How to read the successful people: 8 Simple Rules

George Martin (George R.R. Martin) once wrote: "A reader lives a thousand lives before you die. The man who never reads lives only one. "

Elon Musk (Elon Musk), CEO SpaceX and Tesla Motors Company, I am convinced that reading - the fastest way to learn. Chromeo duo members spend most of their time in the library, as well as business tycoons Warren Buffett (Warren Buffett) and Charlie Munger (Charlie Munger), which can carry out in the act whole days.

Only one reading can not guarantee success, but most successful people share a love for words.

But the most interesting - they read. They do not just absorb the words and trying to turn new knowledge into action. That's why they need to keep the information in memory, and it is not easy even for the brightest minds.

Ask yourself if you can retell the content of the article, you read just 10 minutes earlier. What about the biography, you hardly have read in the last month? How many novels have disappeared from memory as soon as you put the book down?

Chances are, like most people, your ability to remember much lower than we would like. It does not matter how much you read, if you compare it with how little you remember. In this respect, you have more in common with the hero Guy Pearce (Guy Pearce) from the movie "Remember" than with the hero Bradley Cooper (Bradley Cooper) from "Limitless."

Therefore, we invite you to dramatically change the approach to reading to learn how to memorize as much as possible and to apply this knowledge in life.

1. Define the objectives

In order to learn something, the first thing you have to understand what you are reading. Your goal, your main concern should be your guiding light. It will protect you from useless information, such as articles with enticing headings or trifling "interesting facts".

The goal is to guide you to useful information, promote the development of readers' preferences. By understanding the fundamental goal you stop to read without thinking (although this is sometimes so I want to). We already wrote about the need to information dietAnd determine its purpose - it is the first step in this direction.

What books to choose? In a nutshell, all that match your goals and interests. The main thing - to prioritize and manage time wisely.

For example, your goal - to achieve increase in the sales department. This means that you should be able to sell and manage people. First you read the best books on sales techniques and management, and in addition - a book on psychology, self-development and motivation. This will help you avoid clickable articles with outdated theories about sales and popular business books in which there is practically no useful information.

Your goal is to get a job to help make a route through the different books. When you finish reading about sales and psychology, your goal is to lead you to the study of the biographies of the best salespeople: you will want to understand how they succeeded. Or you want to learn how to manage office politics or work on your brand. Your guiding star will keep you on the right track.

What about studying for the sake of the study? Curiosity - also a good reason to read if it does not go against your main goals. For example, if you are going to improve their knowledge about marketing in the next three months and 100% free time reading about diving, this is unlikely to be called an effective waste of time. But if you're 75% of the time to read about marketing, and 25% - about diving, it is not only safe for your interest, but sometimes even useful.

But regardless of your goals, constantly studying your information diet menu, as if you were in a real diet to be sure that you get all the necessary nutrients materials.

Please rate the importance of the resources that you visit most often, and refer only to those that are beneficial. In a world that floods you with information, it is critical to know what you are reading.

2. Get involved in reading

Reading - it's more of a conversation than a lecture. Reading someone's words, you enter into a silent dialogue with the author. You can hold a conversation and store information for many years and allow the author to "finish" before the end of the book, and then give the floor to disappear from memory. The best way to learn - to hold a conversation.

Therefore, when you read, do not let your eyes just slide through the pages. Meditate about the material. Highlight or mark chunks of text that seem important or controversial. Establish links with already read books and articles. Write down your questions, their ideas, their experiences. If something you're having trouble, make notes. More information about working with notes read here.

Interacting with the material, rather than just passively absorbing information, you conduct an internal dialogue, through which will be able to remember much more.

3. Do not read fast

In an age of efficiency we are trying to master the information as quickly as possible. But reading takes time. All the benefits from it is not immediately, usually after reading a large part of the book.

Speed ​​reading - a skill that can and should bring to perfection. But the ability to quickly absorb the words at the expense of core information processing comes from the experience itself. Your brain will handle the faster the language and ideas, the more you interact with them. Therefore, remember to start its main goal: you want to add a book to a check-list or actually learn something new?

Other readings advantage is that you get pleasure from the process. Without beaten philosophy, the ultimate goal of life - it's a joy. Some ideas are too important to have too much invested to go over his eyes. Remember that your goal is - to learn, not to read as many books as possible.

4. Choose a format that is suitable for you

Choose the format that suits you best and that will best meet your goals: a paper book, electronic or audio.

For some people, the main way to get information about the world - it is listening, they are called audialami. And the most preferred format for them - audiobook. While some people go to sleep under the audio book as a lecture, others, on the contrary, it is more convenient to receive the information at the hearing. Audio format provides more options for reading on the move (as long as you go on the train or in a car or engage in gym) and is essential for people who are very mobile and can not long sit still with a book in his hands.

Electronic book It has several advantages over a paper counterpart. Reader or smartphone with the application for reading compact bookcase. Electronic version of the much cheaper, because the lion's share of the cost of printed books is the cost of paper, printing and transportation. Long publishing process is reduced, and the book before comes to the reader. In addition, it has become easier to get any book. It is unlikely that residents of large cities facing the same problem, but in the regions where a portrait infrastructure is not going smoothly, it is true.

But reading - a strain on the eyes. And even the most modern electronic displays, the eyes get tired more quickly than traditional books. Do not save the night mode and the ability to adjust the backlight. In this respect, good electronic ink, but even they are far from perfect.

With the reading of electronic books related and certain psychological barriers. We are accustomed to a cursory reading of the screen - a view from the line jumps to the line, looking for the most important passes whole paragraphs. Therefore, when you open the reader, it is difficult to move quickly, attention is scattered. Reading printed book always more thoughtful and measured.

5. Write down and revise

Understanding reading - this is key, and it should not be stopped as soon as you've finished reading the book.

From time to time, contact your favorite passages - this is the best way to keep in memory the most important part of the book. This will help to put into practice the lessons, when there is a good opportunity or idea.

Therefore, when you finish reading the book, return to passages that have caused the greatest interest, take notes. To organize your notes, you can use Evernote - a simple and convenient tool in which you can affix tags, and thus easily find the right note. Or just rewound a notebook or journal.

Whatever tool you use, remember that you will then have to go back to your notes, so be sure to think over the tags and titles system. Suitable simple system: who said what quote an article or book, topic, and so on. The desired fragment will then be easier to find.

6. Processes and analyzes

Magnificent possess a photographic memory unit. If you can not make that claim, with time you will forget most of the reading. Therefore, as they say, the repetition - the mother of learning.

To teach again - it is a natural and necessary part of any training.

Writer and business coach Ramit Network (Ramit Sethi) recommends an interesting technique: every 4-6 weeks, it allocates 40 minutes to review their notes and annotations to the books and articles. It does not matter when it was made a note: a month, a year or three years ago, Ramit chooses the notes that fit on to that over which he now works.

Books can not remind myself. Therefore it is necessary to remind ourselves alone, what kind of knowledge you need to freshen up, plunging into a new topic.

Design verification of their records system. For example, do a monthly review of recent notes or tags are selected by those that require you to work for self-development and to establish relations with other people. Analyze notes can be sequentially or randomly.

7. Use in practice the new knowledge

You follow our advice, and you have accumulated a large stock of knowledge. There is a logical question: what to do with all this stuff? Of course, to apply it in practice!

And you need to start with the right questions. Ask yourself: Do you agree to read or think that the author was mistaken? What does the text read so special? Why does the author raises the problem? As his arguments relate to your personal beliefs? Are there any questions you may have? Are you interested in the book? Honestly answering these questions, already in the process you yourself understand, in what way can use the new knowledge to their advantage.

The results are extraordinary research in a book on psychology, you can send colleagues to make the meeting more productive. Sales technique with which you disagree, can be an occasion to discuss at work the next day. A well-written text on friendship inspired to renew dialogue with an old friend. Or maybe you can not understand, what do you think about the reading - this is the beginning of a fruitful discussion with friends.

The key question guiding this process: "Why?" Why book moves you to action? Why do you agree or disagree? The answer to all these "why" will help you get closer to answering the question "How do I use the material in your life?"

If you hear about a new marketing concept, take five minutes and think, why she is someone works as it can be used in your company. If there are new questions or you notice gaps in your knowledge, continue to look for new sources and repeat this process again and again.

And further. When the use of knowledge in life, record the results and conclusions.

8. Collect books and articles and share them

With the right approach, the reading can change your life. And sometimes - and the lives of people around you. So many great ideas gathering dust on the shelves!

Publishes an article in the blog. Valuable ideas can support others, be useful to them in life and work. In this case, your goal is not to look smart, and extend the life of the ideas that have helped you.

Jobs - the right place to share ideas. You can collaborate with colleagues to tell them about the results of research, to share excerpts from books, expert opinions. Most do not do it at work, which is why any knowledge sharing becomes an exceptional event.

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Despite its apparent simplicity, each of these tips can seriously change your approach to reading and the amount of absorbable material. Follow your curiosity, solve the problem, read purposefully. Keep a mental dialogue with a book or article. Take notes and constantly return to them. Think about how you can use the lessons learned in life. Share your finds with friends, family and colleagues. And then you will see how many useful things you take from every book, blog post and articles.

Remember, knowledge - is the potential. But in order to implement it, you need to remember and use knowledge. So read with pleasure!