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10 Ways to Read More in Less Time · The Daily Writer

0:01
SPEAKER_00: Hey guys, this is Ben.
0:02
SPEAKER_00: Uh welcome to my dad's podcast.
0:04
SPEAKER_00: My son popped in the office just as I was getting ready to hit record on this episode.
0:08
SPEAKER_00: So I said, Hey, why don't you do a quick intro for the podcast?
0:11
SPEAKER_00: So there we go.
0:12
SPEAKER_00: Welcome, friends, to this episode of the Smart Business Writing Podcast.
0:16
SPEAKER_00: My name is Kent Sanders, and I'm a ghostwriter and professor of communications.
0:21
SPEAKER_00: This is the show that helps you write amazing content so you can save time, stand out from the competition, and get more leads that turn into customers or clients.
0:30
SPEAKER_00: Well, let me ask you a question right up front here on this episode.
0:33
SPEAKER_00: When you look at the stack of books on your shelf that you haven't read, do you ever feel guilty?
0:40
SPEAKER_00: Well, if the answer is yes, then I can totally relate to that because I feel guilty too.
0:45
SPEAKER_00: And I think part of being a writer is having this sort of professional guilt of not having enough time to read.
0:52
SPEAKER_00: But is that really true?
0:54
SPEAKER_00: Are we really that pressed for time, or do we just not make reading a priority?
0:59
SPEAKER_00: Are there some ways to adjust our schedules to read more, plus get more value from the books that we do read?
1:05
SPEAKER_00: Well, I think there is.
1:07
SPEAKER_00: Now, right up front, I just want to tell you that I'm not a super fast speed reader.
1:11
SPEAKER_00: In fact, I would say I'm a relatively slow reader.
1:14
SPEAKER_00: However, I've picked up a few tricks and tips over the years that have really helped me to get more reading done.
1:20
SPEAKER_00: So on this episode, I want to share those 10 tips with you.
1:23
SPEAKER_00: They're super practical and anybody can do these, and I think you're really going to get a lot out of this.
1:27
SPEAKER_00: But before I dive into my list of 10 things, I want to take just a couple minutes to help set the context for what a book actually is.
1:37
SPEAKER_00: A book is a powerful collection of stories or information that many times represents years of an author's life.
1:45
SPEAKER_00: Just a couple days ago, my wife and I went to this local antique mall, and one of the bays was filled with shelves of old books from top to bottom.
1:52
SPEAKER_00: And as I looked around at these books, I noticed that they had a partial set of Winston Churchill's six-volume series called The Second World War.
2:01
SPEAKER_00: That series represents one of the 20th century's greatest minds analyzing one of the most important events of the 20th century, which of course was World War II.
2:12
SPEAKER_00: If you were somehow able to get in touch with history's greatest leaders, artists, thinkers, and influencers, whether they're dead or alive, and if you could ask each of them to sit down and have a cup of coffee with you, neither you nor I would have the clout and influence to probably make that happen.
2:30
SPEAKER_00: However, if each of those people had written a book, we would have the opportunity to read a distilled version of their learning and their wisdom and their experience.
2:40
SPEAKER_00: And sometimes, especially if an author has, you know, spent years or decades working on one single book, that book represents a whole lifetime of wisdom and of learning.
2:49
SPEAKER_00: And the cool thing is that we can sit and we can consume that wisdom in just a number of hours.
2:56
SPEAKER_00: So it's important for us to keep this perspective because we shouldn't take reading lightly and we shouldn't take books for granted.
3:02
SPEAKER_00: Even if you only read a couple of books in a month, in a year's time, you can easily accumulate a whole century's worth of wisdom, learning, insights, and experience.
3:13
SPEAKER_00: It really seems crazy that so much of the time we abandon this amazing opportunity to read more books because we're too busy binge watching third-rate Netflix shows or watching hours of funny cat videos on YouTube or TikTok videos or whatever we're watching.
3:29
SPEAKER_00: But such is the age that we live in.
3:31
SPEAKER_00: My particular downfall is watching uh videos on YouTube where people analyze Star Wars movies and story structure.
3:38
SPEAKER_00: And occasionally I like to watch those videos where you have these people who uh break down magic acts and they reveal how magic tricks are done.
3:46
SPEAKER_00: And I just love all that stuff.
3:48
SPEAKER_00: But it's so easy, isn't it, to abandon reading for these other things that give us this more immediate pleasure that's of course not as beneficial to us as actually reading books is.
4:00
SPEAKER_00: So that's my encouragement here right up front on this episode.
4:03
SPEAKER_00: We live in an amazing time where we can access all of history's greatest minds in any learning format we choose, whether it's digital, print, or audio.
4:13
SPEAKER_00: So, how can we take advantage of this opportunity and be more intentional about reading more books?
4:19
SPEAKER_00: Here are 10 ways in no specific order.
4:21
SPEAKER_00: Number one, have a set time each day to read.
4:25
SPEAKER_00: Now, my go-to times to read are first thing in the morning before I start my workday, and the last thing during the day before I go to bed at night.
4:34
SPEAKER_00: So basically morning and evening, after I get up and before I go to bed, those are kind of my go-to times to read.
4:40
SPEAKER_00: Now, those times might not work for you, but those work for me.
4:44
SPEAKER_00: You have to determine what works for you and read at times that are convenient for your life, uh, for your for your family's, you know, life stage and for your own schedule.
4:55
SPEAKER_00: I think there's great power in establishing a routine.
4:58
SPEAKER_00: And if you can attach reading to another activity, that's really good because when you do that activity, then that will trigger your reading habit.
5:06
SPEAKER_00: If you want a great book on this, I would recommend reading Atomic Habits by James Clear.
5:11
SPEAKER_00: It's a phenomenal book that goes into great detail about how to establish habits in your life.
5:16
SPEAKER_00: And if you want to read more and make that a habit, then grab that book.
5:19
SPEAKER_00: It's going to really bless you and benefit you.
5:21
SPEAKER_00: So make sure and check that out.
5:24
SPEAKER_00: Tip number two, keep a book where you will see it every day.
5:28
SPEAKER_00: Now, this is another habit-based practice.
5:31
SPEAKER_00: One of the books that I'm reading in the morning is The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holliday.
5:36
SPEAKER_00: Ryan Holliday is an amazing writer.
5:38
SPEAKER_00: I love his books.
5:39
SPEAKER_00: He's such a great thinker, communicator, and I just love the way that he tells stories and weaves those into practical application for lots of different things in our lives.
5:49
SPEAKER_00: So I'm going through this book, The Daily Stoic.
5:51
SPEAKER_00: It's basically like a daily devotional where he has like these 150 to 200 word.
5:57
SPEAKER_00: He wouldn't probably call them devotionals, but they're, I think he would call them meditations rather than a devotional.
6:03
SPEAKER_00: But they're these just little short entries that you can read in literally 30 to 60 seconds, and they're really, really good.
6:10
SPEAKER_00: So I keep a copy of that in my college office.
6:13
SPEAKER_00: So when I go into work, that's that's what I read before I teach in the mornings.
6:17
SPEAKER_00: It takes like 30 to 60 seconds, and it really does set a good tone for me as I get ready to teach.
6:23
SPEAKER_00: It helps to sort of align my day and get my thoughts in the right place and just gives me something to think about.
6:29
SPEAKER_00: And the helpful thing is that because I leave that on my desk, I see that every time I go into my office, and I'm I'm going to do that before I go to teach.
6:37
SPEAKER_00: We tend to think of reading as something that requires this big chunk of time, and therefore we avoid it because we think of it as, oh, it's this big thing I got I gotta do and I gotta schedule my life around reading.
6:48
SPEAKER_00: But that's not necessarily true.
6:50
SPEAKER_00: Literally, as I mentioned, it takes less than a minute to read an entry from the Daily Stoic, but those are powerful meditations and they make a huge difference in my attitude as I get my day started.
7:00
SPEAKER_00: So if you read print books, put the book on your desk or your counter or somewhere where you're gonna see it in whatever time of day that you that you want to make it a habit.
7:10
SPEAKER_00: Tip number two is set a reading goal.
7:14
SPEAKER_00: Now, I'll admit that I'm not a massive fan of reading goals, but reading goals do work for some people.
7:20
SPEAKER_00: I prefer to focus on a daily habit rather than working toward a predetermined goal.
7:25
SPEAKER_00: But do what works for you and do whatever gets you motivated.
7:29
SPEAKER_00: Now, for example, if you want to set a reading goal, you might say, I want to read 10 pages per day, or you might say, I want to read a book every two weeks, or I want to read 10 books this quarter or five books this quarter, or whatever it is.
7:44
SPEAKER_00: The important thing is to set a goal that's manageable within your current season of life and responsibilities.
7:49
SPEAKER_00: I think that's really important because you want to set a goal that you can actually reach.
7:53
SPEAKER_00: If you don't currently read any books, then you probably don't want to say, I'm gonna read like 25 books, you know, this quarter.
8:00
SPEAKER_00: That's probably not gonna happen unless you're extremely or highly motivated.
8:05
SPEAKER_00: Tip number four is read with a partner.
8:08
SPEAKER_00: When you're involved with other people as you're trying to achieve a goal or establish a habit, that's a powerful motivator to follow through on that commitment.
8:17
SPEAKER_00: And the reason is because you don't wait, you don't want to be the one who doesn't deliver.
8:22
SPEAKER_00: You don't want to be the one who doesn't show up or doesn't contribute or the one who failed.
8:25
SPEAKER_00: So there's a really powerful motivation in that communal experience of pursuing some type of goal together.
8:32
SPEAKER_00: That's why if you want to exercise more or establish any habit, do it with a friend.
8:36
SPEAKER_00: Do it with somebody who's going to help hold you accountable and somebody that you're afraid to let down because that's going to help you establish that habit more effectively.
8:45
SPEAKER_00: Now, there are lots of reading groups, mastermind groups, and study groups that will go through a book together.
8:52
SPEAKER_00: But you can also just pick a friend and go through a book with them.
8:55
SPEAKER_00: I think the most important thing with this is having someone to discuss the reading with.
9:01
SPEAKER_00: In Western culture, we've made reading mostly a solitary activity, which is kind of a shame because our individualism often robs us of the opportunity to process our learning with other people.
9:14
SPEAKER_00: Everybody comes out stronger whenever we learn together.
9:16
SPEAKER_00: I think that's all of our experience in life.
9:19
SPEAKER_00: When we do it with other people, we are going to tend to follow through more and we're going to enjoy the experience more.
9:25
SPEAKER_00: So I would encourage you to grab a partner andor a group of people and read a book together.
9:30
SPEAKER_00: Tip number five, listen to audiobooks.
9:34
SPEAKER_00: I'm a huge fan of audiobooks and I listen to them almost on a daily basis.
9:39
SPEAKER_00: I have a 25-minute commute to work, so I'm almost always listening to either a podcast or an audiobook, and I can learn a lot just within that time frame.
9:48
SPEAKER_00: So I'm in my truck for almost an hour each day, and most of the time I'm listening to something educational like a podcast or an audiobook.
9:56
SPEAKER_00: I also have a paid subscription to Audible, and the book I'm currently listening to is Range by David Epstein.
10:03
SPEAKER_00: But I also download free audiobooks from my local library system.
10:08
SPEAKER_00: And it's pretty cool because I'm often surprised by the wide selection of audiobooks they have, which includes many times a lot of newer releases.
10:16
SPEAKER_00: I'm kind of shocked because you know, a new book comes out on Audible, then I look at our local library system and I see that there's a book that's available right there for free, and it's it's really pretty cool.
10:27
SPEAKER_00: So make sure and check your local library system for audiobooks that you can listen to for free as well.
10:33
SPEAKER_00: That's pretty cool.
10:34
SPEAKER_00: Now I know with audiobooks, a lot of people love to speed them up so they can get through those audiobooks faster.
10:41
SPEAKER_00: You know, they'll listen to it at like 1.5 speed, or I've heard of people listening to their books at double speed.
10:47
SPEAKER_00: I don't like doing that because I'd rather focus on the quality of my learning and the experience of the audiobook rather than just getting through them fast and focusing on the number of books that I can cram into my life.
10:59
SPEAKER_00: Um, but hey, if that works for you, if listening to audiobooks at a faster speed works for you, totally go for it.
11:05
SPEAKER_00: Do your own thing.
11:06
SPEAKER_00: I don't personally like that, but um, again, do what works for you.
11:10
SPEAKER_00: You're kind of sensing this is the theme in this episode, I'm sure.
11:13
SPEAKER_00: Tip number six, we're halfway there.
11:15
SPEAKER_00: Read books that interest you and stop reading the ones that don't.
11:20
SPEAKER_00: As readers, we have a built-in guilt that we must finish a book.
11:25
SPEAKER_00: And because we're also writers, we naturally want to respect all that time and effort that fellow authors have put into their books.
11:32
SPEAKER_00: But you heard it from me first.
11:34
SPEAKER_00: If you have read part of a book and you're not getting anything out of it, just set that book aside and go read something else.
11:40
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't mean that the book is bad, it just means that that's not the right book for you at this time.
11:46
SPEAKER_00: And rest assured, it's totally okay.
11:50
SPEAKER_00: Not every book is written for every person.
11:52
SPEAKER_00: In fact, there are more books published every week in the US than you could possibly ever read in a lifetime.
12:00
SPEAKER_00: And I think life is too short to spend it doing things that don't interest you.
12:04
SPEAKER_00: Now, let me share a couple a couple tips that are related to speed reading.
12:09
SPEAKER_00: So tips number seven and eight are related to speed reading.
12:11
SPEAKER_00: These are things that I picked up from Tim Ferris through uh some stuff that he teaches about speed reading.
12:17
SPEAKER_00: He has a couple videos on YouTube that go through this.
12:19
SPEAKER_00: Also uh some stuff on his blog and his books talk about speed reading.
12:24
SPEAKER_00: So I've picked this up a couple different places from Tim Ferris.
12:27
SPEAKER_00: If you're interested in speed reading and specifically what he teaches, then just Google Tim Ferris speed reading, and I'm sure you can find articles, videos, and other stuff.
12:36
SPEAKER_00: But these are super helpful, and I use these all the time, these next two tips.
12:40
SPEAKER_00: So tip number seven, use a pen or your finger to regulate your reading speed.
12:45
SPEAKER_00: Now, in the speed reading world, this is again, this is just called a regulator, just like it sounds, because it's something that regulates your reading speed.
12:54
SPEAKER_00: You can use a pen or a pencil or even your finger to move across the lines as you read.
13:00
SPEAKER_00: Now, I know this to many people this feels kind of juvenile because, you know, like when we're in grade school, you see the kids that are like dragging their finger across the page.
13:09
SPEAKER_00: And I don't know about you, but when I was a kid, I always perceived people who did that as slow readers.
13:15
SPEAKER_00: And I don't know why I have that memory or why I even think that, but that used to be my perception.
13:20
SPEAKER_00: But actually, they were the smart ones because they learned that when you use your your finger or a pen or pencil to and you drag it underneath the lines as you read, that regulates your reading speed, but also it gives your eyes something to lock on to.
13:37
SPEAKER_00: The reason that we get drowsy whenever we read is because we're moving our eye muscles back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.
13:44
SPEAKER_00: And whenever you do that, it's physically tiring.
13:46
SPEAKER_00: I mean, you're you're working those eye muscles, and that repetitive motion just it's like almost like a grandfather clock that just kind of lulls us asleep.
13:54
SPEAKER_00: At least that's my experience with reading many times.
13:57
SPEAKER_00: So when you use a regulator that gives your eye something to focus on, and I think that it reduces eye fatigue, at least it does for me.
14:06
SPEAKER_00: Now, the added benefit of this is that you can speed up your finger or your pen or pencil, whatever you're using.
14:12
SPEAKER_00: You can speed that up just bit by bit, and you can train your brain to read faster by doing that.
14:17
SPEAKER_00: It's really kind of cool.
14:19
SPEAKER_00: Give that a shot and see if that doesn't work for you.
14:21
SPEAKER_00: Now, I use a pen whenever I'm doing this.
14:24
SPEAKER_00: I don't sometimes I use my finger, but more often than not I have a pen because I like to write in my print books.
14:30
SPEAKER_00: I read mostly print books.
14:31
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I do read some e-books and I listen to audiobooks, but print books are always gonna be my first love because you can actually write in print books.
14:39
SPEAKER_00: I know with Kindle books you can make notes and all that stuff, but it's you know, let's just be honest.
14:44
SPEAKER_00: The notes feature in any e-reader is not gonna be nearly as convenient as actually writing in a print book.
14:50
SPEAKER_00: At least that's my opinion.
14:52
SPEAKER_00: So print books are always gonna be my first love, and I love that tactile experience of flipping open that book, smelling that ink and paper, and being able to write on those pages.
15:03
SPEAKER_00: I really love that experience.
15:05
SPEAKER_00: Let's go on to tip number eight, which is previewing the chapter before you read.
15:10
SPEAKER_00: Now, this is another tip that I learned from Tim Ferris.
15:13
SPEAKER_00: Whenever you're reading nonfiction, don't just dive into the chapter and start reading.
15:19
SPEAKER_00: What you want to do is preview the chapter contents by looking at the section headings, the subheadings, or the bullet points.
15:25
SPEAKER_00: And what this does is it kind of gets your brain ready to experience the contents of the chapter that you're gonna be reading.
15:33
SPEAKER_00: Or as my grandfather would say, it, what's the whistle?
15:35
SPEAKER_00: You know, it gets things uh gets things moving and it primes the pump, so to speak.
15:39
SPEAKER_00: Apparently, I'm using lots of metaphors from the 1930s.
15:42
SPEAKER_00: I have no idea why I'm doing that, but be that as it may.
15:46
SPEAKER_00: It's kind of like a movie trailer that that gets your brain ready to read what you're gonna be experiencing.
15:51
SPEAKER_00: And I know this is this is very helpful.
15:53
SPEAKER_00: It really does work.
15:54
SPEAKER_00: So give this a try the next time that you read a nonfiction book.
15:57
SPEAKER_00: It's something that's very easy to skip, but I promise it does make a difference in helping your mind get ready to organize and absorb what you're gonna be reading.
16:06
SPEAKER_00: Tip number nine is one of my favorites.
16:09
SPEAKER_00: This is a very simple tip.
16:11
SPEAKER_00: In fact, it's deceptively simple, but it's amazing how many people don't actually do it, and that is simply take a book wherever you go.
16:18
SPEAKER_00: If you read using the Kindle app or you have any kind of an e-reader, this is very simple because you'll either have your device with you or your e-reader with you.
16:28
SPEAKER_00: But I almost always prefer print books.
16:30
SPEAKER_00: Again, I know I'm kind of old-fashioned, but I again I love print books, and I'm always gonna prefer print books.
16:38
SPEAKER_00: But even still, I have a book with me almost 100% of the time.
16:42
SPEAKER_00: You would be surprised at all the spare little moments that we have throughout the day.
16:47
SPEAKER_00: For example, if you're waiting to pick up your kid from school, if you're waiting for a meeting to start or a class to start if you're in college, if you're waiting at the DMV to get your car license renewed, if you're waiting for your husband or wife while they're in the store and you're out in the car.
17:02
SPEAKER_00: There's a hundred other little moments throughout the day that we're just kind of waiting for things to happen.
17:06
SPEAKER_00: And if you have a book with you, you can take those few minutes and you can read.
17:10
SPEAKER_00: Now, let's say that you have three of those times each day when you're just waiting for something to happen, and each of those times is five minutes.
17:19
SPEAKER_00: Okay, so just hang with me for a second.
17:21
SPEAKER_00: That's 15 minutes a day or an hour and 15 minutes for the whole work week.
17:26
SPEAKER_00: Again, we're just saying five days.
17:28
SPEAKER_00: In a month's time, you can read two good-sized books just by taking a book with you wherever you go and by using those spare little moments during the day.
17:39
SPEAKER_00: Now, I've even been known, if you want to take this to an extreme, I've been known to take a book with me literally everywhere that I go, even to Cardinals baseball games.
17:47
SPEAKER_00: Now, not this year, obviously, because there are there are no baseball games that fans can attend.
17:52
SPEAKER_00: And I recall one time a few years ago when um it was a little bit chilly outside, this must have been in the fall, and I slipped a copy of Strunken White's Elements of Style.
18:02
SPEAKER_00: It's a tiny little paperback.
18:04
SPEAKER_00: I slipped a copy of that book into my jacket pocket so I could read it during the ball game.
18:08
SPEAKER_00: Now, let's face it, let's just all kind of be really honest with each other here.
18:12
SPEAKER_00: Baseball basically consists of guys standing around on the field, punctuated by occasional moments of excitement when somebody gets a hit once in a while in baseball.
18:23
SPEAKER_00: I mean, am I right about that?
18:24
SPEAKER_00: So you might as well bring something productive to do.
18:26
SPEAKER_00: I mean, what else are you gonna do?
18:28
SPEAKER_00: Look at the scoreboard and order a hot dog.
18:30
SPEAKER_00: Now, as you can imagine, with my attitude toward baseball, I don't get invited to a lot of baseball games, of course.
18:36
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and I'm being a I'm having a little bit of fun with you, but but I legit have taken books to read to baseball games before and other sporting events.
18:43
SPEAKER_00: So again, you're probably not gonna invite me to accompany you to your next sporting event, but that's okay.
18:49
SPEAKER_00: Now, I would also add one little thing here, and that is leave a book in the bathroom to read.
18:54
SPEAKER_00: Now, maybe that's not a socially acceptable thing to say, like on a business writing podcast, but hey, I believe in just telling it like it is, and the way I see it, you're gonna be in the bathroom a few times a day just doing your business, so you might as well be doing something productive, right?
19:09
SPEAKER_00: All right, on that note, let's go on to tip number 10, which is use some of your Netflix time for reading.
19:17
SPEAKER_00: Now, you knew I was gonna say something like this, so I saved this one for last.
19:21
SPEAKER_00: This is literally the most obvious thing that we can do.
19:24
SPEAKER_00: If you spend a lot of time watching Netflix, YouTube, or other entertainment, just allocate some of that time to reading time.
19:32
SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm not one of those guys who just poo-poos entertainment and is like, you should be reading all the time or working all the time, or you should be productive every second of the day.
19:40
SPEAKER_00: I don't really believe that, and I don't practice that.
19:42
SPEAKER_00: I think sometimes you need to watch something mindless.
19:45
SPEAKER_00: I watch TV shows, I watch movies, and in fact, I think it's healthy to do that, especially if you can involve your family or your kids in watching good movies and stuff like that.
19:55
SPEAKER_00: I think you need to experience good entertainment that that helps grow your mind, that gives you something to think about, that helps you experience the world and see other perspectives and get engaged in good stories and all that good stuff.
20:09
SPEAKER_00: However, just as I mentioned in the last point, if you use only 15 minutes of your Netflix time per day for reading, you can read a couple of books per month without taking any extra time out of your schedule.
20:22
SPEAKER_00: I think that's pretty cool.
20:24
SPEAKER_00: So, there you have it.
20:26
SPEAKER_00: Those are 10 ways to read more in less time.
20:29
SPEAKER_00: I've given you 10 great things to think about.
20:31
SPEAKER_00: So I encourage you to pick just two of these strategies and put these into practice in the coming week.
20:36
SPEAKER_00: Give them a shot and let me know how it goes.
20:39
SPEAKER_00: Hey, thanks so much for listening.
20:40
SPEAKER_00: I always appreciate your time and attention.
20:42
SPEAKER_00: I know I say this a lot, but I know there's there's literally hundreds of thousands of other podcasts out there that you could be listening to, but you're listening to this one, and I really, really appreciate that.
20:53
SPEAKER_00: Remember that you can find lots more resources for writers and creatives at KentSanders.net.
20:58
SPEAKER_00: And until next time, remember that your writing has the power to change people's lives.
21:03
SPEAKER_00: I'll see you in the next episode.