Books and Crossword Puzzles: Part 1 | Travel Research Online

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Books and Crossword Puzzles: Part 1

 

It dawned on me, recently, that these three well-known occurrences have one very important thing in common: More often than not, our primary objective is to get to the end of them. When you stop to think about it, this behavior is extremely counter-productive. Let me see if I can explain my position.

You buy a book or are told to read one in school. The first thing you do is turn to the Table of Contents to see what lies in store for you. You might also flip to the back to see what kind of investment you are about to make time-wise, as you see this baby has 465 pages of ink. (Yuk!)

You begin your journey and soon find yourself seeking logical stopping points. For many, this is at the chapter’s end. For others, it is on any page that ends with a period.

You are making good progress. You are already on page 137 and you are either heavily engrossed in the plot by now or you have learned a few new skills. You have only 228 pages to go. “I can knock this baby off in no time.”, you say to yourself as you turn off the light and adjust your pillow.

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On the other hand, doesn’t it make sense to slow your reading down in order to grasp each nuance as it appears in print? Picture the passing scenery and envision the budding relationship in the making. Stop worrying about “finishing” and spend more time comprehending and retaining important concepts. Who cares if you only manage to digest 5-6 pages per sitting? Your goal is not to “finish.” Your goal is to think, concentrate, focus, interpret, analyze, digest, recall, and learn.

Here is a novel idea: If you find a book you thoroughly enjoyed reading, (fact or fiction) read it a second time. The messages and enjoyment received the second time around will be just as exciting… if not more so. As you grow as an individual, your interpretations change to fit your current surroundings.

 

Today’s message: Don’t read for speed. Read to understand and to expand your knowledge base.

In my next article I will share my thoughts in Part 2. Our example will be the crossword puzzle.

 


A headshot of the author, Mike Marchev

Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club. Send for details.

mike@mikemarchev.com

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