If there’s one thing that has always felt like a thorn in my side when it comes to getting things done, it’s that
I READ SOOO FREAKING SLOW.
When studying in school, I felt like i had a disadvantage because it took me longer to do assignments. I just felt like i couldn’t get through the material fast enough.I’ve also been the guy that takes months to read ONE book (partly because of my 3rd-grade attention span, partly because of slow reading). I would have to read and re-read, then daydream, and realize 3 pages later that I didn’t remember anything that i had read.I wish i had witnesses??I know a lot of (especially) dudes struggle with this. My dad and many of my friends have expressed this frustration to me.Then...I came across this thing from Tim Ferris that said you could increase your speed by 300% in 20 minutes. I was pretty skeptical…but i trust Tim, and i had heard of him selling this same “course” to fellow students when he studying was at Princeton.
So i went through it.
It’s a step-by-step practice session that takes you through a series of drills. These drills are meant to make you uncomfortable, but train your eyes and your brain to get their tails in gear.Here are my stats from the first 2 training sessions (20-minutes each):Session 11-minute test before: 231 words1-minute test after: 472 wordsIncrease: 204%Session 21-minute test before: 4481-minute test after: 576Increase from session one: 128%Toal increase : 249%Summary: In only 40 minutes of practice, i went from reading 231 per minute to 576 words per minute. For a 249% increase in speed.To put that in context: The average reading speed in America is 200-300 words. And if you read at faster than 400 wpm, you are in the top 1%.The more you practice this method the more it will help you increase retention and speed. I’m not sure how sustainable the 576 speed will be on average…but consistent practice and reading will help.
What could increasing your reading speed and digesting more information help you accomplish?
Here’s what i’d like you to do…Action item #1. Click here to get the google sheet i made to help you track results.Action item #2. Start the training (All you need is 20-minutes, a book, and a pen).Action item #3. Leave a comment here to tell us about your improvement, and how this improvement will help you accomplish your goals.
Example: "Before WPM - xxx. After WPM - xxx. Wow, i can’t believe i improved my reading speed so quickly! I am going to use this to help me with _________."
Action item #4. Share this article with at least 3 of your best friends who you want to help improve.Hint: If you don’t share this with your friends and help them get better, you’re not a nice person.Get after it.- Adam
