Don’t desperately try to memorize

Don’t desperately try to remember things. It will just worsen the situation. Rather enjoy your reading. Read slowly, yet steadily. Don’t stress on the fact that you have to remember, just tell yourself that you should understand each point thoroughly. A stressed mind is more susceptible to forgetting.

Repeat

Don’t expect your brain to work like a genius that you read once and retain things. Repeat your reading, if not each sentence, but the main content. In first reading you may not always get the right meaning, you may also skip few important parts. So repeating will help you to get the right meaning and retain as well.

Underline important lines

Don’t forget to underline the important points. While you read, underline the points which are vital, require attention and need to be remembered. Underlining important points will not only help you to remember, but also to get back to the important points at any point of time effortlessly.

Make small points

While you read, it’s better to jot down points too. Writing always helps in memorizing things better. At the end of each chapter or paragraph you may jot down the main points in bullets. It will help you to remember content of the paragraphs or chapter as a whole. While revising your lesson, you can simply take a glance of then points jotted down. Such points will not only help you to memorize better but also to browse through the chapter at a glance.

In front of your eyes

If you actually want to remember some vital points for the purpose of examination and it’s little unmanageable for you, write the important points on a white board or stick on pads and keep them in front of your eyes. Place it above your study table or just in front of your bed, so that every time you pass you take a look of the points. This way even unknowingly you will remember the points.

Now, isn’t memorizing task so easy?

Organize thoughts, jot down points

Don’t just go with the flow. Organize your thoughts first and jot down the points you wish to include. Write each point below one another and leave space for elaboration. Now concentrate on each point and elaborate. Depending upon the word limit perform elaboration part. Don’t elaborate too much that you exceed word limit. Rather than focusing too much on elaborating one point, move on to the next point so that you don’t skip any of them yet stay within the word limit. You always have the scope of getting back to each point once the write up is completed and add more lines if word limit has not been met yet.

Avoid repetitions

One effective way of meeting word limit is by not repeating any thought or meaning twice. Often we keep stretching an intended message over several lines. It keeps fattening our write up. Such technique helps only when we lack substance and wish to write long. Make sure, you convey your points in a sentence or two. Repetitions not only unnecessarily lengthen articles but also bore readers.

Keep a constant watch on word count

Don’t wait for counting words at the end; keep a close watch on words written right from the start. Latest version of Microsoft words automatically displays number of words written in the bottom of the screen. Else after every few lines you can manually check the word count. It will help you to keep your write up within the word limit.

Edit at the end

Of course easiest and most practiced option is editing write up and making it short. When you just couldn’t help yourself from writing a long article and exceeding word limit you are left with the option of revising it carefully, editing all unnecessary points out. You may have to edit then read, again edit and read.

Focus on specific words or sentences

One effective way of speedy reading is not reading the whole of a paragraph, but in bits in pieces. Pick up the important words, phrases and sentences. You can skip conjunctions and elaborations. They don’t carry much significance. Rest will automatically bring the essence.

Know your capability

Figure out your capability and grasping power of words, how fast can you read and understand in a minute. It will help you to know your average standard which you can improvise. Timing yourself will help you to improve every time and motivate you to beat the old score. Check how long it takes for you to finish one page of book. Jot down the speed in a paper. Don’t forget you shouldn’t read it blindly, you need to understand the meaning too.

Take speed reader tests

To gain mastery participate in computer based online or offline speed reader tests. Don’t lie to yourself about the output. Cheating won’t improve your performance. Also measure your comprehension level, to re-assure that you are not merely competing with fast reading but also comprehending the message and retaining the same. It will give you a realistic idea and steady improvement. You can search for such tests on search engines.

Let fingers guide you

Let your fingers scan the text, it will increase your reading speed.

Remove distraction

Make sure you remove distractions like television noise, music, pet’s disturbance, too much of talking and noise in your surroundings. Such distractions won’t give you the picture of your actual speed. Make sure you are at peace and not pre-occupied by tension and thoughts which can hinder your learning.

Speed reading learning is definitely not a child’s play. But consistent efforts do show results.

Here are some tips.

Talk to yourself in front of the mirror

Self help is the best help. Try to talk to yourself. In our subconscious mind we do analyze ourselves, converse with self. Talk to yourself in front of the mirror. Treat yourself respectfully. Realize self worth, self weaknesses. Praise yourself, ridicule yourself. Preach yourself, scare yourself. Treat yourself as your best friend. Talk good things in front of the mirror. Say it loud enough to believe in it.

Analyze your strengths and use them

Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Try to realize them and admit too. Admitting own weaknesses makes it easier to improve them. What’s more important is finding out own strengths and making them so strong that weaknesses appear negligible and small. Make the sunshine look so radiant, that people ignore the darkness following.

Follow others whom you admire

There’s no harm in following footsteps of the people, you admire. It’s those qualities which make him appreciated, admired. So why not follow them? Jot down the qualities you admire. Next, set your goal and action path. Set small goals, which can be measured. As you start working towards them and reaching small goals, your self confidence will boost up automatically.

Don’t compare yourself with others

Don’t compare yourself with others. Every human is different. There may be people who are better looking, better skilled or better paid. But don’t compare, it’s self defeating act. You may have many talents which others won’t possess. Be yourself, love yourself.

Recall your success

When you really feel low just recall your success, the moments when all flattered you to the core. Store those precious moments in your heart and cherish. It will hike your self esteem. If your share of failures has been more than success, just know that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. Do the good deed, success will follow.

Make sure you are surrounded by optimists

Avoid people who spread negativity. If you are surrounded by such people their pessimism, cynical attitude will also get absorbed into you. Choose positive, helpful, fun-loving people. Positive energy will find space within you too.

Now, feel the change in your self esteem.

Well for starters, carry a notebook with you wherever you go.  Of course in the modern age of technology, a smart phone or a PDA can serve the same purpose.  Anything that enables you to quickly jot down an idea while you’re on the run.  Frequently ideas hit us whey you’d least expect, and you have to be ready to write down that idea so that you can save it for use when you have the time.  That’s one of the best ways to stay fresh and full of new concepts.

Make sure that you read as often as possible.  For a writer, reading is a great weapon because gaining knowledge influences you to think.  With that thinking about a certain piece you’ve read, comes new ideas or concepts you’ll be motivated to write about.

Try having a running dialogue with someone else in the industry, or even the audience of where you write.  See what their feelings are on your writing, or what’s going on in the common culture that relates to what you write.  That can give you plenty of ideas because you’ll see how someone else thinks.  That may influence you to write a new topic, or an old topic rewritten from a different point of view.

Always keep up on the news as much as possible.  Current events are what get the most reads, because the majority of internet searchers are looking for information regarding news.  Keeping current, and relevant to where the world is in this instant is key.  Plus all the different news stories are bound to influence something that you’ll want to write about.

Everything starts in the phone call that you receive, notifying you that you’ve been chosen for an interview.  Make sure that you write down the information on when and where the interview will be taking place.  Jot down the time as well.  Then make sure to find out any documentation that you need to bring to interview.  Before ending the conversation, make sure to double check the time and place, and the documents you’ll need.  The worst first impression you can make for an interview, is to show up late.

If you aren’t already familiar with the location of the interview, it’s a good idea to look up directions and do a run through.  See how long it takes to get to the interview site, and learn the route.  That way when the day comes you don’t risk being late by aimlessly looking for the location, or getting into unexpected traffic.

Now to the interview outfit.  It’s best to pick your outfit in advance, so that you know what you are going to wear, and aren’t forced to figure anything at the last minute.  Choose something professional, that’s clean and tidy.  An outfit that fits you well, and that is free of stains or tears.

Finally, on the day of the interview, be sure to leave early.  The worst thing you can do at an interview, is show up late.  Many interviewers won’t hire an applicant that can’t show up to an interview on time.  Keep that on time, and show up 10-15 minutes early.  That way you show yourself to be prepared, and committed to the job opportunity.

Always keep aware of your thesis.  Remember that your thesis sentence is what you’re trying to achieve with your article, book, etc.  Make sure your thesis sentence is prevalent at the beginning of a work, and then jot down that statement somewhere else so that you never lose sight of your starting idea.  The worst thing you can do when you’re trying to make a point, is to lose sight of why you starting writing your piece of work in the first place.

Try not to deviate too much from your point.  Doing so adds fluff to the piece that you are writing, which will tend to get away from the topic at hand.  When you start to drift away from your purpose, your readers can become bored and fail to read the rest of your piece because they feel there’s too much content that just isn’t relevant.  Being as short as possible, and to the point, is the best way to go to garner the attention that you’re trying to achieve.

Finally, just never deviate from the two questions that you should constantly be asking yourself as you write anything.  What do you want your readers to know?  And, what reaction do you want them to have from your writing?  Ask yourself both of these questions as you formulate your piece, and as you edit your piece.  Keeping both of them in mind at all times ensures you never get away from the point you’re trying to make.

One of the most common methods, and one that you should most definitely be employing already, is to keep an idea notepad with you at all times.  Not necessarily an actual pen and paper mini notebook, but something to function as such.  If you have a smart phone, like an iPhone or Blackberry, you can use their note taking features to quickly jot down anything that pops into your head.  This keeps you ahead of the game with a wealth of ideas that you can look to later, when you find yourself in need.

Read.  Can’t stress that one enough.  The more you put your energy towards learning new things, or reading new ideas, whether through books or magazines or online articles, the more information you’re taking in that you can call upon at a later date.  Extraordinarily useful when coming up with a new topic to write about.

Find a friend or colleague to bounce a few ideas off.  Let them know about the concept and tell them some things you were considering, or ways you want to approach writing about the idea.  The input they have could help you guide yourself into a brilliant new direction you couldn’t have thought of on your own.

If you find yourself struggling to think of anything while sitting at your desk, take a break.  Go outside for a few minutes, get some fresh air and clear your head.  You’ll find yourself feeling much more refreshed, and after wicking away the fatigue, you’ll be in a much better place to re-energize your thinking.

Finally, as a last resort, twist around another idea you’ve already read about or heard about.  If you can’t find an idea all to your own, borrow someone else’s.  Don’t just rehash an article or book that you’ve read before of course.  But take what you learned there, or the basic concept, and apply it to your own outlook, and your own unique writing voice to manufacture an entirely new piece of work.