5 TIPS FOR GETTING MUCH MORE OUT OF YOUR READING

Hello, hope your weekend was great! Welcome to a new work week. What will you be reading this week that will impact your life and career? Let me help you with some tips for getting much more out of your reading. Have an impactful week. YOU WILL SUCCEED!

                                                                  

Francis Bacon has been quoted as saying that reading makes a full man, but he gave further advice:

“Read, not to contradict or confute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”

To get more out of your reading here are my suggestions:

1. RECOLLECT : This is mental recall. When you read, try to remember what you have read. The where; the who; the how and the why. Use your imagination. Picture what you’re reading.

2. REFLECT: Reading without thinking is like eating without digestion – it does no good. When you read, analyze and process the information being fed into your brain. Think!  Ponder deeply. Allow the judgment of the Holy Spirit. No author’s opinion or interpretation of scripture is final. Use the Bible and the witness of your spirit as the final arbiter before you digest any information; that’s why getting conversant with your Bible is supreme.

To enhance your thinking process, (i) you could seek the counsel or opinion of an older Christian, a mentor. (ii) You could also cross-reference or juxtapose different authors on a singular subject. Finally, be objective, not biased. Don’t fall victim of the sin of a closed mind.

3. RECITE: Recitation is part of the meditation process. The Hebrew root of the word ‘meditate’ means ‘to murmur in pleasure’. Recall to yourself the things you have learnt from the books you have read. Memorize facts. Memorize scriptures. It will help you in dire moments. “The memory is a treasurer to whom we must give funds, if we are to draw the assistance we need.”

4. RECOUNT: Share your knowledge with others. It helps retention of facts. “You will always remember what you teach.”

5. REVISE: Go back to revise and review that material. It will be well stored now. It also helps to cultivate the habit of writing down what you read. The faintest pen is always sharper than the sharpest brain. Information that is not documented will never be implemented! (Excerpts from the book, READERS AND LEADERS by Yomi Olufiade)