Ep 621 | How to Remember and Apply Everything You Read

Thank you for joining me today. It's Brian Gubernick, and welcome to the No Days Off Podcast, where we believe that every single day brings a new opportunity to get better. If you've been listening to my show for a while, then you probably know that I'm a pretty big believer in, in learning from people who have already figured things out? Uh, why do the work when there's others that have lived before us and we can draw from their experiences and chart our, our next steps? Well, reading is, is one of the fastest ways to do this, to, to borrow from others, learn from others. I think it's actually a cheat code for saving decades by, by drawing from someone else's experience and doing it in, in, in just a few hours. But reading only matters if you can actually remember and apply what you read. Otherwise, it's entertainment. It's not really education. It's checking things off, but it's not really moving the needle. Today's episode is, is built on some brilliant thinking from a guy named Shane Parrish. We haven't talked about Shane in a little while, but I lean into Shane for some of the mental models that we've discussed here at No Days Off and decision-making. I think Shane is a, is a brilliant guy, and he runs this company called Farnam Street, which is a learning platform that teaches people how to think a little bit better. He's the author of a book called Clear Thinking, and in my opinion, he, he writes one of the best newsletters in the world. He's so good at distilling these complex ideas into simple, uh, usable frameworks. Well, I was reading an essay of his. Ironically, I was reading an essay, and we're going to talk about reading, but one of his essays lays out strategies for getting more from whatever it is you read. And I want to, I want to walk you through some of these strategies that, that I'm borrowing from Shane and, and add my take and, and maybe show you how to turn your reading into a bit more action. Now, there are 4 levels of reading according to Shane, okay? And we tend to treat all reading the same. Maybe we have one speed or one level of attention, and Shane would tell you that's a mistake. Not everything you read deserves equal effort. Uh, Shane describes the following as the 4 levels of reading, and I'm going to go deeper into each. First, Shane talks about reading to entertain. Now, this is where most of us start when we're in elementary school. It's easy, it's fun, doesn't require much thinking. Things like thrillers and novels or even long blog posts, you read some of that stuff for enjoyment. And there's, there's nothing wrong with this level at all. But if everything you read is for entertainment, then you can't really expect to take big leaps in, in your thinking or, or in your skills. Now, quick tip: if this is all you have time for right now, at least be intentional with it. Pick entertainment that is— that still exposes you to good writing or helps you create new ideas or better ideas. So first is reading to entertain. Second is reading to inform. Now, this is quick, kind of surface-level reading where you skim and jump in and out and you just get the gist. This would be like how I read the Wall Street Journal, right? Like I'm just scanning for things that are of interest. Maybe I'll read that particular article a bit more thoroughly, but really I'm just looking for surface-level information and I'm jumping in and out so I know what's going on in the world. So it's perfect for things like newspapers or general business books. Maybe it's industry updates, new topics you're exploring. You're not trying to master any of this stuff. You just wanna know what's going on. Now, the danger here is staying in skim mode too often, because if you get, you know, if you stay in skim mode, you may get the illusion of knowledge without actually getting the depth. So the tip, if you're skimming for information, have a reason for skimming for that information. Know what you're looking for before you open the book or you open the article. Now, the third type of reading is reading to understand. This is what I would call kind of that workhorse level. You're going to go slowly enough to chew on the ideas, take notes, connect them to what you're— what you already know. You stop when something doesn't make sense. You reread it. Maybe you look up some things for extra context. You're not racing to the end when you're reading to understand. You're building comprehension. Most of your serious reading time should probably be here in the reading to understand bucket. This is how you actually internalize lessons. This is where you might want to use a pen or a highlighter or write in the margins, maybe summarize chapters in your own words, because if you can explain it, then you can probably understand it. And then the last bucket of reading is reading to master. Shane also calls this synoptical reading. This is when you want to become an expert on a subject. So you read multiple books and articles on the same topic, you compare what they say, you identify the different contradictions, and you form your own point of view. I think Tim Ferriss, if you're looking for an example, Tim Ferriss is, is a master of this. He, he gets focused on a topic, then he reads everything around it, and he's, and he's not just collecting facts, but he's building mental models that, that integrate everything he's read. So if this is you, if you're reading the Master, pick a subject, make a short reading list around that subject, and work through it deliberately. Maybe even keep a separate notebook just for that topic. Now, when you know which level, which level you're in and you choose it deliberately, you save time, you increase your retention, and you avoid wasting effort when it's not needed. Now, Shane makes a really good point. When he talks about choosing better inputs, what's he talking about? He says, good reading starts with good selection. If your mental pantry, if you will, is full of junk, don't be surprised if your thinking feels scattered. We're wired to chase whatever's new. I mean, I'm guilty of this. New books get marketing hype. The truth is most books don't stand the test of time. So time is the best filter. If a book has been read and loved and recommended for years, if not decades, strong signal that it's probably worth your time. So the rule here around choosing better inputs, read old books. Read old books and read the best ones more than once. Read it twice, read it 3 times. Now, in terms of reading strategy, this might be an interesting one for some of us because it's challenging because we want to finish, but you got to know when to quit. I think it's a big idea. You don't have to finish bad books. Some of you listening to me need to hear that one again. You do not need to finish bad books. See, we're taught from a young age to finish what we start, and I get it, but that rule doesn't serve you when it comes to reading. It really doesn't. Good writing will pull you in. Bad writing starts to feel like a chore. The moment that you're realizing that you're grinding through something that doesn't deliver value, then just quit. Skim a lot, read a few deeply, reread the best ones immediately. Every hour you spend on a mediocre book is an hour stolen from a great one. Now, when it comes to reading, speed doesn't actually matter. Nobody cares how fast you read or how many books you polished off last year. It's silly to go on social sometimes and someone's like, "I've read 30 books on the year," and it's like 3 months into the year and you're like, Okay, well, that's great. But the only thing that I think actually matters is did you absorb all 30 of those books? Did you apply what you were learning? Did it make a difference? Because if it didn't, it's all for nothing. One great book fully digested, in my opinion, can change your life more than scanning 100 books, skimming 100 books. I don't think that you need a complex system to become a better reader. You just need to build the habit. Shane actually suggests trying to read 25 pages a day. That's it. Now, if reading is not a habit for you, maybe start with 10 pages a day. If you're reading 25 pages a day, over the course of a year, that's 9,000+ pages. That's 30 or more books without rushing. Just 25 pages a day. Most of us, if not all of us, have time to read 25 pages. The magic though is not in the page count. It's just showing up every day and making reading part of your routine. Again, this is one of the greatest ways to learn from others. It is, it's almost a cheat code. So I've got an action item for you, okay? I want you to pick a book that stood the test of time. And then decide your level. Am I going to read for, you know, for inform, right? Am I going to read to understand or am I going to read to master? And then I want to see you commit to a certain number of pages per day until it's finished. 25 again is what Shane mentioned, but maybe for you we got to start at 10. 25 pages, 300-page book, you could do the math. It's going to take you 12 days, less than 2 weeks to read the book. 10 pages a day, 300-page book, maybe it takes you a month. But again, remember, we're not reading the knockout books, we're reading with purpose. Now, with respect to this action item, you pick the book, you've decided what level you're gonna participate, you commit to a certain number of pages per day. Lastly, if the book is gold, if you love it, reread it again immediately. If not, if it's not great, you know, it was good, but it was great, then quit and move on. Control your inputs and start to read with purpose. Really, really, really focus on applying what you learn. I think that's how you make reading a tool for change and not just, not just a pastime. That's all I have for you today, the No Days Off Podcast. Thank you so much for listening. And remember, every single day brings a new opportunity to get better. So let's get after it. [MUSIC] [MUSIC]