As someone who loves to read, I would be the first to tell you the benefits of reading. It is a great way to learn new things, it improves your writing, and it makes you understand the world better.
But I would also readily admit that there were times when I spent hours reading a book only to realise I could barely remember what I read. If you can relate to this problem, let me tell you right off the bat that it is one thing to read, it is another to read efficiently.
And no, reading efficiently does not mean reading 100 pages in an hour or finishing a book every week. That’s just speed-reading and it could be an effective technique to learn to get through books faster.
But if the goal is to remember and apply what you read, then what you are looking for is what I’ve discussed in this article.
Without wasting time, let’s get to them. Here are nine practical tips to help you read efficiently.
9 Practical Tips to Read Efficiently
1. Read What You Love
James Clear said, “A recipe for getting more out of what you read: start more books. Quit most of them. Read the great ones twice.”
Now, while we could argue that he wasn’t talking about reading what you love, but about great books, I believe a great book can be a book you find enjoyable.
I strongly believe that ‘great’ books can be subjective. Of course, style of writing and all that come into play when we are considering great books, but I would leave that for Awards committees. For the everyday person enjoying a book, follow James’ idea but substitute it with books you love.
As far as I am concerned, that is what makes a ‘great’ book.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way. Let’s go to the meat of the point. The thing is you don’t have to read the classics because you feel you should. And you don’t have to read educational books because you think they make you look serious. Read what you enjoy reading.
If you love romance novels, read them. If you prefer thrillers, fantasy, short stories, biographies, or books about business, go for them. The idea is to enjoy the experience while getting something out of it.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with challenging yourself to read something outside your usual interests. You might discover a new favourite. But if you’re trying to build a reading habit, forcing yourself to read books you have no interest in will make the experience unpleasant.
And we don’t want that; we don’t want you giving up on reading because you feel like you have to read what’s acceptable.
So, start with what interests you. You’re more likely to stay engaged with a book when you actually want to know what happens next or what the author has to say.
2. Set a Clear Reading Goal
One way to read efficiently is to know what you want to achieve before you start reading.
For instance, you could decide to read one chapter a day, spend 15 minutes reading before bed, or finish five pages during your lunch break. If you noticed, I kept the examples very simple because your goal doesn’t have to be big. It just needs to be realistic enough for you to achieve consistently.
And when setting your goal, consider your schedule and responsibilities. If you have a busy day, committing to reading 50 pages might be unrealistic. You may manage it once or twice, but keeping it up could become difficult.
Remember, the idea is to achieve your goal, not to make one that sounds impressive. So, choose a goal that fits your life. And if you find it too easy or too difficult after a while, adjust it. You can always increase the time or number of pages as you get more comfortable with your routine.
3. Preview the Book Before Reading
Before you start a book, take a few minutes to look through it. This gives you an idea of what to expect and helps you understand how the information is organised.
For a non-fiction book, look at the table of contents, chapter headings, introduction, and conclusion. These can help you identify the main ideas and the chapters that are most relevant to you.
For fiction, you can read the blurb, check the chapter titles if there are any, and pay attention to the opening pages. This can give you an idea of the story, its characters, and the kind of experience you’re about to have.
Let’s say you want to learn about personal finance. Instead of immediately reading every page from the beginning, look through the contents first. You might find that the book has separate chapters on budgeting, saving, investing, and managing debt.
If your main concern is learning how to budget, you now know which chapter deserves your attention first.
Of course, you can still read the whole book if you want to. But previewing helps you approach it with a good idea of what you’re looking for or what you are about to experience.
4. Learn to Skim and Scan
You don’t always have to read every word on a page to get the information you need. Sometimes, skimming and scanning can help you move through a book more efficiently.
Although people often use these terms interchangeably, they mean quite different things.
Skimming means reading quickly to get the general idea of a text. When you are skimming, you pay attention to the headings, opening sentences, keywords, and the main points without studying every detail.
Scanning, on the other hand, means looking through a text for specific information.
For example, if you’re reading a book about writing and want to understand the chapter on storytelling, you can skim the headings and opening paragraphs to get an overview. But if you’re looking for a particular writing technique you came across earlier, you can scan the pages for a keyword or phrase.
These techniques are especially useful when reading textbooks, research materials, reports, and other non-fiction books.
That said, I am not saying you should rush through everything when reading. If you’re reading a novel and want to enjoy the author’s storytelling, or you’re studying a difficult concept, slowing down may be more helpful.
It really boils down to what you are looking for. That would let you know when to read quickly and when to give a text your full attention.
5. Read Actively, Not Passively
Have you ever read several pages of a book and realised your mind was somewhere else the whole time? That’s what happens when you read passively. You’re going through the text without engaging with what the author is saying.
But with active reading, you have to think about the information as you read. Instead of simply accepting every sentence, you ask yourself questions, make connections, and consider how the ideas relate to what you already know.
For instance, if you’re reading a book about building good habits, you could ask yourself:
– What is the author trying to teach me?
– Do I agree with this idea? Why or why not?
– How does this relate to my own experience?
– Is there anything I can apply to my life?
You can also pause at the end of a chapter and explain its main idea in your own words.
This is particularly helpful when reading educational books or studying a subject. Applying active reading helps you to process the information instead of merely moving from one page to the next.
6. Focus on Understanding, Not Speed
It’s easy to think that good readers are those who can finish books quickly. But finishing a book in two days doesn’t necessarily mean you understood it better than someone who took a week.
Reading speed varies from person to person, and some texts naturally require more time than others.
Now, I have an article on speed-reading techniques, and even then, I don’t encourage just going through books and speaking nothing. The goal is to read fast and also absorb the information in the book.
Therefore, if you want to read efficiently, you need to focus on understanding, not speed, especially if you find you can do both. Read the article, though, if you want to learn to do both.
But for this context, if you need to slow down to understand what’s in the pages of the book, do so. Understanding is more important than speed.
7. Take Notes and Highlight Key Points
Another tip is to take notes. It helps you identify important ideas and return to them later. This is especially useful when reading books you want to learn from or apply in your work.
You don’t have to write a summary of every chapter or highlight half the book. Focus on the information that stands out to you, challenges your thinking, or seems worth remembering.
For example, if you’re reading a book about content writing, you might note a useful technique for writing introductions or highlight an example you want to revisit when working on your next article.
You can take notes in the margins, use sticky notes, keep a notebook, or save your thoughts in a digital document. Choose whichever method works best for you.
You should also try writing some notes in your own words. Copying entire paragraphs might help you preserve the author’s exact wording, but summarising the idea yourself makes it easy to engage and remember the information.
8. Take Breaks to Maintain Concentration
You don’t have to sit down and read for two hours straight to make progress. In fact, if your concentration starts to fade after 20 or 30 minutes, continuing to force yourself through the pages may not be very helpful.
Instead, take short breaks when you need them.
You could read for 25 minutes, take a five-minute break, and then return to your book. Or you could finish a chapter before stepping away for a while. Or you could just read in bits like I explained with the first point.
Experiment with different approaches to see what works for you; the point is to find what makes you read effectively.
9. Review What You Have Read
Finally, take some time to review what you’ve read. This can help you remember important information, especially if you’re reading to learn something new.
A good way to do this is to try recalling the main ideas without looking at your notes. Then check what you’ve remembered and revisit any important points you missed.
For example, after reading a chapter about managing money, you could ask yourself what the author said about budgeting, saving, and avoiding unnecessary expenses.
And if you’re reading fiction, reviewing what you’ve read can help you keep track of the characters, plot developments, and themes, especially when you’re reading a long novel over several weeks.
The important thing is to give yourself a chance to process the information after reading. That way, you’re less likely to forget everything as soon as you close the book.
Conclusion
Learning how to read efficiently is really about making a few simple changes to your reading habits. Once you’ve mastered that, you will see that reading becomes easier and you will absorb what you’ve read while at it.
Of course, you don’t have to adopt all these tips at once. Start with one or two that address your current reading challenges and build from there. The goal is to make reading more useful and enjoyable, so you can get more out of the time you spend with a book.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does it mean to read efficiently?
Reading efficiently means making the most of your reading time by understanding, processing, and remembering the information you read without wasting time or rushing through the material.
2. How can I improve my reading efficiency?
You can improve your reading efficiency by setting realistic reading goals, choosing books that interest you, eliminating distractions, taking useful notes, and reviewing what you have read.
3. Is it better to read fast or slowly?
Neither is always better. The best reading speed depends on what you’re reading and why. You can read familiar or simple texts quickly, but difficult subjects may require you to slow down to understand them properly.
4. How can I remember what I read?
To remember what you read, practise active reading, take notes in your own words, summarise chapters, and review important points regularly. You can also explain what you’ve learnt to someone else.
5. How many hours should I read every day?
There is no fixed number of hours you must read daily. Start with 10 to 15 minutes a day or a few pages, then increase your reading time as your schedule allows. Consistency matters more than setting an ambitious goal you struggle to maintain.
