I recently picked up the habit of reading. Only a few months ago to be precise. But since then, I have been averaging around a book a week. It might seem too big of an achievement to be able to complete a book a week but let me explain why it isn’t hard-on the contrary, pretty easy.
As per amazon’s text stat feature, an average book has around 64,000 words. An average person reads at about 200 words per minute. Divide the two numbers and you get 320 minutes or around 5 hours and 20 minutes to complete a book. Divide this by the number of days in a week i.e. 7 and you get 45 minutes each day.
Yes, by reading an average length book at an average speed for 45 minutes everyday, you can finish it in a week. Isn’t that surprising and wonderful?
If knowledge is power, then learning is a superpower.
– Jim Kwik, world’s #1 brain coach
And what’s better is I am going to tell you a few simple things you can do to jump up your reading speed. Imagine if you can read way faster than 200wpm. Imagine being able to complete a book a week just by reading for 20 minutes a day. You would then be able to download decades of information in a matter of days, as Jim Kwik says.
Follow these simple tips which I have personally implemented and see the results:
- Make reading a habit. Do it daily and do it without excuses. If you don’t have time, just read for 15 minutes per day but do so. By reading daily, you get into a habit and your mind starts getting more comfortable in digesting words. Just by doing this alone, you will see your reading speed jump up x2 within a week. Honestly try it.
- Only pick up the books that you are excited about. How I pick up my next read is simple- I see what is the most pressing matter I need to solve and search for the best book on the topic. Not surprisingly, I was reading the “Intelligent Investor” when I wanted to increase my financial knowledge.
- Read different parts of the book at different speeds. If you find something useful, don’t be afraid to spend more time digesting that information. If there is something which you won’t be using or needing in your life, there is no shame in skipping it altogether. For, there are far more important things for you to do than to read something you won’t ever make use of.
If a person like me who used to take months and months to complete a 300 page novel is now able to complete it in a matter of less than a week, you can do too. It is definitely doable. Try reading for just a week and see if you find it worth incorporating into your lifestyle.