On Speed Reading and becoming the perfect version of yourself, how I read a book in five hours!!!

The Challenge

After attempting speed reading for quite a while, and hoping I could finally put it to some use in actually FINISHING one of the books I had started ;) I wrote for myself, a challenge. Start a new book, sit in a chair, and finish it in just a few short hours. No breaks, no getting distracted, no snacking in between, just sitting down and finishing a novel in as short a time as possible.

The book I chose, an interesting one, and one about investing. It was "The Intelligent Investor" By Benjamin Graham, and is a lengthy one to say the least, close to 650 pages cover to cover.

So I sat in my favorite lounge chair and began reading, not saying the words to myself in my head as I sped by page after page, but instead merely viewing them with my eyes, and comprehending them just the same. After an hour, page 150 went by, but it seemed as if I had gotten my groove, I was reading faster and faster with each passing moment.

Leaning back in a chair however was not facilitating the high level I would've otherwise desired to speed read at, and so after reaching page 200 in just a short hour and a half, I decided it was time to move to my kitchen table. I placed the book flat on the desk, and, using my finger as a pointer, began to increase my reading speed even more. By the two hour mark I has more than half way through the book, and in another twenty minutes, just nearing page 400. Another hour passed, and suddenly the speed reading stopped. I found myself thinking about other things as I read the words, and saying the words to myself in my head. I folded the page, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath, reassuring myself that "I'm finishing this book now!"

Just past the three hour mark now, the speed reading continued, and although slowed significantly, I pushed on. Page 490, then page 535, and before I knew it was on page 600 after a long and heartfelt four and a half hours of continuous reading. By this point, I knew I was going to do it. I bit my lip and cranked out the next 44 pages, finishing the book in just 5 hours and fifteen minutes.

Imagine if you could do this!!

Imagine if when your teacher says "read this book by next tuesday" you simply go home, sit on the couch, and read it in four hours. Or if the next time you take a timed exam, you're the first one done with your test because of your newfound persistence and reading speed. The amazing thing, and the shocking truth is, that you CAN do this, and you WILL do this if you so desire. Check out my future speed reading posts for more  details, and until then you can tell the perfect version of yourself that it can thank me later! Chao, and see you in knowledge;)