The secret to becoming smarter is not unique. Yet, people overlook it. It is reading, and the problem is that we know the importance of reading. However, we do not know where to start. Often, we try to read as much as we can, but without any benefit or increase in our intelligence, we should have used our time for something else.
However, why is this the secret of every successful person on earth? Why do others benefit so much from reading, and we never benefit? The reason is that we do not think about what we read. Thousands of articles and videos talk about reading and a few about how to think about what you read. We don't read to read by itself but to learn something.
3 Tips to Be a Better Reader
1. Know that it takes time, and invest it
We often fantasize that we can quickly read while understanding what we are reading and benefiting from it. That does not mean you should read slowly. For example, one book in two months, but you should think carefully about what you are reading. If you are reading the book in a hurry, how will you benefit from it?
When you read just for fun, you can easily read a novel in one day (or according to your reading speed), but it is totally different when you read science books for self-improvement. Do you think that by reading a science book in one day, you will be able to improve your life to a great extent? That is impossible. So, why do we do it? Because we want to look smart and boast about the massive number of books we have read.
But what serves you if you make little use of the book you are reading? Nothing. If you are browsing the book, you should not read it at all. You should be willing to invest the time necessary to read the book, and this does not mean you cannot read it at once. You can read the book once, and after you become familiar with its content and basics, you return to it, integrate with it, and dig deeper into it.
2. Think about what you read
If you want to reveal the secret to becoming more intelligent, you must know some basics. You must make the information you read belong to you. Paraphrase it, write it in your journal, and then try to transfer the information into your life. Ask yourself: How does this apply to me? What can I benefit from in my life? When we add a personal dimension to information, the brain understands that it is essential, so it memorizes it to remember it better.
However, why do you want to keep the information better? When you keep the essential information you have read, you can apply theories and suggestions and then get the most out of any book you read.
3. Apply the information to your life
When applying the information from the book to your life, you benefit from the book. The purpose of books is to help us improve our lives. They should help us learn a language, a principle, or a strategy. Why should we not benefit from them?
Consider this
That book probably contains years' worth of experience and knowledge from the author. They have spent time writing and publishing and possess the publishing ability. Why not use the content—which might be extremely valuable—to improve your life by drawing lessons from the experiences of others?
In conclusion
We learn by reading to live a thousand lives in one lifetime. Every time you read a plan that is fully explained or a strategy that you can apply in your life, take notes and develop an action plan that suits your life. You will be surprised by the significant effects of this in your life, and you will never read it in another way.
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