Hello everyone, this is Helen Huang @ Organizing, based in Beijing, China. In order to better learn and practice the YiXiaoNeng Time Management System, after finished publishing 100 Chinese articles, I decided to continue writing and publishing a daily English article in another 100 days based on the "YeWuBin Time Management 100 Episodes" audio program. Today is the 167th day.
Today's topic is: How to Read with Purpose and Clarity
Reading tools, methods and tips.
Today, I will talk to you about three thing:
First, what tools can you use to read better?
Second, what method is the best way to read?
Third, what important tips can you use to read more efficiently?
Let's start with different tools you can use to read more efficiently.
First, instead of reading an actual hard copy of a book, I suggest you use the electronic form of a book.
You may be very comfortable reading traditional, cover-bound books. It's still a nice way to read books. I still do it from time to time myself to be honest. There's something about holding a real book and turning the pages myself.
But there are definitely some challenges. They are hard to carry around, they take up space, and it's hard to carry more than one with you at the same time. If you're constantly moving around from place to place, hardcover papar books are not easy to take with you. Some books can be quite heavy and it can be very inconvenient to hold with both hands while you are reading and turning the pages.
If you have lots of books stored at home, it can be very difficult to find the book you want to read. And what if you want to search inside the book for a specific passage or note. That can be very challenging to do if you don't have the page marked or if there is no index in the back of the book.
There's a solution to every one of these challenges – the e-book or the electronic book! There are many electronic book apps in the iphone and iPad Apple stores, such as Duokan Reader, WeiChat Reading, and Kindle which is developed by Amazon.
You can also listen to books through the Ximalaya app like this one. Now, many books are dictated to Ximalaya, such as my book Best Use of Time, which you can find on the Ximalaya app. Therefore, I first suggest that you use these apps to read books electronically.
There are a few concerns that people have mentioned with using e-readers. If you read on your cell phone every day, people mistakenly believe that you're playing a game on your phone, which may make it look like you're not doing honest work. You may fear hurting your eyes staring at the screen while reading an e-book.
Well, actually that's the reason why Amazon created the Kindle. The Kindle pushes books out to its e-reading device via an internet connection. You can purchase a Kindle on Amazon or TaoBao. The great thing about the Kindle is that it is not harmful to your eyes. That's because it uses digital ink with a very low backlight built in. It feels very light and even has the feel of a real book. The Kindle will reduce distractions because you cannot install any other apps on it. There's no temptation to switch to another app while reading.
I spend much of my time reading the Kindle. By having a Kindle with you at all times, you can make use of small spans of time that you get throughout the day. This small pockets of time include while waiting for a delayed flight, getting through a long traffic jam and so on.
The Kindle is not very expensive. It costs from several hundred to 1,000 yuan or under 100 dollars.
The second thing I wanted to mention is how specifically should you read? Which message should you follow?
First, read with a purpose whether that be on-demand reading or themed reading.
On-demand reading is reading for a specific purpose. You're looking specifically to solve a problem that you have recently encountered. There is something specific you're looking for in the reading. Theme reading on the other hand is when you read to gain general knowledge and context in a chosen field. However you choose to read whether on-demand or themed reading, there must be some purpose to your reading.
I suggest taking notes when you read if you want to be able to transform the knowledge you gain into a benefit in your personal and professional life. There are several ways to take notes. You can create flow diagrams called mind maps, which we will discuss in a later lesson. You can also simply take notes and convert it into a slide presentation in PowerPoint. The key point however you take the notes is to organize the information into a logical pattern from your reading. Read with the intent of eventually using the information in some actionable way. Don't just read it and let it pass by your brain. Turn it to something you can actually use.
You can make electronic notes if reading in app or kindle. You can actually enter the notes inside the application itself. For example, you can highlight specific sentences that are valuable in the actual e-reader app or the Kindle. You can write a few notes about how you will use that information.
Instead of writing notes in the actual e-reader app or the Kindle itself, you can actually link your Evernote account to your e-reader. And Evernote account can allow you autosave your notes and then even share it with others making your learning experience much more collaborative. Remember that sharing information is one of the ways to help retain information you learn. This can be done in the Duokan reader.
For example, when reading in the Duokan Reader, I take notes and even occasionally "make a PPT" which automatically synchs to my Evernote app. Then I share the powerpoint with my colleagues via Evernote app. When my colleague wants to make a PPT, they'll see my recent shared note and then add to it using their information. This way we all benefit from the knowledge of others.
When making notes, it's much easier to review the material over time. And this helps us overcome the Forgetting Curve. Do you remember that? If you can combine the eight cycles in the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, you will remember much of the information you read up 90%. This scientific repetition is possible when you create notes as you read.
When studying your notes, or repeating and studying through the phases of the Ebbinghaus curve, there's no need to reread the original book. Instead read your sorted notes, mind maps, or PowerPoint.
The third and last point I want share with you is this. I want to specially emphasize that when we read we want to actively transform the passive knowledge into practical actionable work.
To read lots of books, the first step is to take notes in electronic form such as Evernote. Then, the second step is to organize and summarize the notes into PowerPoint, an article or even an audio recording which you can share with others. When you share with others, you are reinforcing the material to yourself in a very positive way. You'll learn again and again by sharing with others continuously.
You know I spent the last 7 years reading hundreds of books on time management, and I have become an expert in the field. I've been able to do this by sharing the material. And once sharing the material, I've learned just as much from others as I have from the content itself. Seeing these issues from the perspective of others has been extremely valuable. By continuously reading, organizing and summarizing into PowerPoint, I continue to increase the quantity and depth of knowledge in Time Management.
The best way to study is to teach others to master the material. Reading, organizing, trying it yourself, and sharing with others ..... these are all ways to keep the knowledge firmly inside of your mind. So get started today! Read using an e-reader, take notes with Evernote and share it to PowerPoint and get engaged with others! Best of luck to you!
That's all sharing today. Thank you being with me together. Have a wonderful day!