BFW: How to Absorb More Information When Reading Nonfiction Books

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Dear Reader,

When you decide to read a nonfiction book, do you simply open the book and start reading?

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This is a very important question. To absorb more information from the books you read, it’s important for you to prepare your mind first. I can hear you thinking, “What does she mean by preparing your mind? Don’t you just start reading the book? No, there’s a process to follow, so you get more from your reading time.
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Welcome to another edition of Brain Food Wednesdays, your weekly intellectual feast. In this edition, issue 216, we dive into how to prepare your mind before reading.
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How to Prepare Your Mind Before Reading a Book

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1. State your purpose for reading.
2. Identify the outcomes you want after reading.
3. Craft the questions you want the nonfiction book to answer.
4. List five challenges and issues you’re currently facing.
5. Get into the alpha brainwave state.
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State Your Purpose for Reading the Book
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• Before you read any book, state your purpose for doing so. Do so in one sentence. Having a purpose forces you to focus your reading.
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Identify the Outcomes You Want after Reading the Book
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• Write your outcomes for reading. What do you want to do that you cannot now do?
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Craft the Questions You Want the Nonfiction Book to Answer
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• Many times, when you read a nonfiction book, you have questions you need answers to. Or you have problems you want solved. Crafting questions you want the book to answer, focus your reading, and help you find chapters and sections that have what you need.
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List Five Challenges and Issues You’re Currently Facing
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• Whenever you’re reading nonfiction books, keep in mind challenges you’re currently facing. You never know when you’ll have an ‘aha’ moment. Ideas can hit you suddenly.
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How to Get Into Alpha
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You absorb more information and remember more of what you read when you’re in the alpha brain wave state. In alpha, you’re relaxed yet alert. Both sides of your brain are engaged and you’re using your whole brain. Whenever I teach Applied Knowledge is Power, I start the training with a five-minute meditation. This allows participants to experience what it’s like to be in alpha.

Focus on Your Third Eye

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There are a few ways to get into alpha. Years ago, when I took the High Speed Learning course, the instructor, Lydia Danner, taught us to look up and focus on the space between your eyebrows, which is the third eye. When you feel a sensation, you’re in alpha. That was back in 2006. Since then, I’ve learned a lot more that I’m going to teach you today.
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Do Brain Gym Exercises
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To get into alpha, you can do brain gym exercises. Jumping jacks, marching band and crossovers are common brain gym exercises. Do an internet search and you’ll find many more.
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Listen to Binaural Beats Audio
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Another option to get into alpha is by listening to binaural beats audio. I do this all the time and find myself in a state of flow where I get so much done. Here are some I recommend and I have tried all of them. Wear stereo headsets when you listen to the audio.
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iPhone/iPad​
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• Brain Wave 35 Binaural Programs
• Brain.fm – Focus Music
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Android​
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• Brain.fm – Focus Music
• Brain Waves Pro
• Binaural Beats Study Music
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Conclusion

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The next time you decide to read, make sure you prepare your mind first. In other articles, I’ll write about the next steps in the nonfiction book reading process.
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​Sign up for my membership site Art of Learning Leadership Academy​
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Warm regards,

Avil Beckford

Editor, Brain Food Wednesdays

Founder, The Invisible Mentor & Art of Learning Leadership Academy

​theinvisiblementor.com artoflearningleadershipacademy.com​

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