How to Read More
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- How can you read more books? Should you even bother? In this video, I give some advice on how you can read more - but I also discuss the value of reading, the role of note-taking, and the value of keeping a schedule.
One of the best books on reading: amzn.to/3MCuCVz
The 15 minutes per day point was earlier made by William Gwynne: • How to Read More!
Enjoy!
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I was going to read but watched this instead
X2
😂😂
Lmao same here
me everyday
😅😅😅
No intro, no filler, just solid cogent useful content. Love your channel. Always good.
It had an intro lol he was giving statistics on how much Americans read a year lol
@@queencupcake09 I think he means no "Hi, welcome to channel' etc.. Some videos take like 45 seconds to start.
“Hey guys …!” ☺️
new sub for that
I'd expect nothing less from someone who reads 50+ books a year
As someone with ADHD who struggles to just sit down and read for an hour, I find that setting a ridiculously low bar for myself helps. I set the goal of reading one page per day. Usually I end up reading a whole chapter, and somedays only a couple pages. What matters is having a non-zero day and making progress. I may not read 100 books a year, but I read more than the average american so I'm good haha
As someone with ADHD I’ve also had to learn that I have to read differently than other people. The idea of getting rid of distractions doesn’t work for me b/c my brain NEEDS to have a lot of input to focus, otherwise I will find other things to focus on outside of the book. Now I listen to classical music or white noise when I read to give my brain enough stimulation and now reading is MUCH easier.
Bro with all respect, but ADHD does not exist its just an a excuse😃
@@vegetaintherain2570doesn’t sound very respectful, just sounds like a poor attempt at hate baiting.
@@DonovanGG__ ok
@@vegetaintherain2570how so?
One of the tips I would follow is very simple: Read a minimum of 1 page every day.
This really helped me to read more. It only takes 1 - 2 mins to read a page so you can do it even if you're really busy. However, it forces you to sit down with the book. Personally, I find that one page is enough for me to get interested in the book again and I often end up reading a chapter or two instead of one page.
This is my view on it as well. Something is better than nothing. Even just one page is something, and therefore better than nothing. It's progress, and that mentality has helped me a lot.
See my issue is I'm just not engaged after a page. My girlfriend will read a single sentence and immediately be engaged by the book and will be able to completely zone in. For me, I just really struggle with finding reading to be an interesting and engaging endeavor without reading for 20-30 mins at least, so the commitment is larger. I don't know how to reframe my mind on this, I've tried many times and still struggle.
Mini habits
@@tylergalligani6450 read the prince by Niccolo, Makaveli, you need a book that interests you. Don’t just read what others read. Find and read something that teaches you new things every page or chapter.
thats also explained in atomic habits as a 2 minute rule where you do thing that you want to make a habit for 2 minutes so it forms as a habit author says that in order to make something a habit you should do it regularly
Some points that have helped me:
-Interact with the book. Find quotes or passages that you like. Look up words and phrases that you don't understand. Write a journal entry.
-Set goals. Read x number of chapters each day. Read for 30 minutes at this time of day and another at this time.
-Follow along with an audiobook while reading. For sluggish reading sessions.
-Put on ambient music. For ex. I put on a Hogwarts Library ambience video while reading The Hobbit.
-Get active in a community (online or irl). Find some booktubers you like. Write a discussion post or just look around and make a comment once in awhile. Make reading take up space in your mind aswell as social feed.
Remember getting back into reading will take time and patience. It's alright if some reading sessions are not as great as others as long as you're consistent and honest about your efforts. Day by day flip one page after the other and notice your reading muscle grow.
I feels this whole hustle culture round how many books you read is a bad idea. People are running after numbers, picking smaller books, not enjoying books, have very little comprehension and zero retention. If you read 50 books a year for 10 Years you read 500 books. Do you really need to read 500 books (fiction or non fiction) to become wise? Or just 5 books in each field of your interest multiple times to develop depth and retention? I myself did this thing called book marathon and realized that I stopped enjoying books.
I would like to give a rebuttal to your comment on not reading below your level. Since college I have found myself reading less and less. Then I started my family. In reading books to my kids I rediscovered my love of reading. Whenever I find that I'm watching too much TV I like to go back and pick up a Roald Dahl or V.E. Schwab (her young readers books (if you didn't know she wrote those, they are so worth it)) and remind myself of the joy. I now recommend to others who say they wish they could read or read more, that they start with klds books. The adventures of Toad and Frog may be well beneath the readers abilities, but the nostalgia and feeling like you really can finish a book cannot be overstated.
I would ask that you try this yourself. I think it would change your mind about how to start reading again.
I want to contribute a possible amendment to what you said concerning audiobooks.
Something that I've found unique to my generation is astronomically low attention spans for those of us who spent our formative years on the Internet and social media with basically major corporations designing their software to keep us on their platforms or thinking about them constantly.
I had found myself in this camp, remembering when I was in middle school and completely off the stuff I would read constantly and late into the night, and finding myself completely unable to do that anymore, I started audiobooking instead which was a lot more palletible especially since I could multitask while audiobooking.
To audiobooking's credit, it has rekindled in me a love for literature and "reading," but I want to add that beyond that, it has not helped me in any way to start picking up physical books again. Reading physically really is a skill in attention and patience and focus that has to be trained, especially since audio is inherently more a receptive experience for us. I agree that audiobooking counts as reading, but it might be worth noting the extent to which it is helpful for those who want to acquire that skill of reading
I used to read a lot as a kid, but for various reasons I had fallen out of the habit. Now I'm starting to slowly get back into it and one tip I can share that worked for me is to start by rereading not just any random book, but rather that special book that you read as a kid and has stuck with you ever since. For me it was a YA Spanish novel called "Grimpow - The Invisible Road". It's the first "real" book that I read as a kid (or at least the first one "with no pictures") and I have a distinct memory of my little self getting so immersed in this story that I couldn't stop reading it and not being able to shut up about it even long after I finished. I used to talk about it with whoever was willing to listen and I even wrote a small review of it in my school's newspaper. It was the book that truly sparked my love for reading, and even though it's definitely catered to a more younger audience and now I can totally see its flaws (those dialogues are cringey as hell), I'm deliberately choosing to start from this one because that's exactly what I need: to remind myself of WHY I love reading in the first place. I haven't finished it yet, I'm going very slowly and I lose focus a lot, but still, I've already read almost a third of it, and that's more than I've been able to do in years with any other book that I tried, so I'd say it's working so far.
same here! :)
I started using the immersion reading technique with a Kindle and Audible book combination. The Kindle has a visual word pacer mode when you have it play audio at the same time. This way, a grey bar starts highlighting words on the page to match the Audible book being read. I love it! I found an audio pace that works for me, and it really helps me focus on the book I'm reading. Of course, not all books have unabridged audio that goes with the text. Those I read the old fashioned way, but I do highly recommend immersion reading to those folks that want to focus more and enjoy reading again. It helped me a bunch! 😀
I do this as well, it’s great!
It's really helping! I started it couple weeks back and I just love the combination.
Reading on different formats definitely helped me get back to reading this year. I bought an e-reader this year and could read in bed again, without disturbing my partner who needs total darkness to sleep. I also started to listen to audiobooks last year, which allows me to "read" public transportation without the fear of missing my stop. It is also an excellent motivation for me to do house chores. Also, audiobooks got me back into reading after a depression. I didn't have the energy to read a physical book, but I was ok with listening to a story. Just these 2 changes allowed me to read so much more this year!
“If you have to read less in order to learn more, that is fine and good.” Opposite of the approach I learned in graduate school. I picked up some bad reading habits in grad school, and I’m still trying to unlearn some of them 10 years later.
Me in grad school: "I can't wait to finish this crap so I can go back to reading what I want!"
Me after grad school: [scrolling TH-cam]
Thanks for this video. I was a bookworm back in the day. Mostly spent the rest of my days as a child just reading nonstop.
It’s much more impressive to read one book and have it deeply impact you, than to read a hundred and not feel a thing. Quality over quantity every time.
You can find a quality book more often if you can increase your quantity.
@@Rogerdude899 while common sense dictates that you are correct. the highest of qualities is extracted from the act of observation, and very little of value needs to be observed for something deeply meaningful to be extracted, and the books that most affected me were average ones I gave myself into.
granted, at an extreme, you'd be writing a book in your head (you need a minimum of quality to do that). can't enrich your soul by reading tabloids. or I guess maybe you can, with sufficient knowledge and insight, coming to them as something to be researched.
I'm tired I hope my point comes through.
@@coffeebreakhero3743 what
@@andrewsawdon2170I think they mean that you will get more value out of a book the more you pay attention to it and analyse it. A book could have many meanings and great value but not touch/impact you if you skim read it. It will give more to you the more you give to it.
OP, did I get this right and did I do a decent job of explaining things?
@@Rogerdude899well...you need a filter to know beforehand if a book has more chances of being more high quality than those average books
For my fellow ADHD humans, one thing I do every time I read is have on background noise or other stimuli. I can be in a bustling coffee shop, flying in a plane, or at home with ambient sounds. Books are not very stimulating alone so the extra added stimuli that's not distracting really helps. Give it a shot sometime and see if you like it.
Why is reading in coffee shops so much more appealing than reading at home alone??!!
@@sonnyvarioni1654 coffee, vibes, and cute baristas.
It's interesting to think I'm not the only person who finds active settings better for studying instead of quiet places. Ig I just need constant brain activity
For me it has helped to designate one day per week to reading; not making any plans, making sure I have all of my ‘musts’ done so I can literally read all day without feeling like I’m neglecting other things.
Designated daily reading time doesn’t tend to work for me, I feel discouraged if I miss a day and it makes it feel like a chore rather than a pleasure or hobby. I read most days anyway, but I don’t put expectations on myself to read x amount of pages or chapters, and I don’t treat it as a goal. For me, a daily reading goal makes missing a day feel like a failure rather than simply being too busy or too tired to read that day. Having a whole day gives me more time and it doesn’t stress me out as much.
Oh, I love this idea! I don't think I could do a whole day. But maybe a few hours. I did not grow up in a reading family. To this day, I always feel guilty for reading, like I'm lazy and should be doing something productive. Even if work and chores and every other obligation is done, I can only read a short time before I have to stop and go clean the bathroom or do something else, "useful". (Even if everything is already clean. Yeah,I know. It's crazy.)
Ah you must be single and childless.
Agree with the point about scheduling. This year, I've started blocking 30 minutes every morning for reading, and this is the first time in my life when I've read that much. This also helps reading a new book every week.
I became an avid reader like three months ago and I can't stop. I stopped watching tv and I don't spend much time on youtube anymore.
Here's how I did it.
-Remember the average person reads like zero books a year. If you read 5 pages a day, you are 5 pages above the average person
-Don't force yourself to read. Commit to read 5 pages a day. I swear after three days you'll feel like reading more and after a month or so you should be reading 50-100 pages a day for pleasure
-Read various books at the same time. When I grab a difficult book or one that makes me sleepy I grab another and switch. This should refresh your head. Keep them thematically different. I read economics and fiction.
-It isn't a race. Reading slowly won't make you sleepy that fast. Try to acknowledge what books are for you to read fast and which aren't.
-Buy the physical copies. When you get the books from your own money you'll feel the need to read them to avoid the feel of wasting your money.
-Start with books highly discussed here or other places so you feel motivated to discuss.
My favorite video of yours. Great tips and reminders and the way you explained things was very helpful!
As someone with ADHD I’ve also had to learn that I have to read differently than other people. The idea of getting rid of distractions doesn’t work for me b/c my brain NEEDS to have a lot of input to focus, otherwise I will find other things to focus on outside of the book. Now I listen to classical music or white noise when I read to give my brain enough stimulation and now reading is MUCH easier.
One tip I might suggest is to read a chapter a day if you find you cannot pin down a specific time-based goal (such as an hour or 30 minutes). For example, if it is somewhat of a slog of a book to get through (such as Russell's History of Western Philosophy, which I am reading and enjoying right now), then reading a chapter a day might be good to do, because it breaks down the book into pieces which are easier to digest.
Edit: This is particularly true if you are not reading for enjoyment. I personally do not view reading as my main source of enjoyment, but I do view it as one of my main sources of education, so I usually read non-fiction, which can be like I say, a slog to get through.
Russell's history is funny.
When I got serious about reading aged 13
I started with Machiavelli's The Prince
and I set targets of finishing chapters
and fortunately the chapters in The Prince
are very short.
I really like the new visuals of this video - especially how you visualized "variety"
I read almost exclusively in the foreign language I'm trying to learn. I've implemented many of these tips over the years. I'm not at all naturally inclined towards reading when compared with say watching TV or TH-cam. I love the advice, eliminate distractions. I'd go even further and add, eliminate distractions systematically. You may also want to add "anchors" and stack them. So if you know that you've set aside 10 minutes to read first thing in the morning, that is a great start. Stack that by reading every day in the same place. Turn a practice into a habit, then try to automate that habit. SO it becomes something that you do habitually without thinking. I also find reading several books in parallel very useful, if helps combat boredom of a genre. Last but not least. I found it very helpful to read in small amounts frequently, and to carry a kindle with me wherever I went. This way I would have e plethora of books at my disposal and I could easily make dead time useful.
This video was so insightful.
Recently read through the Myth of Sisyphus and got so wrapped up in the note taking part of it that I didn’t retain much of it.
Gonna have to give it another go and take it bit by bit!
Are you talking about the Camus essay? In case, that's a very tough one to digest haha, I have to re-read it too
Great channel. Keep it up
Great advice. I read about 50 books a year, and my reading goals are constantly changing. It's no longer about the numbers; it's about quality and content now. One thing that I love is keeping a reading journal. I enjoy reading back over that even more than a lot of the books I read. It allows me to be as creative and honest as I want, and that has big value for the future, mostly because I crack myself up.
Wow! What an expert! I’ve been searching every person on tips on how to read, write, comprehension, and understanding to get better.
I set a goal to read 12 books this year. 5 months in, and I’ve read 3. Challenges slowing me down: tired from work (nightshift healthcare), too much TH-cam, competition from other interests, film and tv.
I also tend to take a lot of breaks while reading to ruminate and think passages over. Reading a fiction and nonfiction simultaneously helps with this a little. I’ll have to watch your notetaking video, I don’t retain information from my nonfiction reads a well as I’d like.
Fight
Good video. Thanks. It may sound obvious, but reading a book you'll enjoy also helps! Keep it simple and fun to start.
I love reading... it is my super power. So many adventures in fiction as well as non-fiction... i love learning and growing. I wish I would have discovered a love for reading earlier in life. I am so back logged in what I want to read. I also use audiobooks when walking. Thanks for the tips.
After I finish a book I write down the title, author and my take away or how it influenced/impacted me.
> I think that reading a *100 books* a year is insane.
- Reading one good book a month & reflecting on what you read & incorporate the new knowledge into your own life makes a hell more sence.
- I have reread some books several times thru the years & got more out of them then just reading them just once.
- Ofcourse that wouldn't apply to "who done it" books or mysteries.
- Unless it's a novel, I never read without a color pen in hand. I read; *Why Does E=Mc²?* a dozen times in ten years & used different colors each time to show how I missed something that I thing is important in rereads. This includes writing notes in magins & ending chapter blank pages & spaces...
Why type of thing do you write in your notes ?
@@ryanstarlight8018 Whatever sparks in my mind when I read a certain passage that helps me understand somwthing. Like the *Theory Of Relativity.* I jot down in the book margins.
When I rode the subway to work everyday, I got a lot of reading done. Sometimes I would even miss my stop because I was so engrossed. Likewise when I moved and took a commuter bus reading was easy. I too used to read as many as five books at a time. Now, I struggle to read a book a month. I know it's because I spend too much time on my phone or watching TV. You've made me realize if reading is important to me something's gotta go.
I have no idea why this is but reading in company like on the subway or in a cafe is so much more appealing than reading at home alone.
It was an attention issue for me, and it probably is for you too. During my hospital stay, I could easily read non-stop for nearly the whole day, just because there was nothing "better" to do. Just make the time and remove the distractions, that's all.
Jared. You are spot on. I do like the diet of 4-5 books per shot. I have actually had 8-10 books at a clip and it does get unwieldy but 4-5 is optimal. Also, scheduling is a great idea. Set your watch or the timer on your phone for 15 minutes and perhaps you find you can go over. These are great lessons
You noted that you read multiple books at a time, this is what I do and I thought I was one of the few, so thanks
Taking notes no matter what genre interest readers is a helpful tool to write down thoughts or feelings for few chapters in my experience.
Audible, Librivox, and Libby have become my primary way to absorb books, since I have long drives during my work week.
I have never been this attentive while watching a video on TH-cam from the beginning to the end.
I like your videos a lot, not only because they are wise and interesting, but also because your voice is very pleasant I just like to listen to it
Yes!
Good point on variety! I loved reading manga during my childhood but as an adult, I forgot about it. Not too long ago, I got back to reading it and I've read some really amazing stories. Not to mentions the art adds joy to reading.
I love your approach - very helpful. May I share mine?
I don’t schedule reading times - I know myself; I love spontaneity thus I don’t enjoy following a schedule unless it’s absolutely necessary, for things like work and appointments. However, I’m reading a lot these days - it’s a habit - simply because I carry a book (i.e., my kindle) with me everywhere I go, and I tell myself two things: read ONLY when I’m IN THE MOOD for it & read SLOWLY for the love of reading itself. To keep myself motivated despite the slowness of my reading, I keep a reading log where I count the number of pages I read in a session in a day. Sometimes it’s only 4 pages and other times it’s 40 pages. I don’t care how many books I read in a month or a year. I’m reading simply because reading is pleasurable. It shouldn’t feel like a chore!
I got a recommendation from my friend about the channel his exact words - It gives your kind of content. SO TRUE I LOVE IT
Ah, sci-fi and philosophy plus a variety of interests, a kindred- reader-spirit! I'm so happy I found your videos! Clear explanations & interesting recommendations.
I find that classical music helps me focus, any white noise would do but those 2hr + TH-cam videos with crazy titles are actually really good.
I don't know anyone who reads books. No way the average person reads 12 books per year. The issue with these studies is that they might interview 10 people for example, then let's say 1 read like 100 books, so the average would be 10 per person.
Those kind of research probably have a bigger sample size with different backgrounds and so on, to make sure there is no bias
@Karim-jm6gi But regardless, the small percentage of readers will boost up the average number.
For example, they can interview 1 million people. Huge sample size. Let's say only 5 percent of them read which is 50,000. Let's say each of them read 100 books. That means when interviewed the average would be "the average American reads 5 books per year" but it's misleading because they spread the books that the 5 percent(50k) spread out across all 100 percent(1 million). So the average person really isn't reading books, it's only the 5 percent.
The data gets skewed.
You can do your own personal research. Ask people in conversations about books. No way if you ask let's say, 10 people that half of them would say 12. Even looking at book sales, if we read anywhere even slightly some what close to that the number of books sold would be astronomically higher.
My favorite channel right now! Your advice is so helpful for a struggling grad student (aka ME!)
I practiced reading and learnt to quiet my mind. I had failed the ninth grade twice, out of rebellion. Today I spend most my time on guitar. If I do read I don't want to read too many books at once, preferably one but that's hard to do.
Good advice. Thank you. I will try to read an hour a day. I like the idea of scheduling.
Great Video and with a great and clear English pronunciation. Being myself a Spanish person I really appreciate those qualities when I watch Videos . But I was looking for a Video with tips about how can read faster. I know there are some technical issues which could help to get my goals. Anyway, I enjoyed watching your Video. Keep on posting and Greetings from Spain 👍
2:37 I have just finished reading that book, one of my favourites absolutely
Im here because im learning english and I was looking for a video to listen, and now I want to read more. Thank you mister
Good tip for those starting to try and read more is to use the pomodoro method. Essentially you focus in sprints, read for twenty-five minutes straight, take a five minute break, then repeat. Two or three per day reading goes a long way.
As someone who came back to reading during the time of the pandemic, I enjoyed this video very much. Especially your second point helps me read more. I was fed up with all the philosophy and self help books I would read during 2020 and 2021, so I tried to switch it up with comics, crime novels and some work related books. And now reading is so much fun for me.
my 2 peculiar tips:
• read physical books along with listening to audiobooks, especially novels, download torrents if you have to, it doesn't have to cost more money
• find a short book you find more interesting with (slightly) the same subject to the hard-grinning book you want to absorb and read them together, it'd be like researching the sophistication behind the short book using the "big" book :)
Hell yeah! Hitch-22 is a great read! I will check out that cryptography book you listed! I think especially listening to Hitch-22 is a different experience because it is spoken in the author's voice which I think makes that whole experience more special and intimate as a reader.
Randomly came across this video as I'm trying to get back into reading after all these years and this video is so amazing and full of great pointers. Thanks!
Love The Very Hungry Caterpillar, such a beautiful story!
I credit my empathy with being a reader. I wish more people could find ways to increase their reading. I think it would benefit our fractured society.
I'm only halfway through the video, but you're giving some very sane advice, I can get behind this approach to reading
I found the interesting thing was when I retired
with lots of "free time"
but my reading routine was disrupted significantly
and I discovered I had been doing a lot of reading
on my commute from home to work
and it was very productive reading too.
I had to rebuild my reading schedule
which I had not expected.
Being in hospital was a trigger to start using my eReader
and I now use it for novels and continuously flowing texts.
If I am learning something or it is a tricky or novel text
I, like you, prefer a physical book.
I did an experiment with different media,
in a project to read texts associated with my birth year,
Erle Stanley Gardner wrote and published three novels
in his Perry Mason series,
I read one in physical form
one on my eReader
and the third as an audiobook.
I didn't feel a difference between
the eReader and physical form
but the audiobook - sent me to sleep
and I had to keep replying sections to get even the gist of the story.
So until my eyesight becomes very problematic
I don't think audiobooks will even be a primary source
of consuming texts.
I use a command line journal programme called jrnl
to make quick notes
and have a tiddlywiki set up as a Zettelkasten
à la Niklas Luhmann
(BTW his actual Zettelkasten - lots of index cards
is held by the University of Bielefeld and
was part of an exhibition at the Art Gallery
called "Serendipity" where stochastic methods were used in art and thinking.)
Thank you for sharing these valuable tips! I really appreciate your insights and suggestions on how to read more effectively. Your advice on understanding our motivation, pursuing variety in reading, and scheduling dedicated reading time is truly helpful. I will definitely implement these strategies to enhance my reading habits.
You have opened my mind to approach reading a whole new way , i thank you for your valuable advice.
Good advice but it's important to remember that studies have shown that if reading off a screen you will not retain as much as if you read from a hard copy. They don't know why. Perhaps try introducing variety by changing your physical location. Go to the park, the veranda, etc.
it used to be a habit for me to read as a teenager, gobbled up 2 books a week, but it became a habit for me to not read for a full 4 years. Switched to phone addiction and the repercussions of this was so blaringly obvious. I could feel my brain become slower diminishing my attention span, unable to articulate myself well enough as I could before. I'm trying to reverse this habit. Feeling hopeful about it.
I want to read deeply. I read about three books per month. I make notes and then see what I learned. I, too, read several books at once.
I used to be an avid reader, but my school system had actively discouraged me reading between assignments. Etc. After a point, I lost a library book and they refused to give me any options beside paying for it. I couldnt afford it, my family was poverty striken and they wanted full price for an old book, i couldnt convince my mom to give up the money. Well. They kept that limit through the years and i never bothered to fix it after a point, which is my fault. But the spark has been gone for years. I would read a book in a day, now i think i havent read a full book in about 7 years. Im going to start again today.
It's a rainy day today, this is a good reminder to make time for reading
The Matthew effect - the more you have the more you gain and vice versa. Peter Hitchens said reading is a doorway to treasure.
Thanks. I appreciate your use of strategy, and the variety of information for different cases. This video is not only helpful for how to read more, but how to do other things more as well, or how to develop consistent and effective habits. It was an odd synchronicity for me that this came up- I was just in a little mastermind circle where we were discussing how to be more effective with certain tasks. Thanks.
I use a reading app that I can input how long I've read and how many pages, and it'll calculate how long a book approximately is going to take. Also, if you read during the day couple minutes here, couple of minutes there, you don't need to log every single moment, but just fill out how many pages you've read at the end of the day and it'll calculate for you how many minutes you've read (approximately). It's also interesting that some books you'll read very slowly (difficult ones), some books really fast. And to notice that you might start to read faster as time progresses!
My motivation is deeply to escape from quick forms of entertainment like TikTok and Instagram. I realized it’s very difficult for me to focus on a long task for long durations without getting distracted in my phone. So I usually always have a pocket book on me so I have absolutely no excuse to not read.
I have a question. I used to be an avid reader as a child. But now I'm 20 and I struggle with PTSD and Depression, but still decided to get back into reading this year. So far, I've read 14 books this year, but a major thing I struggle with is getting my brain to read sentences seamlessly. Basically, I find it hard to read a line without constantly repeating it like 4-5 times; I have to tell myself "Focus and move on to the next word". I'm not dyslexic, and I don't have ADHD. Personally, I think this is a result of having been away from reading for so long, but does anyone else think it may related to some sort of mental illness or learning disorder?
You may have ADHD. Just because you haven't thus far been diagnosed with it doesn't mean you don't have it.
A lot of people, including myself, have to reread sections because our mind wanders. It's not that unusual.
Loss of concentration is a symptom of depression
It could also be the result of some medication you are taking
I was really Thankyou for your motivation at the end. I have started a few books but I felt like I kept forcing myself to keep reading, then it became a chore and then I read less. But it makes scense that the brain just needs regular training for at least 3 months to be able to focus in this very low stimulating format
I will try to keep that in mind, when I feel like I read too slow or feel like I get so distracted that I need to read twice :)
An excellent video. I got into the bad habit of watching too much TV and spending ridiculous amounts of time on social media, to the exclusion of all else, including reading. I have dozens of books that I want to read, so now I must try to get back into the reading habit. It would be a far more productive use of my time.
I'm currently at the military and where I am we don't have authority to use mobile devices there for security reasons and we are basically live in a barbed square and that's our camp , things can become very mental there , heat, sand, homesickness . That's why I read a lotta fantasy books there cause they take me away from there to a different place and world ,, and it really rescued my mental health.
I don't have much to say, but really wanted to leave a comment on how much I enjoy your videos. Awesome, work!
Greetings from Chile -- while heading to read a bit before sleeping :)
I find it helps to have expectations external to me. So I'm in several book clubs. They motivate me to read because I want to be able to participate in them. There's a base amount I'll read every month to stay caught up with those groups. And then when I'm more free, I read more personally on top of that.
Thank you for this video, Jared.
It was awesome the fact that you mention that you only watch a few movies and choose Dune.
I either read or I distract myself with youtube.
Here I am.
Reading is a journey from one book the the next. One book will have references that lead to the next connections which drive the research. Ideas need to be cross referenced to be valuable and informative. The reading journey will take you to a deeper level of understanding of the ideas being presented when the context has a number of sources that require further analysis.
Its also okay to dnf a book. I had to learn that when getting back into reading. If a book is not keeping your interest don’t force yourself to finish it otherwise it defeats the true purpose of actually enjoying reading.
My reading goal this year is 150. It’s ridiculous and I know I won’t read that many - like any year, ever. Lol. However, I find setting a higher goal motivates me to read slightly more books each year. Been doing this since 2017 and I’ve gone from an average of 50 books a year to 71 last year 📚❤️
Thanks for this video, I honestly really needed this.
Of Mice and Men WHAT a great read
Good motivation. I think I'll add an audio book to my daily walk - It's an hour, so that's about 2 books a month. Good use of time. Thank you.
a couple years ago my phone was like really broken and i was really broke so i couldn't afford to fix it so i couldn't scroll social media. what i started doing was carrying a book with me to distract me during my regular commutes to work because i live in Boston and having something to distract you on the mbta is a lifesaver. once i got a new phone i generally used it less but because now my reading time had a competitor i tried to figure out how much to read so i can stay consistently reading, so i made sure to read around 10 pages per day.
writing on my Phone books I Have read helps me
Great video!
being compassionate to yourself, helps you get back up, and get going again
His advice work. I started 15 minutes, now im at 20 minutes haha. I do it 3x a day so i have 1 hour worth of reading. Im on my way to my 2nd month. This is the first time im being consistent in my life haha. Start small then adjust.
Honestly, the biggest thing for me was getting a Kindle. Idk why, but it has motivated me so much
Something that kept me away from reading, especially in high school, was that all my teachers - and in general the cultural environment of Italy - portrays reading as an activity that you necessarily have to do because otherwise you become automatically an ignorant.
So I felt like i HAD to read, and despite beign a curious person, everytime I started reading I got stressed, and that made it very difficult.
If I had to add a couple of advices, they would be "read just if you want to", and "read what you want to read, not what it is perceived to be "necessary", or a classic, or whatever it is".
About your advices, I was undecisive about whether reading more books at the same time or just one, but seeing that somebody else reads more books makes me feel like it might not be a bad idea.
My professor in law school said to our class when we were having problems in finishing our readings: "Read until you cannot read anymore". We woke up from indolence and just READ.
THEN the pandemic happened.
When the pandemic started anxiety filled me, but instead of being fettered by it, I took it as an opportunity to focus and improve my reading.
I pledged and finished:
50 books in 2020
171 books in 2021
201 books in 2022
I am currently 121/300 for 2023.
Find out what you want to read, novel? biography? philosophy? general knowledge? natural science?
Are you reading for pleasure? for supplementary lessons in school? for self improvement?
Many factors may affect your decision, but it's always good to start low and go from there.
Some tidbits:
Driving towards destination X? Put audible on
Doing something without cognitive effort? (like working out, cleaning etc.) then Put audible on
Just start reading, whenever I see a minute goes by, I mentally sigh, because that's a page for me. You'll be thinking about pages and pages, instead of minutes. The difficulty is always in the initial phase, and that is a perennial fact, elucidated by this adage: "It may seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first." - Miyamoto Musashi
Now now, that's nearly 20 unread pages for me. Good Luck EVERYONE!!!
I too read multiple things at once, it's a substantial tip. Soon I'll be back to full time study which is going crush my interest in reading other things if I'm not careful.
Ok, this video indirectly answered the question how " I " can read more, but I think many of you can also benefit from this, thus this comment:
I saw 1:10 and was thinking "damn thats extremely fast reading", so I looked up how fast the average person reads and it turns out to be somewhat between 40-100 pages/hr (apx). That is extremely fast for me, I read like 20 pages/hr. At first I thought that was due to the fact that I mainly read really complex and advanced classical literature which tends to have half the font size of, say, Harry Potter or other easy to read mainstream books but then I stumbled upon this article online that stated "Why you are reading slowly: You're reading too slow!" and I was like "nah, you dont say" but went into the article. And it actually said that when not reading fast pace the brain gets distractive and bored and without noticing it even slower. So I tried to read almost the pace like 1:10 in this video and I powered through. At first, the first one or two pages I missed half of the content, it was just too fast for me. But then after like two pages I got extremely peak concentration and there were no more disruptions, I was what sportsmen would call "in the zone". And this works just everytime. I also use my finger for recognizing the line I am in which I never did before and yes while it is a bit stupid that I would miss half of the first 1-2 pages the reward I get is well worth it: I average 40-50 pages/hr with really advanced and hard to read literature by now (instead of the before 20). The only thing I need to work on is the first two pages, maybe I need to start a bit slower but speed up every half page, I think thats a bit of trial and error for everyone but I can really recommend this! Not only am I way faster that way but I also tend to get a better picture of the story arc - sure, I wont digest every single word like before but for novels thats not really what you want anyways, since you wont remember all the words anyways in the end of your reading session, its more about the story itself. It is another thing for sure for things like poems where you really want to enjoy every single word and verse or for scholastic literature which is a complete other story though. The here stated method especially helps for thick novels. I hope that helps, for me it was a true gamechanger!
As a new reader the best advice is find books that interest you. I’m at work thinking about going home and reading same way I would be looking forward to playing a video game or watching a tv show. If books good you’ll want to finish it to know what happens.
For me, because of my autism, i have such a hard time reading books, but have no problem with reading news articles. It's just that i have a nasty habit of reading out loud and contantly going back to reading sentences over and over again so my mind can retain the info better.
Seeing the first Malazan Book of the Fallen book pop up has me excited haha. Gardens of the Moon. It's my favorite fantasy series of all time.
Try being sick with mycotoxin poisoning severe Sibo, only getting 4 hours sleep a night, working 6/7 days a week, having an even sicker wife and seriously disabled 4 year old:
But I want to read more, that’s the most painful thing about my situation, it prevents me from reading, some days/ most days the brain fog is so bad I can’t absorb any words 😢
I got a kindle becasue I wanted to read more. I have dyslexia and vision issues so I wanted something to make it a bit easier. Right now I'm really into Manga but I also have Lord of the Rings, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Awshwitz escape and The Lego Story all on the go. With a good Audiobook also.