Have You Considered Speed Reading?

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Why Read Faster?

A while ago I realized that as much as I love to read real estate, marketing, and business books, it took up a lot of time–time that I could have spent taking action on the things I learned.  I have been a rabid reader for as long as I can remember, and I can and have sat with a book in front of me all day long (much to my wife’s chagrin).

In the last year, I’ve tried to get in the habit of putting off reading anything until it is time to do it, and then rapidly consuming as much information on that topic as I can and compiling it all into some kind of action plan.  This tends to get me better results, and when I need them, than just reading anything and everything.

Anyway, when you consider that some of your reading is actually time spent working on your business (because if you didn’t have a business you wouldn’t be reading business books, right?) then it makes sense to see how you can accomplish more in less time.  One way to do this is through speed reading.

My experience with speed reading

I started this in college, and I admit I have gone in and out of the habit since then, but it helped me read twice as fast without reducing comprehension.  I remember getting the idea and sharing it with some classmates (note “classmates” and not friends, because my friends would have been likeminded people with different reactions than what follows).

Even with the promise of reducing your study time by a mere 33% (I calculated that I was spending 3 hours per day reading textbooks, which would mean saving 1 hour per day or 20-24 hours per month, enough to get a part-time job to pay your way through school) they laughed at the idea and said it would never work.

I figured that spending $20 with the potential to save a total of 320 hours of studying throughout the remainder of my college experience was a worthwhile investment, especially considering these same classmates were regularly spending commensurate amounts at the drop of a hat on trendy music, grease, and beer.

So I got the book shown above, and it worked.  I recommend it, but at the same time there may be better books out there, and I’m sure there are courses or online video tutorials as well that might be better.  But I at least know that this one works if you apply it.

Anyway, consider how speed reading could help you:

1) Learn more at a faster rate, and therefore implement new business strategies faster and get more results

2) Create more hours each week that you can spend doing things that create revenue, or by not working at all

3) Read quickly and with focus when it’s time to work, then put the book down when it’s family time.  I’m finally restraining myself to the point where I can do this, and the effect on Mrs Brymer and the kids has been terrific.

NOTE:  If it took you longer than 2 minutes to read this blog, you should have been speed reading.