When I talk to people regarding reading they always tell me one of the biggest obstacles they are confronted with when they start to read is their focus and concentration. They are so easily distracted. Their mind starts to wander off and they cannot seem to remember what they have just read in the last paragraph or even on the last page.
This is a drill I’ve started with when I got back to reading more five or six years ago. It’s called Einstein’s drill for concentration. I’ve forgotten where I first heard or read about it. I cannot even be sure if it is really an Einstein’s drill but the main thing is that it works great. I can now easily read hundred pages of an averaged size book without any loss of focus. Forget all those complicated speed reading drills. Start with this and you will transform your reading experience.
Before you begin you will need to get an alarm clock and a pencil.
1. Set an alarm clock for 5 minutes and start reading a book of your choice.
2. Whenever you experience that your mind has started to wander off hold your finger on the place in the text and make one small I or X on the bottom of the page or a separate piece of paper.
3. Say out loud: »I won’t be distracted by that any more.« and continue reading the text where you left off.
4. Repeat the last two steps everytime you experience a distraction.
5. When alarm clock rings, count the number of marks you have made.
You should repeat the drill until you cannot be distracted in a certain time frame any more. Start reading where you left off and I guarantee every time your distractions marks will be fewer. Once you are able to read without any distraction you should increase your time by a few minutes.