I LOVE reading.  

Yet, with a successful business and a family to take care of, I found myself with whole weeks when I didn't seem to have the time to read – especially non-work-related reading. I absolutely hated it. Did I mention that I love to read, anything (or almost), and that I am and always have been a voracious reader?  

So I learned a well-guarded secret, an incredibly effective way of having my cake and eating it too: I learned to speed-read.  

I know, I know, it's not really a secret, there are plenty of books and classes on the topic... Yet most people don't seem to know that they can learn it, they think that somehow, you either are a fast reader or a slow reader, and there's nothing you can do about it. The truth is, it's a skill, and like all skills, it can be taught.  

I learned it, and boy am I happy I did! I now spend about a third of the time reading work-related literature than I used to, and I still read and learn more than I did before. In a career where there are no classes, standards or certifications like mine, it's a huge advantage, and it allows me to provide better service to my clients.  

Most importantly, it allows me to *have time to read for fun*. And when I pick up a good fiction book (recently, after resisting it for a long time, I've been delighting in the Harry Potter novels) I can still read it at regular speed, savoring the plot, and sometimes even slowing down to savor the individual sentences. Or speed up my reading when I can't wait to see what happens next and have limited time available. It gives me complete flexibility and control.  

As an expert, I'm not afraid to say that speed-reading is one of the best time management tools you can have in today's information-saturated world. It's given me back time, and it will do that for you too – or it might simply allow you to finally go through this pile of material that you've meant to read for a while.  

Yours in Daily Mastery,
Karin
Fabulously40 Time Management Expert
www.DailyMastery.com