This week at the business coaching headquarters, Clay taught us all how to read a book. I know what you’re thinking…” How to read a book” isn’t that more of a lesson for someone in preschool or kindergarten? However, Let me elaborate, it is important to know how to read and retain the information in a book instead of simply just reading the words and then promptly forgetting everything after you close the book. Clay stressed the importance of always reading a book to the business coaching team. He pointed out that making reading a part of your schedule will help you learn, keep you moving forward, and prevent you from becoming a dull human being. He broke down the process of reading, understanding, and retaining a book into 5 simple steps.
- Circle words you don’t know: It is just what it sounds like. If you come across a word while reading, take a moment to look that word up. Not only will this expound your vocabulary it will also help you to more fully understand what the author is trying to convey.
- Pause and Marinate: When you are reading a book and a knowledge bomb is dropped or the author says something that really resonates with you, take some time to reread it and just ponder it. Reading a book is typically not a race, take your time and marinate on those words!
- Mark that book up: A controversial idea, I know. That is because in public school they want the books to last for decades so that they don’t have to spend the money to replace them. So what do they do? They teach us that writing in a book is pretty much blasphemy. You aren’t supposed to doggy ear, highlight, or write in them. Ever. Well, I got news for you. To effectively read a book you need to mark that up! Doggy ear your favorite pages, highlight, take notes, tab it. Whatever you want to do. By physically rewriting the jist of a paragraph, or highlighting a sentence you create a neural pathway that will help you retain the content.
- Create a time and place for reading: As we all know what gets scheduled gets done. So block some time out each week for reading. Furthermore, create a space that you can focus on reading. Don’t try to watch tv and read at the same time. Don’t read while lying down if you know you are going to fall asleep. Create a space that eliminates distractions and allows your whole mind to focus. For example, Clay kicks everyone out of his man cave and blasts theta waves.
- Only read beneficial books: Use your scheduled time wisely. Read biographies, how-to books, and other non-fiction books to help you progress towards success. I’m not saying that you can’t ever read fiction books again. I’m only saying that that needs to be a separate thing. Rereading The Hunger Games for the tenth time is not going to benefit your life in any way other than just pure entertainment.
Reading as a new mom has definitely been a challenge for me. I used to read before I went to bed but now if I sit down and start reading at the end of the day, I am out in minutes. I had to adjust and reschedule my reading time. Clay’s advice further cemented the importance of making reading happen, no matter how busy the schedule. As a business coach, I also see business coaching clients struggle to find time to read. That where I typically encourage getting up an hour earlier. What a great way to start the day!
