Ever find your self reading a self-help or business book and thinking to yourself, wow, that’s a great idea. I must try that and then finding that you reach the end of the book and you have forgotten all those things you found in the book that were going to change your life? Do you find yourself starting and taking for ever to finish a book while at the same time finding that you have several books on the go at any one time that are half read?

I was the world’s worst when it comes to reading books / listening to tapes and not applying the learning and principles from the book / tape to my own personal circumstances. I did however identify this as a problem about 12 months ago and since then have been making a conscious effort to change. Here are some of the things I have done and plan to do, to help me get more value from my reading material and tapes.

1. I bought a dictaphone and even if I am in the car, I dictate any learning I get straight away. As part of the dictation I mention the tape or book I am using along with the page number in case I want to reference it later. The dictaphone I have (an Olympus DW-90) allows me to transfer the dictations to my PC so I have a more permanent record of them. The simple fact of me dictating the learning, acts as a very powerful reinforcement and I find I find I retain the learning a lot easier by doing this.
2. I discuss the content of the book or tape with my very patient wife, which forces me to get my taughts in order so I can communicate the message effectively. This is a tough one and I have found myself on occasion suggesting that she just read the book herself when I fail to explain a learning or gem of wisdom properly. This failure is a good indication to me that perhaps I have more to learn from the book.
3. Stick to one book or tape at a time. It is very easy to have 4 or 5 books on the go at any one time and it seems that none will ever get finished. I have a pile of books and other reading literature in my office and any new books I get go to the bottom of this pile. The book I am currently reading gets put on the top of the pile and I discipline myself not to go near the other books until this one is read.
4. As I am writing this a new idea is coming to me, setting a deadline to complete a book would work for me, therefore I commit to finishing my current book – The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle by Friday 1^st September 2007.
5. The penultimate suggestion I am going to make here is something I have not been good at but am committing now to doing it and that is to keep a “Success journal”. In this journal I will document any learning I get from books and tapes and from general life experiences in a secure permanent place that is hard to loose. I did keep a journal in the past but have gotten out of the habit recently to the detriment of my personal growth. As Tony Robbins says “If life is worth living, it’s worth recording”.
6. Finally, this suggestion comes from a good friend and fellow Coach - John Flynn and is to some extent an extention of item 5 above. He recommends keeping a notepad handy while you read and to jot down any words or phrases you are having difficulty grasping the concept or meaning of. Quiet often, by taking these words or phrases out of their orignial context and viewing them in isolation can improve learning. This is a new one for me so I am looking forward to trying it out. 

I hope this tips are of use to you. I truly believe that no matter what the book is you are reading, you can always learn something from it. If you are honest with yourself, I would bet that the reason you do not get much value from a book is because you have not taken the time to implement the learning in your business or your life.

Challenge: Take the book that you are presently reading and decide before you read any more to take 3 points of learning from the book that you commit to applying to your life or your business within the next 3 months.

Until next time, good luck and happy reading.

Fergal O’Connor is a Business and Personal Life Coach working in partnership with his Business and Private clients providing a supportive, confidential, challenging and non-judgemental environment to make their ambitions and dreams a reality. Fergal also facilitates a range of Management training programs and is available for public speaking engagements. Fergal can be contacted at Synergy Coaching Services, Tel: (061) 467287, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Web: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Copyright © 2006 Synergy Coaching Services.