When you look at your home library, do you see books that you’ve read, loved, and COMPLETELY forgotten? I’m talking about the life-changing books that filled you with ideas and are now collecting dust on your shelf. What happened? When I forget books, it’s because I stayed at level 1 of reading comprehension – aContinue reading Do You Forget Books? Try This When You Read.
I just finished a great book, and now the real work begins! I love this part. After reading slowly, the next step is to take notes. All of my favorite passages have been marked. Now I get to go back, review the best ones, and make notes I can use throughout the rest of myContinue reading When I Finish a Great Book
Decide to Be a Note-Taker Let’s assume you want to make notes when you read. How should you go about doing it? First off, it’s important that you decide to take this venture seriously. No more casual notes on loose sheets of paper or random ideas saved to your phone. You need a system ifContinue reading How I Take Notes When I Read a Book
I just got back from a work trip to Chicago, and now I’m staring down the barrel of a week’s worth of emails, to-do list items, and chaos. I had a small panic attack this morning until I remembered my thinking ritual. It’s a morning routine that keeps me out of anxiety land. If youContinue reading Create a Thinking Routine
If you look at your bookshelf, do you see a wall of forgotten books? These might be books you’ve read and possibly even loved, but now you can’t remember what they were about. While you may be able to tell someone the general idea of a book, you struggle with the thought of teaching aContinue reading A Wall of Forgotten Books
When you read a book, you can approach it passively, letting the words wash over you without leaving a lasting impression. Alternatively, you can engage actively by starting a note-taking system. The distinction between making notes and taking notes isn’t originally mine, but it’s a concept worth exploring. If you’re new to this idea, here’sContinue reading Making Notes vs. Taking Notes
I’ve been thinking a lot about my role as a reader. When I spend time with a book, it’s clear that what I get out of it mirrors what I put into it. The more effort I put into my notes, the more the book reveals its secrets. Then I thought, what are the mostContinue reading 3 Questions to Ask When Reading
I hate to admit it, but some days the motivation to read isn’t there. Now, should I read, even if I’d rather take a nap or watch a movie? Let’s discuss. For me, reading takes effort. It’s not a casual, lounge around the house activity (unless I’m reading my beloved fiction at night). Usually, I’mContinue reading Find Your Motivation to Read
Sönke Ahrens, author of How to Take Smart Notes, says, “You can start working and developing ideas immediately by taking smart notes. Complexity is an issue, though. Even if you don’t aim to develop a grand theory and just want to keep track of what you read, organize your notes, and develop your thoughts, youContinue reading The Purpose of Taking Notes
There are a lot of ways to “get through” a book. You can buy the Cliff Notes, watch the movie, get a summary from A.I., listen to it 2X on Audible so that the narrator sounds like a chipmunk – but there’s only one way to absorb a book, and that’s by sitting with it,Continue reading Are You “Getting Through” Books?