Arif Patel from Dubai explains How he read books and how we should too:
In order to get the best out of any book, here, I am listing some points from my experiences, that I stick to every single time when I read a book.
- Always keep a Pen/Pencil while you read. This is the most important point and it can benefit you a lot. Highlight words, sentences, and paragraphs that you think are noteworthy, This is a really productive habit. It will also give you a quick review of the book when you’ll read it for the second, third, or the Nth time.
- Write one page summary of each chapter. You can do this after completing a chapter. This will make one more clear about one’s thoughts and will help to understand the lessons, concepts, messages that the author wants to convey. It will also improve one’s writing skills.
- Self-talk. Pause at regular intervals and self-talk. You may agree or disagree with a particular topic. This will surely force you to think, increasing, and polishing your thinking skills. Also, ponder over areas in your life where you can apply the learnings from the book.
- Use newly learned words in your daily life. Doing this, you will gradually improve your speaking and writing skills. It will also boost up your confidence.
- Read with a mindset of learning something new and more importantly, implementing those learnings in your life. I genuinely believe that all the wisdom/knowledge/values that we gain from a book, we should try to implement them in our daily life. Many people read a book just because they want to increase the stack of so-called ‘finished books’. Don’t do that.
- Watch videos, read blogs that summarize the book. Doing this, you will be much more clear about your thoughts on the book.
- Re-read. If you have finished a book, read it after one month, two months, or maybe after 3 months again. We all know that the human mind is so rapid in forgetting things. So, in order to avoid it, we’re only left with one choice that is reread. Rereading a book will help you revise the concepts/messages conveyed in the book. Also don’t think when you are rereading a book, you’re wasting your time. In fact, you are getting better and better with each line read.
Well, reading is one of the best habits that we can adapt to. And above-mentioned points can be really beneficial and help one grow exponentially.