10 Days to Faster Reading Read online

  As a sole proprietor of a business, I not only have to be an excellent speaker and trainer, but I also need to know how to use and maintain a computer, keep track of my income and expenses, organize my office, manage accounts receivable and payable, market and sell my services, and so on. I attribute most of my business success to what I have learned from reading selectively. You, too, can learn more in less time by reading.

  Fast Tracks: Triage Your Reading Pile

  Your reading pile can benefit from what emergency room physicians do every day – triage incoming patients. This means they sort people into groups based on their need for immediate treatment. You, too, can prioritize and select your reading material from highest to lowest priority using various methods.

  To start, do you know what's actually in your pile? Where does it all come from? You need to know what you have before you know what you can get rid of. Review the six strategies below and see which ones you think you can use right away.

  1. Unsubscribe and get off distribution lists. If you receive unsolicited e-mail newsletters, follow the simple directions at the end of the communication to get off the mailing list. If you are on a distribution list, either electronically or on paper, find out how to get off. The more you unsubscribe, the less unwanted or unnecessary reading material you receive.

  2. Pre-view everything! Remember that pre-viewing (Day 5) is a great weeding tool. Using this technique, it takes only a short time to decide whether a piece of reading material is worth your time and what to focus your attention on.

  3. Photocopy or cut out articles. When reading material such as magazines or professional journals arrives, quickly pre-view the table of contents to locate just the articles you want to read. If time does not permit you to read them at that moment, cut or tear the article out or photocopy it and discard the magazine. A small pile of handpicked articles is much more appealing to tackle than a huge stack of magazines or newspapers.

  4. Use self-adhesive notes. Instead of earmarking pages, bending the corner of the page down, which then gets unbent most of the time, place a self-adhesive note so it sticks out of the top or side of the pages you want to return to. You can write the topic or a few key words on the note for easy referencing.

  5. Keep a table of contents notebook. If you receive a professional journal or even something like a food magazine that you like to keep for referencing, then photocopy the table of con- tents. Place it in a notebook according to the date. If you have more than one journal or publication, place a divider in the notebook separating the contents. When it comes time to look for a specific topic or piece of information, you save time by flipping through the notebook instead of each individual journal or magazine.

  6. Throw away junk mail. When your mail arrives, stand over the trash can. Look at the return address and postage. Immediately throw away any solicitations you know you don't want. If the stamp or postage is less than twenty-one cents, then it was mailed bulk rate and is probably something you didn't ask for and don't want.

  Try writing to this address to remove your name from unsolicited mailing lists. Include your name, home address, your polite request, and your signature.

  Mail Preference Service

  The Direct Marketing Association

  P.O. Box 9008

  Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008

  In about three months, you should see a reduction in the unsolicited mail you receive at home. For more information, contact the Mail Preference Service at the address above for their consumer tip sheet. You can also check out www.privatecitizen.com for more options to reduce junk mail, or register with Junkbusters at http://www.junkbusters.com.

  To get your name removed from all the current lists sold by the big three credit-gathering organizations (Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian — formerly TRW), call a program called OptOut at their automated toll-free number: 1-888-567-8688. You will probably still get some junk mail, however, as companies and organizations who previously purchased your name from these and other lists will not necessarily be notified.

  Finding Time Nuggets

  Making time to read is a great way to decrease the size of your reading pile. But there are only 24 hours in a day and you may believe that each hour is accounted for with sleep, work, school, errands, and so on. You may want to take a closer look. Some people think it's impossible to make more time in a day. Not true. What it really takes is accurate tracking of how you spend your time and reflection about how you want to make the most of your time.

  I always devote one segment of my workshop to time management. During the discussion, I suggest to my participants that they complete a Daily Time Log for one week. You can create a Daily Time Log by taking a piece of paper and writing down one side of the paper fifteen-minute or thirty-minute intervals, from the time you wake up in the morning until you go to bed at night. Of course, each day may be different. For example, let's say you get up at 6:00 and leave for work at 7:15. Your time log should indicate what you did during that hour and fifteen minutes, such as get- ting up, showering and dressing, preparing and eating breakfast, and five minutes of reading the newspaper. Throughout the day continue to write all your activities such as commuting time, meetings, appointments, time spent watching TV or talking on the phone, and so on.

  Although you already feel the constraints on your time from career and personal obligations, it is well worth your time to perform this exercise for one week.

  Once your week is completed, try to determine how much time you spent doing each activity. Some areas you may have to calculate include the number of hours you spent sleeping, preparing and eating meals, commuting, watching TV, surfing the Web, or doing housework. When you are done you will have a clearer picture of how your time is spent. If the total falls under twenty-four hours, try to figure out where the rest of the time went.

  Now look at your log. Is your time being spent how you want it to? Or is there too much time spent doing activities of little interest to you? Ideally, when you look at your log, you should feel happy and satisfied that your time is being well spent.

  To find more reading time, review your log and look for the following:

  Unaccounted for time. This is the most logical place to build in more reading time.

  Time-robbing activities. For example, watching TV, talking on the phone, or surfing the Net. You may want to spend less time doing these activities in order to create more time for reading.

  Time when you can multitask. For example, you can read while commuting or waiting for meetings to start or appointments to arrive. Remember to always carry reading materials with you, since you never know when you'll have a few free moments.

  Time you may have set aside to read but that is not the time of day you feel most alert. You can read more in less time just by planning to read at the times when your brain is most awake.

  Time you think you can squeeze in a few minutes. If you usually eat lunch in a cafeteria, which is often noisy, you may want to eat at your desk or find a quieter place so as to be able to include some reading.

  Finding time to read does not mean you have to schedule it at the same time every day. It means reading whenever and as often as possible. My husband, who is a certified financial planner, receives a lot of newspapers and magazines on a regular basis. Keeping abreast in his field is important to him and his clients. What seems to work well for him is that about every two weeks (sometimes it ends up to be once a month) he gathers all his reading material together and spends a few hours going through whatever he hadn't had the chance to look over during the course of the two weeks. When he emerges from his reading session, I can see the satisfaction on his face as he carries his small handful of torn-out articles (the keepers) and puts the rest in the recycle bin.

  Time Trial No. 7

  Once again it's time to test your engine. It should take you five minutes or less. On the following practice reading, experiment with some of the information you have learned about. Try using key words, phrases, key ph
rases, or a pacer. Ensure an appropriate environment for uninterrupted successful reading.

  1. Pre-view the reading first. Time yourself for a maximum of only thirty seconds, allowing yourself to quickly look at the introduction, the first sentences of the paragraphs, and the questions you will be answering.

  2. Time yourself. Now see how long it takes you to read the passage "The Ties That Bind" below. Write your total time in minutes and seconds in the space provided at the end of the reading.

  The Ties That Bind

  By John D. Whitman

  "Nice work on this," Gilchrist said. He leaned back against the round table with the ease of a man who owned not only the furniture, but the building that housed it.

  "Thanks, Mr. Gilchrist."

  "You know, I gotta tell you, when you first came on board, I had my concerns. I knew you had the wife, two kids."

  The wife. The two kids. At the office, Max's thoughts were only of business, and the unexpected mention of his home life jarred him.

  "I mean, you've gotta have those commitments, they're the most important thing," Gilchrist admitted. "But you're the only family man on the fast track here, and I was afraid your focus…"

  "I'm lucky enough to have a family who supports me," Max interjected.

  "Good, because I'm looking around for a number two, Max, and it might be you."

  Max floated back to his office, riding those words like winged sandals. He picked up his phone and pressed 1 on his speed dial.

  "Twentieth Century Fox. Joan Kelly's office." "Is the twenty-first-century fox in?" he asked.

  The voice on the other end smiled. "Hey, Mr. Kelly. One minute, please."

  Max heard a click that indicated he was being forwarded. Joan picked up and said "Hi" from her car phone. "How'd the meeting go?"

  "Supercalifragilistic," he said. "The old man is dropping hints." "You're a star," Joan said.

  "But it means follow-up. I think I'm going to be late."

  Pause. The sound of the world rushing by, another world somewhere at the other end of the digital connection, a world with other problems, other deadlines, their enormity communicated only by the length of the pause and then two words. "The kids."

  "I know," he said. "But I don't think I can make it if I'm gonna get this report done. Can you go?"

  Another pause. At the other end of the line, Joan Kelly was hurtling through the Cahuenga Pass, leaving Burbank, heading to a lunch meeting at Citrus. In the gaps between the billboards and apartment buildings, she caught glimpses of sun-baked grass on the hillsides. The trees looked archaic, like something out of her elementary school history class. She'd studied California history when she was a kid. She drove past the American Legion Hall with its cannon in the front, and recalled that Cahuenga Pass in 1845 had been the site of Los Angeles' only battle.

  She sighed, surrendering. "I'll try."

  ➞ Mark your reading time on a separate piece of paper: (minutes) (seconds).

  3. Respond to statements. Immediately answer the following statements to the best of your ability WITHOUT looking back at the reading. Estimate the number of answers you believe are correct and put the number in the blank provided.

  Comprehension Statements

  Without looking back at the reading passage, respond to the following statements by indicating whether the statement is True (T), False, (F), or Not Discussed (N).

  1. Max's boss does not have a family.

  2. Max's boss is concerned that Max's fast track career might be derailed by his family.

  3. Max has a wife and three kids.

  4. Max's last name is Gilchrist.

  5. Number 1 on Max's speed dial connects him to his wife's office.

  6. Max's wife works as a secretary for Twentieth Century Fox.

  7. It can be inferred that Max's wife has a busy career of her own.

  8. Max's boss told him he couldn't attend his kids' after-school event.

  9. Max's wife wishes she hadn't given the housekeeper the day off.

  10. Max feels lucky to have a family that supports him.

  Now, estimate how many of these answers you believe you have correct out of ten .

  4. Check your responses. Turn to the Answer Key. If you have any incorrect, mark the correct response and return to the reading passage to try to understand where you had a problem.

  5. Figure your comprehension percentage. Add the total number of correct responses you have and multiply by 10. Write your comprehension percentage in your Personal Progress Chart.

  6. Figure your words per minute. Look at your reading time and round off the seconds to the nearest 10-second mark. Turn to the Words per Minute Chart and find your Words per Minute next to your reading time. Write your Words per Minute in your Personal Progress chart.

  7. Track your Time Trial scores. Go to your Personal Progress chart and make sure you've recorded your Words per Minute, comprehension percentage, and the date you did the exercise. It's also helpful to document other details such as time of day, any preoccupations, strategies used, and so on.

  Tips on Finding Time Nuggets While Waiting

  How many times do you find yourself waiting in line at the grocery store or sitting in a doctor's office? These are two great examples of time pockets to make more reading time. For example, here are some pointers to help you speed-read a magazine during a time pocket.

  Choose your magazine based on either the title or the cover articles.

  Of course, choose the one that holds the most interest for you.

  Quickly review the table of contents looking for the cover articles that interest you. Also, look for other articles you may want to look at if time allows.

  Turn to the first article that interests you. Then pre-view it. Read the first paragraph or two, then read the first sentences of paragraphs. Look at illustrations, captions, and other features such as sidebars or boxes that stand out. Depending on your time, decide whether to read the article in more detail or move on to the next article.

  If you run out of time, buy the magazine and bring it home! Or ask the receptionist at the doctor's office to photocopy the article or whether you might be allowed to take the magazine home. I get the magazines for my training program from my generous dentist, chiropractor, and hairdresser. They usually go through and get rid of their stacks every few months because they, too, are overloaded.

  Turbo Comprehension: How to Read Your Newspaper BEFORE You Reach Your Destination.

  Wouldn't it be great to actually finish your morning newspaper before arriving at work? If you commute by train, bus, or carpool, it's possible. Obviously the longer the commute time, the better your chances. However, even on short commutes, you can still get a lot of information in a little amount of time.

  Your mind-set when reading a newspaper can greatly affect how quickly and effectively you read. Try approaching your newspaper reading with the same kind of time pressure you have when reading a report that will be discussed at a meeting in two hours. A self-imposed time limit for your newspaper reading helps ensure completion of the task.

  Many of the techniques already discussed in this book can be applied to reading a newspaper quickly:

  Define your purpose and responsibility. For example, your purpose may be to stay cur- rent on local and world events, or on topics relevant to your field of expertise, learning new information on topics such as business, real estate, the arts, and so on.

  Pre-view! This is best accomplished by looking at one section of the paper at a time, instead of the entire paper – particularly the Sunday edition if you plan to catch up on it on your way to work Monday morning. Put aside the advertising circulars so you have the meat of the paper in your hands.

  To pre-view a newspaper section, quickly thumb through it, reading the date, section title, index, headlines, and captions under photos. Mentally make a note of which articles are relevant to your purpose. Also mark articles that pique your interest and relate to your purpose by either putting a dot next to
the headline with a marker, or writing a key word or phrase in the margin next to the article.

  Skim and scan. Once you pre-view a section, systematically work through the paper, skimming and scanning your chosen articles looking for information relevant to your purpose.

  Key words, phrases, and pacers. Remember to use key words, phrases and pacers to optimize your reading.

  Use the Commuter Fold

  Reading a newspaper in the confined spaces of your commuter seat is a challenging maneuver. The commuter fold helps you fold, hold, and turn the pages of your paper to reduce your required reading space. Take a newspaper and follow the steps below.

  Unfold the paper so the front page is in front of you.

  Fold the paper in half length-wise so the back page halves touch one another. Read what you want from the left side of page 1, then flip the paper over to read the right side of page 1.

  Take hold of the bottom right corner of page 1 in your left hand and fold it back. The right side of page 1 will be touching the left side of page 1. You will be viewing the left side of page 2. If you turn your whole paper over, you will be looking at the right side of page 3.

  To view the right side of page 2, take hold of the fold of page 2 and fold it back so that the left of page 2 meets the right of page 3.

  Keep in mind that a newspaper has nearly as many words as a novel, so remember you can't, nor should you, read it all, but you can choose your material wisely.

  How to Speed-Read Written Business Communications

  Written business communications come in many different lengths and formats. Some examples include memos, letters, reports, policies, FYI's (for your information), and so on. Remember, speed reading is not one fast speed, but rather degrees of slow and fast. You consciously decide which speed you will use, depending on: