On August 17 and 18, 2010, Abby Marks Beale (author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Speed Reading) will be instructing Freedom Personal Development’s Reading Smart- Speed Reading Workshop – at the Crowne Plaza in Cromwell, CT.
If you have not yet reserved your seat, please Read More...
On July 20 and 21, Leah Simpson and I will instructing Freedom Personal Development’s Reading Smart Speed Reading Workshop at the Marriott Executive Park in Charlotte, NC.
If you have not yet reserved your seat, please enroll today (online or by phone 888-233-0407) – Read More...
Learn How To Spend Less Time Reading More
I am not surprised when people in my reading smart workshops tell me they tend to fall asleep while they read, especially work or study material.
My first question to them is “Where do you read?” Many of them say they read in bed, others say they read on a comfortable couch or their favorite reclining chair. Well, hello?! Think about it! If you are reading in these locations, then you might just be TOO comfortable!
Reading work or study material in a comfortable place is not the ideal place to expect to get a lot Read More...
Myth –It is impossible to read a whole Sunday newspaper, on Sunday! Did you know that a daily edition of a big city newspaper contains approximately the same number of words as a typical novel? And the Sunday edition contains the same number of words as four to six novels! No wonder you may feel overwhelmed by reading an entire Sunday newspaper!
Truth – You CAN read an entire Sunday paper, if you are very judicious with how you spend your time. Here is an easy-to-follow process:
1. Get rid of the clutter
Start your process by getting rid of the unwanted circulars and sections that you don’t need or want to spend your time on. They get in your way and distract Read More...
Mentally, quickly fill in the blank of the following statement with a word or words that best describes your reading ability:
I am a __________ reader.
Your response will most likely fall into one of two major categories: negative or positive. Some negative terms I typically hear from people in my workshops include “slow”, “lazy”, “overwhelmed” or “frustrated” while the more positive ones include “good”, “avid”, or “voracious”.
Whatever your attitude, it makes sense that those with a more negative attitude typically read less and find reading to be more boring and a chore. Those with a more positive attitude then Read More...
Many people learn how to read by sounding out words and hearing them in their head. This works well for learning words but not for reading faster. Once you have a solid sight vocabulary, you do not need to read every word.
Pure subvocalization, also know as mental whispering or hearing all the words in your head as you read, slows down your reading speed. An average untrained reader has an average reading speed of 250 words per minute; however, mental whisperers average only 100 to 150 words per minute. We CANNOT GET RID OF this talking but we CAN REDUCE it.
While subvocalization is useful when reading things like poetry or plays or while studying or memorizing, it slows you down with your other reading.
Try these 10 Read More...
Looking for a great read? Pick up a personal development book and invest in yourself and future.
Do not think you have time to read? Check out our Reading Smart workshop where you will learn how to read faster and increase your comprehension.
Top 10 Personal Development Books
There are tons of personal development or self help books out there. Some are good, some are terrible. So how do you tell the good stuff from the mediocre?
This list will be a great starting point, as it lists and briefly reviews ten of the best personal development books out there. These books cover a wide variety of sub-genres within the personal development area, but all of these can help you Read More...
Have you ever read something but don’t know when, or if, you will ever need to actually use it? And if questioned a few weeks later about the subject, is your memory vague, at best?
Myth – I can’t, nor will I, be able to remember everything I read.
Truth – You will remember what you choose to remember!
There are two factors at play: 1) When you are reading, you don’t usually know when you’ll need the information again. 2) You probably do not use any intentional, conscious, or active strategies to keep your memory fresh.
So what can you do to engage your Read More...
So I’m at a party and someone asks me what I do. If you’re like me, you could say many things! But when I choose to say “I teach speed reading,” the reactions vary though the most common is something like “Wow, I could really use that! Can you tell me how to do it?!” So I’ve gotten pretty good at condensing down the content of my books and 20 years of experience into a very short synopsis. I thought you might have interest, especially if you have always wanted to know a few “secrets” about speed reading.
Your Reading Stick-Shift
I begin by saying that readers really do have a reading stick-shift that consists of five gears with gear one being very slow up through Read More...
By creating a reading list, your reading will automatically become more directed, focused and intentional. By simply creating a list, you stop reading randomly, and start reading with intent. This alone will increase your enjoyment and comprehension.
1. Ask yourself this question: what do you want to know more about? It could be sharpening skills for your professional career, a trend in your industry or a personal development topic. List all the subjects you are interested in.
2. Review your list and pick the top three subjects.
3. Now just for fun, add two more categories – fiction and biography. Why? Because all work and no play makes jack a dull boy. This makes 5 categories.
4. Read More...
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