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I try to do anything I need to do quickly and efficiently so that I can have more time to take it easy when I’m done. inefficiency drives me crazy. I’m a big multitasker where I consider how much time everything I have to get done will take and do things that are passive (doing laundry, running the dishwasher, air drying hair) while doing things that are active and require my direct involvement… I only love wasting my time when it’s something I enjoy and am doing willingly rather than out of necessity.
When it comes to reading I would say that I had hyperlexia as a child and I still read very quickly, with excellent comprehension. most of the time I would prefer to read about something I’m interested in rather than listening to a podcast or video essay about it because I like to actively absorb information and it takes a lot less time for me to do that by reading/I comprehend it better. If I do have to learn something by listening to audio or watching a video about it I will listen on 2x speed LOL
When it comes to reading I would say that I had hyperlexia as a child and I still read very quickly, with excellent comprehension. most of the time I would prefer to read about something I’m interested in rather than listening to a podcast or video essay about it because I like to actively absorb information and it takes a lot less time for me to do that by reading/I comprehend it better. If I do have to learn something by listening to audio or watching a video about it I will listen on 2x speed LOL
Jul 18, 2025
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📚i am just such a SLOW reader. i find myself having to re-read the same sentences multiple times because i don't feel like i'm fully absorbing what i'm reading. and then when i close the book i practically forget everything i just read. i feel like reading would be so much less daunting if i could get through books quicker. is this just a symptom of adolescent + adulthood internet addiction/short-form content fragmenting my brain?!!?!
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📙 not an avid reader (~3-4 books / year, trying to get that number up) but the things that have really invigorated my reading when it feels like a chore to get started:
- reading books that aren’t challenging to start off. all about love and the will to change by bell hooks were the first books i was able to successfully finish in like, years bc her writing style is very colloquial despite the subject matter being very dense. similarly, finding a fun fantasy book (or other genre fiction) to get back in the practice of turning pages and “wanting to find out what comes next” is gonna be paramount to being able to do that for books that are gonna require a little more give from you down the line (haven’t read a physical book in over six months so personally going to start legends and lattes soon to try and trick my brain into not thinking books are time-consuming and scary)
- audiobooks; for me at least reading requires too much visual processing + “sitting still” time that i can’t multi-task and read, so i have to schedule when i’m gonna try and do it (unlike tv where you can have it on in the background as you do dishes or working from home or something and can look up periodically) - taking a chunk of podcast + music time and replacing it with audiobooks has been a game changer bc i now read at the gym, at the office, and in transit <30 min long bc i have to track what station i’m at or see where i’m going
- reading books that aren’t challenging to start off. all about love and the will to change by bell hooks were the first books i was able to successfully finish in like, years bc her writing style is very colloquial despite the subject matter being very dense. similarly, finding a fun fantasy book (or other genre fiction) to get back in the practice of turning pages and “wanting to find out what comes next” is gonna be paramount to being able to do that for books that are gonna require a little more give from you down the line (haven’t read a physical book in over six months so personally going to start legends and lattes soon to try and trick my brain into not thinking books are time-consuming and scary)
- audiobooks; for me at least reading requires too much visual processing + “sitting still” time that i can’t multi-task and read, so i have to schedule when i’m gonna try and do it (unlike tv where you can have it on in the background as you do dishes or working from home or something and can look up periodically) - taking a chunk of podcast + music time and replacing it with audiobooks has been a game changer bc i now read at the gym, at the office, and in transit <30 min long bc i have to track what station i’m at or see where i’m going
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⭐so the funny thing about people who have 100's of books their yearly reads... most likely they don't grasp the book, or reread it, or take notes, or get anything out of it. they take those numbers as a sport, and a competition.
there are definitely outliers to this, but don't let these people force yourself into rushing. that sort of competition kills learning.
if you're wanting to still get stuff out of your media, and increase your consumption rate, my best suggestion is to listen to your brain. what i mean by that is pay attention to your focus. If you feel yourself drifting, slow down. you know your mind the best out of all of us.
you can keep an obsidian vault with your notes. that's what i do. active note taking is something that really helps me grasp the content im consuming. every time something stands out to you, write it down. every once in a while, go back and expand on those blurbs. start thinking and diving into how that quote or idea makes you feel.
that's my method of consuming actively. if i'm being honest, this method has slowed down my reading numbers, but i walk away remembering a lot more.
there are definitely outliers to this, but don't let these people force yourself into rushing. that sort of competition kills learning.
if you're wanting to still get stuff out of your media, and increase your consumption rate, my best suggestion is to listen to your brain. what i mean by that is pay attention to your focus. If you feel yourself drifting, slow down. you know your mind the best out of all of us.
you can keep an obsidian vault with your notes. that's what i do. active note taking is something that really helps me grasp the content im consuming. every time something stands out to you, write it down. every once in a while, go back and expand on those blurbs. start thinking and diving into how that quote or idea makes you feel.
that's my method of consuming actively. if i'm being honest, this method has slowed down my reading numbers, but i walk away remembering a lot more.
May 3, 2025
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It lends a reflective and wistful tone to written communications imo…
Jul 10, 2025
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My dad teases me about how when I was a little kid, my favorite thing to do when I was on the landline phone with somebody—be it a relative or one of my best friends—was to breathlessly describe the things that were in my bedroom so that they could have a mental picture of everything I loved and chose to surround myself with, and where I sat at that moment in time. Perfectly Imperfect reminds me of that so thanks for always listening and for sharing with me too 💌
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