Some time ago (2009), Tom O’Connor (of NLP TIMES) did an NLP meta-program modelling on my speed reading strategies. You can read it here: NLP Meta-Programs and Speed Reading / Spd Rdng Part 1
Obviously, I’ve been fine-tuning my speed reading skills to a much higher level since then. Hence this blog where we’re going to crack it for you so you don’t have to. This time, Tom asked me a few, high voltage questions to get his speed reading skills to my super-duper speed reading level.
Firstly, if you’re new to speed reading, since 2009, I’ve probably speed read at least 12 000 books and texts. I’m not saying that to impress you (not at all) – but to impress upon you – that you can too with some basic speed reading skills, strategies and skills (that you can learn from our speed reading books and speed reading courses). It might seem a lot – 1000+ books/year (not for me), if you’re an average reader (who reads less than 55 books/year ie one book/week, which should be the minimum – you should aim at, at least 1 book/day in 20-minute speed reading session = 365 books/year). Actually, research suggests that in the UK, only 41% of the population reads more than 15 books/year.
Here are the general principles to Tom’s NLP modelling questions… (all his questions are at the end of the blog with my specific answers)
Top super-duper speed reading tips (mostly for factual books)
• Read more – anything
And most people do read more now, without realising it – any reading counts, even signs, cornflake packaging and restaurants’ menus. The more you read, the bigger your schema (your total knowledge, wisdom, etc) in your mind/brain. For the record, I don’t read lots of novels – probably half a dozen/year. I used to though, and I highly recommend reading novels, ‘slowly’ for pleasure and fun or to kill time, which research confirms will help you build your emotional intelligence, resilience and survival skills. Books are tools of recognition – a way of recognising where you are as a human being. The word ‘reading’ is an interesting one – you read to understand the text and you’re doing ‘reading’ on the text ie through your own interpretive modes of perception. Read more is speed reading technique #36 in our Spd Rdng System.
Also, recognise that you already have some speed reading skills such as speed-reading newspapers, using a dictionary and searching the Internet.