Want to know how to get the most out of every book you read? Since starting PropelHer’s Book Club in 2016 my passion for non-fiction books has grown in strength and the number of books I’ve read has grown considerably. However, reading a book and getting the most out of a book are two very different things. Over the years I’ve learnt a thing or two about getting the most out of the books I have read. Keep on reading to find out my top 5 tips to get the most out of every book you read.
5 TIPS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF EVERY BOOK YOU READ
1 – Have a purpose for reading the book
The first step of getting the most out of the books you read is to ensure you set a purpose for reading a book before you start it. Maybe there is something happening in your life and you want a book to help you straight away. Or maybe you are looking for an introductory book to give you an overview of a topic before reading other books that will give you an in-depth look at a specific angle. Understanding why you are reading a book will help you to read attentively and with purpose.
2 – Underline, highlight and/or make notes as you are reading
Another way to get the most out of every book you read is to underline, highlight and/or makes notes as you are reading. Now the thought of underlining or highlighting a book might make you feel sick. I used to feel that way for many years and would write notes on post-it notes and stick them into the book. How you make the notes matter less than the actual notes. Even if the book isn’t yours you can have a notebook and write notes in that as you are reading.
The point is you want to be taking notes in real-time. You can’t rely on reading the whole book and remembering the important bits. Instead, you should be taking notes throughout, so you don’t miss anything.
3 – Write a summary once you’ve finished reading the book
It is easy to finish a book and move on to the next, but if you want to get the most of the books you read once you’ve finished a book you should write a summary. If you’ve been taking notes throughout that should help you with the summary. A summary of the book will help you to condense the key points from the book. This will help you to remember what you have read, as well as enable you to have a summary to refer to if you consider re-reading the book in the future.
4 – Create an action list for yourself
In addition to writing a summary, you should create an action list for yourself. Whilst the summary you have created will enable you to have an overview of the book it won’t necessarily help you to implement what you’ve learnt. Depending on your situation you can read the same book at different times and leave with different action lists.
You are reading this blog post because you want to know how to get the most out of every book you read and creating an action list is probably the number one way to do that. Write a list of all of the lessons you want to implement. To take it a step further set a time for when you will complete the actions by.
5 – Discuss what you have read with others
If you want to go further and get more out of the books you read then the next step is to discuss what you have read. Discussing with others not helps you to recall information, but talking about a specific book with others who have read it will enable you to gain other perspectives and gain insights that you might have missed when you were reading the book by yourself.
If you want to find others to discuss books with consider joining a book club, like PropelHer’s Book Club. PropelHer’s Book Club is women-only non-fiction book club. Books are chosen specifically to support personal growth and professional success. You can see all of the books that PropelHer’s Book Club has read so far here. To find out more about becoming a member sign here.
That’s it! You now know my top 5 tips to get the most out of every book you read.
Reading and implementing what I have read has changed my life. I hope by following these tips you manage to get more out of the book your read and it has a positive impact on your life too.
If you have found another way of getting more out of the books you read please share your tips in the comment below.
