One of my goals this year is to read less but retain more from that reading. I know reading less sounds like an unadmirable goal. But I consume so much that I experience diminishing returns. So while I haven’t done particularly well on reading less (darn that Libby, the quick-and-easy app for checking out library ebooks), I have made some genuine progress on retention, thanks to some great apps. Leaning on them, I’ve adopted several new practices to get extra mileage from what I read.
Save for later
My practice: There is so much content online that all day long I stumble upon articles I’d love to read. To avoid rabbit holes and remain focused on my work, I save articles to read later. For this, I use the free version of Pocket. When I see content that looks interesting—whether an article, a tweet, or an email—I click on Pocket’s Chrome extension or the phone Share button, which saves it for later. I can even tag it for topic or priority. Then, I reserve time for reading later in the week, when I can sit in a focused manner, go to Pocket, and read through what I’ve saved. This is the way I collect stories to share in my weekly newsletter (sign up here to check it out!). Throughout the week I save any articles relevant to my audience, and as I prepare the newsletter, I just sift through what I’ve collected via Pocket.
Bonus: Sometimes, by the time I get around to reading, an article no longer interests me. I just delete—time saved!
Review highlights
My practice: My most impactful new habit by far is highlighting. This is particularly useful in ebooks. I primarily read books now using the Kindle app, where you can highlight and notate, all of which is saved apart from the book. You can then export with these steps. Not exactly a no-brainer, but doable. Far easier is the Readwise app. The monthly cost ($8.99) is totally worth it to me, and there’s a generous 30-day free trial for a test run. Readwise automatically collects your highlights and organizes them. Then it will push them to you for review via email in intervals you select, such as daily or weekly. Personally, I prefer to just read through them on the site. Also, I recently connected my Notion workspace to Readwise, so it syncs them there automatically, too. This has been a game-changer in keeping everything from new concepts to beautifully written sentences in my consciousness long enough for full absorption.
Bonus: Covers! I know it sounds crazy, but I read so much that I often go blank when asked, “What have you read lately?” In Notion, the highlights are organized by the book covers in neat rows. I find this layout super-useful to actually remember at a glance the books I’ve read during the year.
Explain it
My practice: A new interest in space, astrophysics, and the cosmos has me reading some dense books and articles on these subjects. Some of the information is pretty hard to wrap the mind around! When I come upon a particularly interesting, challenging or surprising concept, I will make a mental note to share this in conversation. Every morning, my husband and I take a long walk together for exercise. A side benefit is that we have plenty of time for rambling conversations. I will make a point to tell him about that fascinating fact. In attempting to explain a complex subject, I find I can grasp it myself on a much deeper level.
Bonus: I do the same for dinner conversations with our teenage son, especially when the concept connects with a subject he’s studying in school like economics or physics. This makes for stronger family bonds, while it cements what I’ve read.
My next challenge will be to more consistently use the Farnam Street blank sheet reading technique, which I’ve only done once. Basically, before beginning the book, you jot down everything you know on the subject. Before each reading session, you review, then afterwards add what you learned in that session. Not only does it build in the habit of review, but the result is a non-linear, at-a-glance sheet of notes.
We’re so lucky to be in the information age, but absorbing that information has never been more challenging. It’s a proverbial fire hose, so tempting to drink from! These new practices have helped me internalize what I’ve read on a much deeper level. Now, on to cutting my reading list….