How To Help Your Mojo By Reading More

Reading For Better Mojo

There are many reasons to read and many websites detailing them.  In a previous post, I gave my list of the top eight books to increase mojo.  You can read these or whatever else you want. Don’t worry if your reading is slow.  Some people (the lucky ones) read much faster than average, some with excellent retention.  I believe retention is the true mark of proper reading.  This is why speed reading classes measure retention as well as speed.

William F. Buckley Jr. was a slow reader, yet overcame this characteristic to understand  a broad variety of subjects. His knowledge was both broad and deep, and ranged from politics, to celestial navigation, to playing the music of J.S. Bach on the harpsichord.

The easiest way to make your reading smoother is to create a proper reading environment.  First of all, you don’t want to be distracted.  I recommend turning off music, television, radio, and any other source of audio distraction.  The brain can't concentrate if it is bombarded by inputs. Studies show that multitasking is a myth.  Instead, the brain will switch from one task to another as quickly as it can, sometimes undetected.  This is known in computer science as context switching. Humans can do this, with limits. But their brains, like a computer’s CPU, can only work on one thing at a time.Your best bet is to give your brain only one thing to do, read.

The next most important thing to consider is your reading comfort.  I’m talking about your body position, mostly. You should read in a comfortable position to get the most out of your time.  Don ‘t lean over or lie down when you want to be comfortable. These are both ways to invite distraction into your reading.

Along the same lines, noise can be a distraction.  I mentioned music, TV and radio, but barking dogs, people talking, lawn care machines, and other noises can disturb your peace and quiet, making reading harder.  Don’t expect to be able to concentrate if these noises are present.

Like noises, bad smells can distract you from reading.  I won't go into each individual's preferences for smells, but suffice it to say that if you notice a smell that you think is bad,  you can’t concentrate on reading..
As someone with low vision, I can personally attest to the fact that sufficient amounts of light make reading easier (less eye strain).  Have special places for reading in which the lighting is good.

I have mentioned that different people read at different speeds.  Going too fast (skimming) is actually bad for retention. It is better to read slowly and concentrate more, asking yourself questions like: is this answering my questions, what are my questions, what are the author’s points, etc.  Do not try to read too fast. Speed will improve as you become more familiar with the material. 

You have my suggested reading list from an earlier post.  In addition, you might want to consider these:

These are just a few to get started.  They can help your mojo, as can many others.

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