.
- E – Evaluate. Don’t just read and take all the information as it comes. Stop to think first if you agree with it. If you do, then evaluate how it may apply to you. How your could use it. I like to divide the page where I am taking my notes in half, using a vertical line. On the left I record the concepts that strike me as interesting (as suggested in the previous step). On the right, I write down my own thoughts, my interpretation of the concept, how it applies to me, how I will use it in my own life.
- A – Apply. This is the most important step. The only way that the concepts on the book are going to help you is if you apply them in your life. After you define how you are going to use the new knowledge that you now have in the Evaluation step, make a commitment with yourself and schedule in your calendar an activity that will incorporate the application of that knowledge. For example, if you are reading a book on how to be a better presenter, reserve some time in your calendar the day before your next presentation to go over your notes and get clarity on the new actions and new behaviors that you are going to use.
- D – Disseminate. Share your new knowledge with your colleagues and friends. Explain the concepts that resonated with you. It’s being said that the best way to learn a topic is to teach it. I believe that to be true. Clearly explaining a concept to another person is the ultimate proof that you have understood it. It has happened to me that when I tried to explain and idea to a friend, I realized that wasn’t as clear as I thought, or couldn’t answer a question. I then had to go back to review the book and my notes to get clarity.
Next time you read a book, really R.E.A.D it! You will be making the best use of your time, and improving your life one book at a time.
