How To Finish Reading A Book

Reading is a skill that needs to be developed or groomed. If you want to be a good and fast reader, you can only be that with intentionality and focus. Otherwise, you will find yourself starting to read a number of books without successfully finishing any of them. Finishing a book you read gives you a level of satisfaction, and helps you feel more confident in yourself. The following strategy is a proven way to successfully finish any book you read.

You must know why you are choosing a book to read. Ask yourself questions about why you are reading that book, and what you intend to do with the information you gather. You can successfully finish your academic lecture notes because you are certain that tests and examinations will come up and you will be forced to recollect what you have read, so you read some materials more than once. This means that you can finish a book, you just need to learn to exercise the same level of deliberation in the book you are currently reading.

If you have no benefit or motivation from a book you have chosen to read, best believe that you will experience a lot of trouble trying to complete it.

Get a preview

Most times, it helps to preview the information or get a summary of the book you are about to read. This gives you something to look forward to, as you read. If you are not enticed or excited by the preview, do not bother to begin the book.

Focus on keywords

One limitation to finishing a book is boredom. You get bored when you focus on words you do not understand. You do not have to read every word in the book, just focus on keywords and you will still make out the meaning of the sentence. Except the reason for reading the book is to improve in vocabulary, focus on keywords and enjoy your reading.

Have you ever been absentminded when reading that you had to go back and reread a sentence or even a whole chapter? Reading requires concentration and to finish reading a book, you must put in effort. Minimize distractions, both internal and external, and do not let your thoughts wander as you read. Once you catch yourself wandering, return immediately to reread what you have missed until you train yourself to be more present.

Write a summary

Writing a summary gives you an action point to engage in, which will propel you to finish a book. Sometimes, you might have to put in accountability measures so that you can complete the task of reading until the end. If you set yourself up to constantly put up reviews of books you read, you will be more enthusiastic about finishing the book, than you imagined.

Finally, take breaks. As much as you want to finish a book in a limited time, take breaks so your mind can appreciate the information you have just consumed. Give yourself time to relax and recharge, which invariably improves comprehension and makes reading enjoyable.

If you have abandoned books, or have given up on reading entirely, now is the time to return to that book and focus until you get it done and over with. Put up your reviews on your social media platforms and watch how others benefit from your diligent practice of finishing a book you have decided to read.