Speed Learning: 5 Simple Steps To Speed Up Your Reading And Increase Your Productivity

Pick up any biography of a successful person and you’ll find one thing in common – they all attribute their success, in some form or fashion, to what they have learned through books. Knowledge is power. Successful folks know this, and they soak up as much information as possible. Most read several magazines, newspapers and books a week, in order to stay on top of all the information in their field.

For most of us, we would love to develop this habit of learning but we just don’t have time. Between work, home, appointments, and social commitments, reading gets put at the bottom of the list – and our ability to move ahead in our careers is diminished. As the saying goes, leaders are readers.

But there is a way to harness the same amount of power. The secret to the massive success of the brightest and most successful people is their ability to consume large amounts of information, quickly and accurately. They do this through a technique called speed learning.

Speed learning allows you to learn new skills thousands of times faster than normal. It’s been proven to be effective, no matter what your background or how hard you’ve struggled to learn new skills in the past. It allows ordinary people to quickly take in information, understand the concepts and retain that knowledge for future use.

Speed learning is how people can pick up a new language in less than 30 days, how students can learn more while actually studying less, how professionals can master new skills almost immediately. The applications are staggering and the results are long term.

Speed reading is an integral part of the method and something that you can begin implementing today. Here are 5 simple steps to get you started:

1. Eliminate Distractions: In an effort to maximize your efforts, you want to focus exclusively on the material at hand. Find a quiet spot or bring along earplugs to keep the noise at bay.

2. Pay attention: Don’t just read through the material half-heartedly. Laser in on the information and really actively involve yourself in the process.

3. Look over the information before you begin: Take a quick glance through the content. Browse the beginning and closing paragraphs, the chapter titles, the pictures and captions, and anything bolded in the text. Get an overall feel for what the piece is about and the purpose for the writing.

4. Have a strategic goal in mind prior to starting reading: By knowing what you’re looking for before you start, your mind will help you to focus in on the important points and filter out all the non essential information.

5. Don’t read aloud: Most of us do this without even being aware of it. Concentrate on making reading an activity that only involves your eyes and your brain. It takes a little bit of practice but you’ll be surprised how quickly you can change your style of reading – and how much time you save in the process.

Of course speed reading is just the tip of the iceberg in regard to speed learning, but it’s a powerful starting point.

As Jim Rohn, one of the most successful businessmen and personal development gurus stated, “Everything you need for a better future and success has already been written.”

What kind of an impact would it have on your life to be able to take advantage of all that written wisdom quickly, remember it effortlessly, and put it to use almost instantly? Pick up any biography of a successful person and you’ll find the answer to that question.