How To Improve Your Reading Speed and Retention

If one of your reading goals is to increase your reading speed and retention, try this:

Focus on your reading purpose or intent. This is different from a reading goal.

Reading purpose or intent means:

• Being mindful of WHY you’re reading.

• Align what you’re reading with how you engage with a book.

• Don’t just stop at your ‘WHY’ of reading: whether for pleasure, information, or learning (or ALL).
  

Dig a little deeper. Ask these questions:

• Why am I reading this book? What am I hoping to find out or learn?

• Are there any specific topics or themes that particularly interest me?

• Does this book challenge or confirm my beliefs or perspectives?
  

If you’re struggling to answer questions before reading a book, you can ask them after:

• What was my favorite part of the book, and why?

• What was my least favorite part of the book, and why?

• Would I recommend this book to others, and why?

• Did the book leave any unanswered questions or loose ends?
  

You get the point, right?

How you frame your reading purpose in your mind – this is what you have to aim at.

The result is that you might worry less about how to improve your reading speed.

Zoom in on your reading intent. Re-focus and re-define what reading means to you. And you’ll notice how your reading automatically becomes more rewarding.

I’ve noticed monumental changes to my own reading that go beyond just the basics: speed, comprehension, and retention.

The trick is to widen your curiosity for reading – and not focus on increasing the number of books you read every week/month/year.