So there you have it. More than 30 books, in slightly more than 30 days. Yet, I've kept going. That was the key. That is the key to anything you want to achieve. You have to focus on the prize and each day or every few days, do something towards that goal. That isn't as easy as it sounds sometimes. I have read a variety of books in a variety of settings and situations with a variety of success. Yes, my motivation has waned sometimes, I've questioned was I doing it right. Lots of internal chatter Where is my aha moment?
So What Do I Think?
PhotoReading holds great promise. I think on the whole it delivers what it sets out to achieve. I think before you begin to use the process or learn it you must realise several things.
- It is not difficult it is just something new.
- It still requires that you to sit with a book, work and or play with a book to get the most out of it. You will still need to put in some effort and time. By learning the system you curtail the amount of time that, that work takes.
- It does not give you photographic memory recall about a book due to a new reading technique.
- It is to allow you to get the information that you need in the time that you have available. Sometimes the information isn't directly in the book, yet it points you in the right direction.
- One sitting with a book, doesn't always mean you'll get everything from the book that you need to get.
- The process revolves around your belief in yourself, whether you believe a techniques like this can work for you and your relationships with books.
- Your purpose for reading a book is key to getting the most from a book and thus the technique as a whole.
- Not all of us are going to have a big WOW moment PhotoReading our first book, maybe not even on our first 10 books. Due to this many people stop learning the process. This is when you really should keep going.
I think Paul and his team have done a good job in presenting the information and techniques on the audio series that I have. I think it would be good if they could add something about changing your relationship/perceptions with books. I think many of us come to PhotoReading because we have books that we have to read, not necessarily that we want to read. Therefore our interest level isn't actually that high in a chosen subject or field. Many of us don't read because we want to, we don't like reading, we're not motivated enough to do so or there are things we would rather be doing. Some of us are even afraid of books. Yet, there are things in our lives that really, really interest us. I know there are techniques for taking a feeling or emotion in one area of your life and transferring it to another context or area. Perhaps lead the listener through a process to get excited about a book?
Does It Work ?
Yes, I think it does. It has for me. Not with every book will you get an aha moment or you'll be in the middle of a discussion with somebody and you'll bring to your mind something that you have read. These will happen more and more, the longer and more often you use the process. The whole point of the technique is to get the information that you need in the time you have available. Therefore if you have books to get through that you must read, get on and do it. Do the whole process on each book. If you have to read something, what is the worse thing that can happen? Nothing, yet the beauty is you will have still gone through the books that you have had to read! Once done compare your notes with your colleagues or friends. Ask them how much time they spent with the books.
My Greatest Success To Date
For me my greatest successes so far have been. I've kept going with the system! Hell if somebody else can get a result from it so can I and you. Blogging has been a great motivator as it is not just me that is interested in my results and experiences. Blogging at times as been the only reason I've kept going. A success was certainly whilst PhotoReading at work. I actually think because I very much had to keep to time constraints and my aha moment whilst activating Stuart Wilde's book. I PhotoRead and activated more than 30 books in slightly over 30 days. I have done the math. When I use to commute to work via the trains. I think it would take perhaps some 10 - 15, 30 minutes sessions, give or take to read as 'we are meant to' read a 250/260 page book. With PhotoReading I can go over the same book in 1 and a half hours and get the same level, if not more information out of the same book. I can safely say. I have not before picked up and read 30 books in a year, let alone just over 30 days.
To Accelerate You Success.
From my experience to accelerate your success :
Begin to think you can become a successfully PhotoReader. Before each session, imagine in your mind a successfully session having taken place already. Go over it in your mind, the whole process. What would you see, hear, feel and do? How would you know you have succeeded? Get a physical picture that represents PhotoReading to you. Stick it up somewhere that you'll see it daily. I like the cartoon character on the LSC website. Maybe they could enlarge it and place it somewhere for downloading?
Do the whole process on more than just a few books. When you think you are getting nowhere, you are still getting somewhere. Keep going. That will put you ahead of more than most people? Practise is key.
Information getting and noticing is all down to your purpose. To define or refine your purpose remember these questions :
- 1. What is your ultimate application of this material?
- 2. How important is this information to me in the long run? Is it important or worthwhile to me?
- 3. What specifically do I need to know? What do I want to remember? An overview of specifics?
- 4. How much time am I willing to comment RIGHT now?
PhotoRead a variety of books, in a variety of situations. Different subjects, authours, printed formats and or layouts.
If it is important to you to learn this skill, you'll learn it.
Mind Maps don't have to be perfect. If you think you can't draw check out Visual Thinking: Tools for Mapping Your Ideas by Nancy Margulies. A cracking read and many, many examples of how to draw.
If you have a question, you are not alone. Check out the PhotoReading forums. There are some great people who give up their time to answer many questions. Please use the search facility. Many questions seem to be asked repeatedly. I'm surprised LSC have not done a top ten questions or FAQ.
My Future with PhotoReading
I am currently still performing the PhotoReading step and sometimes, a purpose reinforcement daily on Tim Ferriss' book, The 4 Hour Work Week. The Japanese Language Dictionary, and The Secret. Why? I believe by just doing the photoreading step alone I am absorbing the information, again and again. These are all books that I am wanting to implement and take further, so that I can manifest my other goals quicker and easier. Speak Japanese and be understood by a native within 3-6 months and work from anywhere in the world...happy days.
I'd like to go to the LSC PhotoReading retreat to supercharge my skills and learn from some true PhotoReading Masers and other PhotoReaders. What I have done and learned so far is just the beginning. Then again isn't all learning? It is a skill that I shall continue to use, practise and refine to get the best from.
I wish you all the best on your PhotoReading journey.
So The Next Project
Well, I am umming and arring. Which way to go. It is either something around Tim Ferriss and his 4 Hour Work Week Philosophy ie implementing. Accelerated Learning how to, what I do etc. Or further exploration with the ideas of The Secret. Any preference?
Happy Travels
A
