Learn, Share, Grow - Tips to Be a Better Reader

Below is a lesson from Daniel Pink on becoming a better reader, as well as our key learnings.

The Blue Courage team is dedicated to continual learning and growth.  We have adopted a concept from Simon Sinek’s Start With Why team called “Learn, Share, Grow”.  We are constantly finding great articles, videos, and readings that have so much learning.  As we learn new and great things, this new knowledge should be shared for everyone to then grow from. 

Daniel Pink - four pieces of advice that will make you a better reader

I’ve written five New York Times bestsellers and read thousands of books.

Along the way, I’ve learned a few things about how reading actually works.

Here are four pieces of advice that will make you a better reader.

First, torture your books. Crack the spine. Underline. Write in the margins. Books are not precious objects. They are tools for thinking. The more you engage, the more you remember.

Continue reading here.

Key Learnings:

• Engage actively with books by writing, underlining, and annotating—this is how ideas stick.

• Give yourself permission to quit books that aren’t working; your time and attention matter.

• Capture highlights and notes in one trusted system to build a reusable knowledge base.

• Read deeply in your primary field while also reading widely to broaden perspective.

• The goal is not to read more books, but to remember and use what you read.

More tips from the added video in his post:

• Mark up your books—active engagement improves understanding and memory.

• Summarize each chapter in a few sentences to deepen learning.

• After finishing a book, identify the big idea, the evidence, and one action to take.

• Capture highlights and summaries in one place to build a personal knowledge system.

• Reread important books—new stages of life create new insights.

• Read deeply in your field and broadly outside it to spark creativity.

• Quit books that don’t serve you; time is limited.

• Read at your own pace and for pleasure—reading should create insight, not stress.