Declutter: Reading Fast & Effectively

(FYI: ironically showcasing a series of books that I want to read but have yet to get to it haha)

It's weird that I'm categorising reading under the label - declutter. However, the reason why I'm putting this under the declutter category is that we (or least I) tend to get extremely distracted when it comes to reading: thoughts such as 'I want to finish this book quickly', 'this paragraph is hard to digest', 'how many pages are there left to this chapter or book', 'I want to read another book', unconsciously checking social media, etc., constantly gets in the way of you fully enjoying the book or even the very least, finishing it.

I was never a reader for a good 25 years of my life, the only books I read were textbooks, but my friend Jing Ting got me started on reading and now I enjoy it so much I even take time off to read. And I surprise myself so many times the speed I'm turning pages. I try to finish reaching each book within 1-2 weeks. It has been life changing. 

I'm no reading guru, I just started, but I feel here are a few key points that enabled me to be fully immersed in books and read effectively:

1. Be fully present when reading.
2. Read each single word in the book. Rather than trying to rush to complete a book by skimming through. I know it's counterintuitive, but this creates a flow and momentum when you read through a state of understanding each text.Whenever you start skimming through again, pause and start each word slowly again.
3. Have multiple copies of the book in places where you find instant gratification: This works for me - a very distracted person - completely. I have a book close to my bed and e-books on my computer and my phone through (Apple) Books
4. Extra: I try to read 2 books simultaneously, one easy read and one heavy on content. This way, I keep my reading momentum going when content gets too heavy and I enjoy the entire process.