Read to Improve Skills

This post is labeled under Personal Development

When I started to work (and began to get bored), I was looking for ways to improve myself. Internet on that time was not yet in full swing and its information was very limited. I considered enrolling on short courses aligned to my profession but I cannot afford the seminar fees since I earned less then. My last option is to improve my skills is through reading. Books, journals, and magazines remain the cheapest option to educate self.


But I had a reading problem then. Never did I finish a good book read after graduating from college. I used to read with my lips and not with my eyes alone that slowed my reading pace. Reading made me snooze faster before even completing page one. It took time before I corrected these problems.

Do you have this kind of problems too? You may follow the steps that helped me to improve my reading ability:

1. Start on reading short articles first. Try to select subjects that interest you most. Short anecdotes or articles printed on magazines (such as Reader’s Digest) or broadsheet newspapers offer condensed content which interest all age group. Newsweek and Times magazine are good source of content-enriched topics that update you on worldwide events. The best thing is you can easily borrow these materials for free on your local libraries.

2. Read with your eyes only. I often caught my students murmuring while reading. They often complain that they cannot understand what they read if they fail to open their mouths. I think we could root this problem on our education system where we were forced to read aloud in a class during our primary years of learning. A habit we brought as we grew older.

You don’t need to hear everything you read. This slows you down. The key here is you read by phrases instead of word-by-word style. You read as if you are on a normal conversation. Try to imagine you are listening to author’s train of thoughts as you read through each line.

As you become professional on your own field, it would be a complete turn-off if one is caught reading through lips. Do at all cost to correct this problem. You never want to be laughed at, do you?

3. Stand while you read. Remaining standing assures that you won’t fall asleep. Experts say comprehension is increased if you read on a standing position. Read while you stand stimulates the brain to function more. Health experts say it burns calories too.

While sitting position is the next best option, lying down on couch or bed is the poorest. This is a sure fire formula to make you fall asleep faster.

4. Make reading a regular habit. If you haven’t tried to finish a book yet, visit a bookstore nearby and grab a copy now. Try subject that suits your interest. When I was attempting to buy a good book, I tried Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I enjoyed reading it and still apply the principles it contain.

Never force yourself just to read. View immense reading as a form of entertainment. Set aside time on when you can do it leisurely. As you commit to the habit, I will assure you that reading is much entertaining than viewing a Hollywood-blockbuster movie.

I used to be timid when attending a gathering. I often associated myself with geeks where we just sit and listened as the events unfolded. After finishing couple of books, I began contributing on conversations where I normally just listen. Little that I know of, my confidence grew and able to speak to different kinds of people. Soon people want to be sure of my attendance when important events are happening: a “life of the party” you may say.

My former German boss often asked me to speak on his behalf. Writing in general improved greatly. As I communicated effectively, more things were done. I was doing more presentations that led me to a teaching career.

You, too, can achieve more than these. Happy reading!