There are no short cuts when it comes to understanding, absorbing and implementing what you read and if you are reading a powerful book that could impact your life, then you want to get into the habit of reading it twice and taking your time to get the most out of the experience.

I’m a big believer in what I call “the long cut” and that carries through to most things I teach and share through my Before5am brand and reading isn’t any different.

Below, is a list of 3 tips that will help you when it comes to reading and absorbing information and knowledge:

1. Read the same book more than once

My rule of thumb is to read a book for the first time for pleasure and as soon as you finish it, turn back to page one and read it again. Doing this, you will be able to fully comprehend and understand the ideas and strategies that are being shared in that book. Always take notes. Grab a hi lighter and don’t be afraid to mark things up in your book.

Think of reading a book as a project. Write important sections down, hi light your favorite quotes from the book. After each chapter, write down on a piece of paper what that chapter was about and what you learned. Find a way that you can implement that chapter into your life or how it is relatable to you.

“A house without books is like a room without windows.” – Horace Mann

2. Make reading work for you

Now I know some of you struggle with focusing for any real length of time, especially when it comes to reading a book, mainly because there are no special effects and no surround sound to keep you engaged. So you have to make reading work for you.

Sometimes you might have to listen to music while you read or maybe you have to find an environment that is close to home that you feel comfortable reading in. Whatever the case may be, do what works for you and if you can only read 10 pages a day before you lose focus, then just do that.

Get yourself into the right frame of mind for reading. If your phone is the main thing that distracts you, then try turning it off while you read. Limit anything that can cause a  distraction in your designated reading time. Give yourself a chance to escape into the words of the book you are reading. You will absorb much more by doing that.

3. Review the notes you wrote down

Finally, whenever you finish reading a book, invest some time back into going over your notes and expanding upon the ideas and concepts you have just read. Think about how you can modify and apply them to your life, right now. Like everything else in life, you have to learn to adapt it into your life rather than take it literally. This where most people go wrong when reading books. They don’t make what they’ve read relatable to their own life.

The real shortcut to success is reading a book. Take what you’ve read and implement it into your life. Make sure you are absorbing the information that you are reading and are dissecting each chapter to make sure you understood the lesson or strategy. Once you fully understand what you’ve been reading, you will then be able to make it relatable to your life.

“I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book.” – J.K. Rowling

Now that you know how you should read your next book, below I have listed 7 books that you can get started on. These books have changed my life and millions of others around the world. I still read most of these books to this day and I can promise you they won’t disappoint.

7 books that will change your life forever:

• “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho
• “The Richest Man in Babylon” by George S. Clason
• “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
• “Unlimited Power” by Tony Robbins
• “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy
• “Purple Cow” by Seth Godin
• “The 10X Rule” by Grant Cardone

Have you read any of these books? If you have, how have they changed your life for the better? Comment below!