Own improvement

August 28th, 2008

That was supposed to sound a little like home improvement but you know, about yourself.

There are two things that I’m setting myself goals for, both of which will lead to further goals, well the fulfilment of further goals anyway.

Increasing my reading speed - I’m currently reading the first book in the Saga of Seven Suns which is kind of like a fantasy novel series but science fiction. They are long books, really interesting but long and I have six more to get through after I finish this first one. Thing is it feels like I’m taking forever to read it and that presents problems. One problem is that I get distracted really easily and move on, there are a long list of started but not finished books in my library. The second problem is that I want to read a hell of a lot more and I really want to finish this series (up till the latest book at least). I don’t have enough time to dedicate whole days to this goal.

My current reading speed is around 270 words per minute (wpm). The book that I just picked up from the library claims that I can increase it to about 1000 wpm if I follow its program. Normally I don’t go in for this type of stuff but obviously it works for some people, why not me. My current comprehension levels are around 80% too which I’m not too unhappy with as my comprehension has always been pretty good (for the things I actually set my mind to).

So I’ve done some of the exercises and have already increased or stretched myself to around 314 wpm but my comprehension went way down (probably because the TV is on in the background and I found it hard to concentrate). I’m determined to at least finish the book and see if I can at least get to 600 wpm (although I’ll aim for 1000). I’ll keep you up with that progress.
Drawing perspective - the second thing I’ve decided to work through thanks to a book I found in the library today is a book on drawing proper perspective. It’s a fundamental that often differentiates good artists. I’ve done some perspective stuff in the past and have been lucky in the past. I’ve never really ever dedicated myself to practising it in the past so once again I’m going to work my way through the book and try and imprint it in my head.

I’ll probably post that progress over at the posterous blog.

Anyone else working on any fixer-upper projects on themselves?

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26 Comments

Arjan August 28th, 2008
I would only do such a course for study or work related reading. I’m afraid I won’t enjoy a book as much with speedreading. If I read for fun, I want to take the time to enjoy the book, otherwise I could just read a summary somewhere.

Arjans last blog post..Study avoiding behavior (SAB)

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By Lee on August 29th, 2008 | Reply
Just because you read something slowly doesn’t make it especially ‘fun’. I know people who it takes whole days to read a chapter I doubt they enjoy the process more than me only taking an hour.

With speed reading you are still ‘reading’ the book, just doing so more quickly.

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By Arjan on August 29th, 2008 | Reply
I know that if you read really slow..you won’t enjoy it more.
But isn’t speedreading coming down to almost skimming text if you do it really fast? I’m just worried I will miss the details of the story.

Arjans last blog post..The Fringe (premiere)

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arkonbey August 28th, 2008
I’m drawing every day and really pushing the boundries of my talent making comics (backrounds! Groups of people! Fight scenes!). Not everything works, but, you can’t learn if you don’t fail every now and then.

I’ve also spent the spring analyzing my riding style. Really paying attention to how I take turns (especially right turns) and how I descend. I’ve really improved a lot which is surprising.

I agree with Arjan about reading for fun. Since I look at reading as an escape from anything resembling work, I can’t imagine trying to get through a book faster.

arkonbeys last blog post..Comic Poll

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By Lee on August 29th, 2008 | Reply
I think it’s important to draw all the time, especially the things you mention, backgrounds etc. I remember talking to an artist one day and he was saying to draw everything you can all the time because the best superhero artists didn’t get brilliant drawing superheroes.

It’s funny how you will gloss over really good advice
What type of riding do you mean? I seem to remember something about cycling but not sure.

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By arkonbey on August 30th, 2008 | Reply
“the best superhero artists didn’t get brilliant drawing superheroes.” As Scott McCloud said in one of his books, it’s the difference between substance and surface.

I’m a mountain biker. Anybody who gets on skinny, high-pressure tires to ride pavement and dice with cars is a mad person in my book
arkonbeys last blog post..Comic Poll

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Ian August 29th, 2008
I see a theme brewing in the comments of this post

Increasing my reading and comprehension speed at work would be awsome, but if I ever felt the need to power through a book I wanted to read for entertainment, I’d most likely put it down and do something else. How I see it, reading for pleasure is like watching a movie. If you like it, you’ll sit there until it’s over.

It’s all about making time for the things you really want to do.

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By Lee on August 29th, 2008 | Reply
I think you’ve just gotten the wrong idea about what I mean in speed reading (I explain myself fuller in another comment and Gemisht’s comment is also what I’m saying).

It’s not about not reading the book, it’s about reading it faster, if I wanted to just rip through a book I wouldn’t bother reading it all and just read bits and pieces as well as the end to get an overview (I’ve done that for classes before!!).

It’s all about reading more!

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Gemisht August 29th, 2008
Now I am going to break the trend of the comments. I love reading books fast, so that I can get into the next one. I did a speed reading course when I was still at school and got my speed really high. I can’t remember now how fast though. But its something that I have retained, although I am sure not as fast as I did in the course.

I can read a book fast but its not probably how you imagine. I just read fast and I still enjoy the book. Its not like reading with a timer set and you have to beat it. Once you can read faster then the more you do it the better you will get at it and you don’t notice it. Until you are reading something at the same time as someone else and they are still reading the first paragraph and you have finished. And learn to scan the pages too. Not so good for a book but good if you want to read the newspaper and get the main points from an article.

Good luck with all the improvements - hope that they come to fruition for you.

Gemishts last blog post..What’s in a Hand?

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By Lee on August 29th, 2008 | Reply
LOL you wrote this at the exact same time I was writing my reply, I really wish I’d taken a course in high school or something it would have helped a lot I think.

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Lee August 29th, 2008
I think everyone has misunderstood my reasons behind wanting to be able to speed read fictional novels. It’s not simply that I feel it’s a chore that I need to get over and done with, I love reading fiction which is why I want to be able to read more in my life time.

I think the idea of having to read a novel slowly in order to enjoy it is a little flawed, just because Bob can’t read as quickly as I can doesn’t mean that he’s enjoying a novel more.

The fundamentals behind speed reading is that the human mind can process a lot of information intelligently and that we’re slowed down by the method that we learn how to read.

Enjoying a book is just as much about comprehension as it is about the content. In my first run through A Brief History of Time I think I understood about 60% of what I was reading, those bits I loved, the bits that I had no idea what he was talking about I didn’t so much. When I read it again, after doing further reading I enjoyed the rest a lot more.

Being able to read fast isn’t about ripping through words on a page, it’s about being able comprehend what you’re reading at the same time. The human brain is able to take in a lot of data and process it, the way we develop our processes for taking in that data is bottlenecked.

I’m not trying to convince anyone that the way they read is wrong, god knows in Australia we need all the people we can get reading! (A lot of people I know don’t read…anything!) But you can’t say that if I can read a book at twice the speed I do now that I won’t enjoy the nuances of the fictional novel.

Another example I guess is the last Harry Potter book, I read that in about 12 hours and I was really tearing arse getting through it. Loved it. Enjoyed every moment of it and even only having read it once feel I can talk semi intelligently on the topic.

Now the other guy who took twenty hours to read his copy doubtfully enjoyed it more than me, I was just quicker at reading it.

Quicker reading = more books that I can read and enjoy.

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By Ian on August 30th, 2008 | Reply
No, I can’t say you won’t, but I can’t you will either.

Try it out for, say, two months and let us know how you get on.

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Gemisht August 29th, 2008
You have described it really well in your last comment Lee. Like you said, its not about ripping through the book as fast as you can, its about reading it faster. So instead of reading 1 book in 2 days, you can read 1 book in 1 day and then read another book the next day (not necessarily that fast but you know what I mean). And for my family its a good thing that I can read fast - once I get my nose in a good book I’ve been known to disappear for days until its finished, so its less time for them to be neglected LOL

Gemishts last blog post..What’s in a Hand?

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By Ian on August 30th, 2008 | Reply
Books over family isn’t how I prioritise, but hey, different strokes and all that

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Dan August 29th, 2008
‘m dieting at the moment, i guess that counts. I’m also trying to dedicate less time to the computer and more doing other stuff.

Dans last blog post..â€¦and another thing

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By Lee on August 29th, 2008 | Reply
We’re on capped internet for the next couple of days so we’re definitely doing more away from the computer
But I’m a little the same too, I’m trying to do more away from the computer too.

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Arjan August 29th, 2008
read the large block of reply now.
Mightt do such a course…if only I could speedread the instruction book
..but seriously, I might try and find a book about it.

Arjans last blog post..The Fringe (premiere)

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Christie@fig&cherry August 30th, 2008
I want to get good at making choux pastry and vegan desserts. It’s gonna be hard!

Btw - love your new makeover (sorry if it’s not that new, haven’t dropped by in a while!).

Christie@fig&cherrys last blog post..What’s Christie eating? #2

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By Lee on September 1st, 2008 | Reply
Mmmmmm vegan desserts heh? Perhaps you be needing a taste tester?

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By Christie@fig&cherry on September 1st, 2008 | Reply
I have many ‘testers’ - also known as ‘drop ins’! Hehe. Lucky I love sharing my food around or the only thing getting round will be me!

Will definitely keep you in mind….
Christie@fig&cherrys last blog post..Full of citrus, but this one’s no lemon

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Marita September 1st, 2008
I want to be calmer. I want my life to be calmer. I need to find ways to be calmer.

We are working on that but the insanity that surrounds my life just keeps building up pressure. Like living in the eye of a cyclone some days. Other days like being whirled around in the actual cyclone. Working on living in a cyclone free zone
Maritas last blog post..Wet Men are Popular

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By Lee on September 1st, 2008 | Reply
Calmness, I like that idea. I know what you mean though, it’s hard to settle one’s mind amongst the madness.

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By Marita on September 1st, 2008 | Reply
I’ve totally spaced out / gone insane and started a new blog - http://aussiefarmersdirectchallenge.wordpress.com/

Going backwards from calm and embracing the storm by adding the extra commitment.

I wanted to use this fabulous comment plugin you use that responds to the persons email account.

Can I set it up on a generic wordpress template?

Maritas last blog post..Wet Men are Popular

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By Lee on September 1st, 2008 | Reply
The plugin I’m currently using is Wordpress Thread Comment which obviously threads your comments etc.

Generally no change is needed to the template but it was developed in China so there is a bit of dodgy Engrish in its default settings.

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sean bennett September 1st, 2008
me? I’m trying to get my typing speed up from sluggish to blistering. pretty boring, I know.

also, i’d like to start yoga or something like that. I’ve been spending too much time online lately.

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By Lee on September 1st, 2008 | Reply
Becoming a faster typist may be something I’ll look at in the future, my typing is unremarkable to say the very least.
I’ve been thinking about taking more breaks from online myself.

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