Is Speed Reading Worth It?

There are many things you can do with your time. One of the things that will benefit you is learning how to read faster. So… YES, speed reading is worth it. Learning how to read faster is one thing that helps you change your life for the better!

The beauty of it is that you don’t need to take a course to increase your reading speed. Start reading, and you become a faster reader. When people are in college, they often achieve their highest reading speed. This is because this is a time they read a lot.

And even if you choose to pursue a higher, or perhaps doubling of your reading speed… it is most definitely worth the investment. You save time when studying and at work. When you invest in training, you often make your money back in a few months or even weeks!

Worth it	not worth it
if you want to read a lot	when you are an occasional reader
when you study	when you don’t need to read
when you read too slow
there is too much to read (and not enough time)
for information managers (aren’t we all?)
when you don’t focus enough when reading

Is speed reading a waste of time?

Speed reading is not a waste of time. If you have to read, you should be reading faster. When you read at least one hour per day, you can get back 15 minutes of that time. Remember, your brain can process information at higher speeds. The only waste of time you now have is not reading faster. 

Let me explain why you are not wasting your time. Imagine you want to learn how to read faster. You buy a book or invest in a course. You use 5 to 10 minutes every day to train yourself. After a month, you trained for 300 minutes (or 5 hours). By only reading 25% faster, you get that time back in less than 3 weeks. That is because you save 15 minutes per day reading.

The beauty of training yourself to read faster is this. When you read for work or study, you are also able to train yourself. Each chapter, page, or word you read is training! Your investment of time is paying itself back while reading. That is why I always tell my students to train on their study books. You learn and train at the same time!

QUESTION: How much time are you reading for work and study? How much time would you save by reading 25% faster?

What are the benefits of reading faster?

Let’s be honest, we all like to read faster so we can save time. You can study faster, do your work-related reading faster, or simply enjoy your books as if they are a movie. Reading faster helps us to experience and learn more in less time. 

As I’ve told you before, you don’t need to become a speed reader. Increase your reading speed by 10% or even 25%. You will be able to consume more information faster. Reading a little bit faster will not take a lot of time to learn. Yet the benefits of this are huge.

It all comes down to reading smarter. You can increase your reading speed by 10% by only having more focus. Focus when you read, and focus on what you want to achieve. And the moment you learn how to do just that, you will see that this focus helps you in more areas of your life. 

You can increase your focus, clarity, and confidence. These are some of the things a faster reader can achieve. And it all starts with simply reading more… a little faster. 

QUESTION: What would you like to do with your reading skill when you read 25% faster?

How long does it take to learn to speed read?

Speed reading is not clearly defined (based on numbers). Speed reading for some, maybe normal reading for others. Would you like to learn to read with 1000 words per minute? It might take some time to do that! When you want to improve your reading speed by 10 to 50%, you can do that a lot faster, a few hours to one month.

Let’s have a realistic look at this. It all starts with what you want. A good starting point is for you to increase your reading speed by 20%. Don’t think about reading speed only. Also aim to have better comprehension. After all, reading speed is not the goal. You have to get the information from the book and into your head!

Increase your reading speed and improve your comprehension at the same time. Improving both by 20% does not need to take a long time. With enough focus, you can do this in a few hours. After that, you continue to use the reading routine and become a faster reader. Always be on the lookout for improving your speed. Become a smart reader and a lifelong learner!

TIP: Start training yourself when you read. This way you become better and learn at the same time 🙂

Conclusion

Speed reading is worth it. You can learn to read faster in one hour. After that, you train yourself. You have it in you to become a faster and better reader. Don’t focus on reading speed alone. Speed is not the most important thing. Focus on getting the needed information from your text, and you use it!

If you have any questions about this, let me know. You have it in you to save time and become a better reader.