You Don't Hate Books: The Simple Method I Use to Read 100 Books a Year
Join my book club and ad-free educational KZread videos over on Nebula with my discount here: go.nebula.tv/elizabethfilips
If you’re stuck never finishing books and don’t get how to make reading an actual enjoyable habit, let me show you. It’s tempting to think that things like reading, or even maths or chess are things that you either get or you don’t, you enjoy or you don’t, but this just isn’t true. Here's how I believe we can train our eyes and our focus to love reading in the natural, instinctual way that people who've done and enjoyed it their whole life do.
To make your life easier:
0:00 Intro
1:40 Training Your Eyes
6:02 Training Your Focus
WHO AM I: I'm Elizabeth, a medical student, painter, KZreadr and Podcaster in London. I love to think and talk about life, art, medicine, books and meaning. And also how to find the time to do those things. If you'd like to watch me paint and talk about life, I do that on my podcast ( / @feelosophywithelizabe... ) and if you'd like to read my thoughts and book notes, I have a newsletter you can join (go.elizabethfilips.com/newsle....
👽 My Book on Organised Chaos: How to Succeed Without Habits or Consistency: lizziefilips.gumroad.com/l/krcnc
🧠 My Notion Templates to Work Better With Yourself: lizziefilips.gumroad.com
If you want to stay in touch:
🖤 Patreon Team, we work together on Discord to get things done - / elizabethfilips
💌 My Newsletter - go.elizabethfilips.com/newsle...
🎙My Podcast - / @feelosophywithelizabe...
📕 My Book Club - go.elizabethfilips.com/thepen...
📸 My Instagram - / elizabeth.filips
💻 My Website - www.elizabethfilips.com/
🐥 My Twitter - / lizziefilips
Or leave a comment, I (try to) answer 100% of comments :)
Пікірлер: 581
Heya! If you can manage to watch through my annoyingly-nasal-sick-voice to the end, you can join me and my normal voice over on Nebula where you can find this video ad-free, a lot of other educational KZreadr videos ad-free, and also my book series where I talk through the learning points and my honest thoughts from the books I read here: go.nebula.tv/elizabethfilips ❤
@khalilahd.
Жыл бұрын
I hope you feel better soon! I actually loved this video, very informative 😊
@elginubalde2902
Жыл бұрын
The annoyingly-nasal-sick voice added variety😃🤣😊
@elginubalde2902
Жыл бұрын
Get well. We subscribers enjoy your insights .
@Saiputera
Жыл бұрын
God damn 100books 😂😂
@AzaleaChan13
Жыл бұрын
Feel better soon! A big thank you for sharing so much of your insightful approaches to tackling reading and studying; just the processes involved to educate myself more with the world around me. ❤
I think that tip about pausing a book in the middle of a chapter to make your own cliff hangers just changed my life!
@TMDADA
Жыл бұрын
Hi I like ur comment
@VladimirS38
Жыл бұрын
Hello, could you please explain what does mean phrase " to make your own cliff hangers"? Thank you in advance
@isamo8918
Жыл бұрын
@@VladimirS38 by "make your own cliff hangers" she means that stopping in the middle of a chapter will make you want to know the rest of the story and leave you on a hook. This will make you to want to read more as soon as possible. Hope this helped
@tommasomorra7100
Жыл бұрын
Si può può essere una. Oo
@Seven-Planets-Sci-Fi-Tuber
Жыл бұрын
Funny, I've applying this rule to chain-watching TV series. I create my own cliff hanger where it suits me inside an episode. And yes I'm frying to read more. I just canceled my Netflix susbscription..
Another point here: nothing wrong to not finish a book, this is how people continue the habit and keep reading. Not to finish a task but to enjoy the process.
@wulfjay7102
Жыл бұрын
Yep! I feel like you have to be reading a book that solves a current problem in your life. Ergo, if it's solved by reading half of that book, go on to the next one!
@matt_aquila_
Жыл бұрын
Imagine if you got disappointed in yourself when you stopped watching a bad show. Just keep reading
@NickBair316
Жыл бұрын
This was something that took me forever to accept. I would start a book and feel like I had to finish it.
@NazriB
Жыл бұрын
Lies again? Hot Book
@DrRhyhm
Жыл бұрын
I torrent shows so its free. Most books I like are not. If I spend money on something I feel obligated to read through it even if its shit. 15 dollar for you maybe can be thrown out, not for me.
i actually decided to quit social media and substitute it with reading. 9 books this year and still counting :)))) (hope i stay disciplined lol)
@kathy2888
Жыл бұрын
wooo hoooo. but here am I. KZread lol. I'm done that instead of scrolling on my phone, too lol.
@yukinotdoit
Жыл бұрын
@@kathy2888 at least you're on a productive video about books woo hoooo! :D
@dailysuccess.podcast
Жыл бұрын
@@yukinotdoit that's the addiction talking
@GaminHasard
Жыл бұрын
Damn nice!!
@jeannettewhite3682
Жыл бұрын
I'm addicted to audiobooks but I would really like paper copies of some. I've finished over 20 audiobooks so far this year 😊
Thinking about your energy level prior to reading a dense book is so important and it’s not something I thought much about until this video. I love how you explained things simplistically. I’m definitely going to keep this in mind when making reading goals in the future 😊
@deutschmitpurple2918
Жыл бұрын
I totally agree with you. I am proud of her
@whosoever5409
Жыл бұрын
This was actually super helpful. For example, I’m going through the Lord of the Rings books right now and anyone who’s read them knows that, while they’re beautifully written, they are VERY dense and descriptive and the language is often hard to understand and grasp. I’ve tried reading them before I go to bed but at that point of the day I’m already tired and burnt out so I find myself struggling to get through them. But considering I have low energy, a book like that would most likely be better read throughout the day. At least for me.
@wulfjay7102
Жыл бұрын
Yeah, I agree. We have to ask ourselves why we're reading: Whether that is expanding our knowledge on a specific subject or aquiring best practices to achieve a personal goal, we want to get a result! That implies we're serious and we strive for consistency, which in turn is only possible by being nuanced and smart about it.
I like the approach Elisabeth you are educating the reader on the nuts and bolts of the reading experience, and understand what most readers struggles are.
@khalilahd.
Жыл бұрын
Couldn’t agree more
@stephenwalsh4481
Жыл бұрын
The motivation to want to read the thing in the first place!
By far my biggest thing is reading two books at once. As noted regarding focus, having the option between two different types of books lets me get in daily reading time without feeling bogged down. Also being willing to give up on a book helps a lot. I read about 50ish books a year and I think last year I gave up on like three or four books. Not a huge number, but if I let myself get bogged down I might never keep up the pace.
A little piece of advice for those with reading difficulties like myself listening to books is a good option for story driven books but what helps me the most is listening to the audiobook whilst I read the book, it gives me the motivation to keep going and also helps with processing the text quicker and helps keep the flow! Hope this helps! 💕
@wulfjay7102
Жыл бұрын
Audible is GOLD! And I also feel like every format [eBook, physical copy, audiobook] has it's own uniqueness: It can even be useful to get an important book [e.g. one you'll read over and over again] in all formats.
@nicolasbascunan4013
Жыл бұрын
@@wulfjay7102 Is literally not reading.
@ExtraThiccc
Жыл бұрын
@@nicolasbascunan4013how
I'm reading "Thinking, Fast and Slow" at the moment and wondered why it is so hard to get through :D gonna try these approaches. thanks a lot
@miriamp.3761
Жыл бұрын
Yes, it is. Because there are 600 pages of lightly changed scientific articles. I've read it for 4 month.)
I’ve read about 100 books or more and it really has a lot to do with putting the information learned to use. You can read 1 book, put what you learned into action and do better then a person that reads 100 books that didn’t put what he/she learned into action.
Very glad to have found your channel Elizabeth; you’re the reading coach I needed to get back into re habituating reading.
@elizabethfilips
Жыл бұрын
Eeek thanks and good luck!
@leek1002
Жыл бұрын
@@elizabethfilips I am 50 and going back to Uni this year...Your video's are so inspiring and insightful... You are truly an inspiration (started to have my 13 yr old daughter watch your content also)... Thanks, Ian (Australia).
@leek1002
Жыл бұрын
@@elizabethfilips opps...just seen your reply... Thanks...
unlike other productivity creators, your tips are so neurodivergent friendly; they are really helpful 💌
@sarapocorn
Жыл бұрын
I am currently in the process of being diagnosed with ADHD and feel so at home here. No one else‘s tips have stuck with me so far.
@Leo-ih3vh
Жыл бұрын
yes. I'm wonder if She doesn´t have ADHD, I have and she just describes how my focus works in every video lol
I have been doing this for years now. My peers ask me how I am reading 3 to 4 books at once and this is exactly the reason why. If I have energy I like to dive in deeper concepts and if I don't I would love to read fiction which can be a great way to unwind when you have low energy after a long day. Thank you for putting this out there !
I really want to make reading habitual. Ive gone thru a lot recently and im healing from it howevrr my focus is so shattered. You gave us such a great framework for making it more easy. Thank you Elizabeth.
You make a lot of good points here. The energy/focus mismatch never occurred to me, it makes sense now, because there are tons of good books I just DNFed because the timing wasn't right.
I must agree that I found this video at the right time! As you said in the intro, I've paused reading Thinking fast and Slow. I bought that book out of sheer love towards the concept but could not get nmon with it. Meanwhile I had finished reading other books and I was wondering why it is so hard to start reading that book again. So glad you shared this video. Absolutely loved it!!
Youre my favorite youtuber. I never feel like youre trying to dictate or state that you have the answers. I fell into a weird place awhile ago and your advice helps me sort out some of my perfectionist issues if i can claim them to be that lol anyw ays thank you for all the unique efforts 🙏
I couldn't put thinking fast and slow down. A friend gave it to me, I thought it would be boring. Yet I found it exhilarating. I stopped playing video games to finish it. I sought out interviews with Daniel Kahneman. He is such a fascinating and inspirational man
I enjoy that you’re sharing your experience with reading. Great content. It’s helped me with my reading journey.
Funnily enough, as a late developer, I only started reading regularly and with deliberate goals in mind as I was entering into my mid twenties couple years ago, and that book in the intro was the first one I've read. It was a pretty brutal experience, as English is not my main language so I had to look up the dictionary quite often, but I powered through and I feel like I retained the information quite well.
Love, love, love this content! This type of categorisation is so useful and easily applied
This was so helpful, made me realize why I've been struggling with several books right now, some fiction and some non fiction. They all require focus due to how they are written, and I need chill/diffuse mode books right now.
This is a Great video Elizabeth! Thank you so much 😊
I love your energy in this video, and it was so kind to include the disclaimer at the end regarding possible difficulties that some viewers may be experiencing.
Thank you, Elizabeth! I try to read a book a week and I always struggled with reading books. I don't want to ram through a book and not improve my knowledge or not put the lessons into action. At the same time, I want to keep a reading habit up and have consistency with it. The video helped a lot and shed light on what type of books to read in what circumstances. I'd never heard about Nebula before and I'll give it a try. I do like to be in control of the content that I'm consuming and it sounds Nebula is a tool for that.
Always love your book content Elizabeth! 🫶🏼
Love this! Thanks for giving us a framework to approach reading more intuitively. It really is the missing link to reading more.
This explains so much about my reading experience. I really appreciate the sharing of your insights. Thank you
Thank you so much! I have no idea how you come up in my feed - but I am so thankful! I'm nearing 50 and i LOVE reading and I will totally follow your advice. I literally bought the books you suggested and watched your video to the end. I really liked your groupings, and I can't wait to dive into some cool new books. Cheers from a Canadian living in London.
super duper helpful video. my reading list journaling was aided by the questions suggested in this video. I enjoyed putting the books in my potential reading list in the categories you suggested with my own spin. also continually asking why until no whys could be added helped to.
what an incredibly thorough, introspective, and informative video. I can tell you've put alot of work into this video, and ill be using this as guide for the years to come. A few of the things you talk about here are things that Ive picked up intuitively throughout my years of reading, and so many times through this video i've had 'A-ha! I do that too and i didnt even realize' moments. I'm hoping to use this as a guide to get myself to broaden my reading habits into other genres. great work here! youve got a new subscriber in me!!!
Great. Can be used for learners from Junior High School to Medicine to explain why complex reading materials be approached based on energy and focus. I ' LL use this in MENTORING CLASS in pre-med and Medicine proper.😊
I like the idea of adapting the book you’re reading to your current state of focus. I recently had 2 books on the go at the same time, Atomic Habits & Pandora by Susan-Stokes Chapman. I was able to dip in and out of both depending on how I was feeling, but didn’t automatically notice that i was actually doing it, so this video explained the concept very well. On a side note, both are definitely worth reading! Pandora is a great fiction book and definitely worth getting.
Thank you for this video, it makes a lot of sense :) I thought reading was probably not for me anymore compared to my teenage years. However the mode and type of reading are definitely the real issue. Much appreciated!
Getting ready for work here and Canada and listening!! Glad it popped up on my newsfeed 😁
Wow! This was such a clever understanding of why/how we get through books. This tip will increase my book consumption this year and I’m excited to implement!
@elizabethfilips
Жыл бұрын
thanks Eneida! hope it does help :)
You are such a wonderful storyteller,describing difference of topic in easiest way that anyone can grab it. Thank you so much💚
Cutting back on social media has helped me, so has listening to audiobooks (I get through more when I can't read such as driving, running, or walking the dog.). Lastly, categorizing books by literature, fiction, science fiction, history, gardening has helped me prioritize and diversify my reading. You have given me food for thought on how to prioritize.
Dan Brown was one of the last easy type of books I read, his style was a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter. Really kept you going. Read at least 4 or 5 of his books.
Amazing video Elizabeth!
You always boost my energy and motivation. You are the best
I always look for your new uploads.
Thanks for the helpful tips! I guess this is something I already do, but could not have expressed. Also wanted to say that you seem like such a lovely person! Thanks for bringing your delightful presence to YT!
*Thinking, Fast and Slow - my friend showed me this book over the weekend. And now you recommend me again. Thank you, I will read it soon👍*
I haven't seen any individual on the entire KZread who has this type of editing, omg it's freakin insane and same goes for content as well
@entanglednerves
Жыл бұрын
You haven't seen a lot of other channels then.
Thank you so much for this wonderful video, I really needed this helpful advice because I've been struggling with reading recently
Dear Elizabeth! I like your understanding about books very much. I also read a lot of books and it is so important to have more books in different directions because as you mention we have different modes...this is so true and we have to show this our children. I have two little boys and we have a lot of different children books....they like it.
Happy New Year Elizabeth. Been wondering where you've been....❤️
Good hints about concentration! Thank you!
excellent intuition, thank you very much for the guide!
I love this video. My mind won't just let me study for my Exam that's next month. I have the will but my mind just keeps running off. Plus my mood also acts as a booster for me to stop studying. Such a hell of a time.
This is so helpful, thank you so much!
This is a brilliant video, Elizabeth. I've been binging Booktube this week, and came across the term 'mood reading', which hit the nail on the head for me. I've been trying to pin down why it makes me feel so guilty or stressed, though. You took that basic concept and really distilled what's happening under the hood. Thanks for that. p.s. I bought Thinking Fast and Slow. In 2013 (yes, I checked). I absolutely loved the opening, and always *meant* to finish it. I will say no more. Let's hope this story has a happy ending.
Your channel encourages me to read more. Thank you very much, Elizabeth :)
You literally just explained why I struggle through some books and blast through others! I never made the connection between energy required per book and the energy level available to me. Thank you for this!
These are great points. I have another tip that really helps me as I have ADHD, but would probably help most people. I listen to the audible of a book at 2.5 speed while visually following along with the physical book. I find 3.0 is too choppy. I still take notes as normal and turn corners of pages to bookmark key points. I find combining physical reading and listing to a book forces you to maintain your focus and retain information better than listing to audible or reading a physical book alone. If I am reading something like an engineering white paper for work I do the same thing as word and pdf programs both have a read out loud option as well. Also there are apps where you can take photos of pages of old books or other printed materials and play them while you read as well. You might have to hit the skip button a few times if it starts reading random chart numbers. But this usually still works fairly well for books that don’t have an easily accessible digital copy.
Thanks for your comments about TF&S. Found it on the bottom of a stack of books in my room. Finishing off the conclusion today!
Malcolm Gladwell books are great when exhausted and stressed... Explains why I keep re-reading them!
thank you this is so helpful i love it ♡
Dear Elizabeth, This is a great work you do. Bravo 👏
It is always a pleasure to listen to you; your knowledge beyond your age is impressive.
Liz, you are a life saver! I was wondering if you also have a hard time committing to choices (in general) to actually take action because you change your mind constantly about what you want, since all of your videos are extremely relatable to me in terms of how you describe yourself and how your mind works. If so, I'd cry of happiness if you shared your amazing solutions to this issue.
This is so crazy. Got into reading last summer to get out of a depression. My sister got me 'Thinking fast and slow' and i make point to know as little as possible about what i'm gonna read beforehand, so i forgot about it while i still at times struggle to focus on what is on the page. Gonna pick it up now. Thanks🙏
Thanks for sharing!!
Oh my goodness, this finally explains my ordeal with struggling to read anything other than fanfiction when I'm tired lol Being able to put to words that I'm in diffuse mode a lot when I finally want to read, explains my habits towards reading so much. The level of focus it takes me to read short, silly stories is a lot less than to read something informative that I totally do want to read. I'd always get annoyed when I'd try to read an "actual" book, knowing that I could read a lot, but I just never had the "attention span" for it. I've gotten better at reading more informational/dense books, but since you've said this, I'll definitely be thinking about my energy levels and what books work best for said time of day (which may mean I'm reading multiple books at once, but better to read many than to read none).
Excellent video! This is why I always have two or three books going at the same time. I'm glad I got to hear you explain more in detail, how to identify this categorization. :) Would you maybe consider making a video where you explain your views on why one should read fiction? What can one gain from it? Why is it a good use of time? Thank you!
Thank you for the part at the very end about people with learning disabilities. I struggle with dyslexia, but I still find it important to read. Personally, I found this video helpful because I'd like to read more and you offer some new ideas.
I've been doing something similar for years, I just noticed watching this video 😅 I divide books into information-density categories. Books like Harry Potter are "low density" so I keep them as space-filler books and return as often as I need it, sometimes several times a year. And then there are high-density books like philosophy or education. Some days I can read 30 pages easily even after work, some days I can barely manage two pages. 600 pages of Harry Potter may take me two days but 100 pages of "Renaissance - Morning of the World" took me over a month. There was information in every sentence and I love this book very much. However, its nothing to read with an exhausted mind
Reading and collecting different and interesting editions of books are my favourite hobbies, and yet now I learned that I don't even know how to read properly - that is the main reason why I've strayed off my reading path in the last year 2022. Thank you, Elizabeth! You are lifechanging, as always!
I did struggle finishing the thinking fast and slow. The thing that worked for me was to read it in the morning while my brain was fresh. I was so happy that i finished it! ❤ I’m actually thinking of rereading it again…
You're the only KZreadr I watch about productivity. You never disappoint, thank you. ❤️
Thank you for this video! It really helped me understand why I get lost when reading 💕✨
Just relax! and focus on your health. 🤗😉Your a gem.....
I love you method to present your ideas, it's creative and well designed with very good english accent ❤️ I'm a medical student too, and I going to move to The US to complete my specialization as I'm preparing to do the USMLE Exams, and actually I benefited from your videos about studying smart ways and how to be fast reader. So thanks a lot from all of my heart. And I wish if we have time to exchange our knowledge togather 🌼 I will be so appreciated ❤️
I don't read a lot because I actually want to internalise what I read and apply it in real life. I don't get to do so if I'm always jumping between books. But I look up to people who can do so :)
I love reading so much! The tip about making your own cliffhangers.... mindblowing ha
Your videos are very useful for me. Thanks 🙏 so much!
I was reading talk to anyone for the same time you brought it up and i was mellow and happy
Such great advice. Thank you Elizabeth. You might just have saved me and my books :-)
I would love to hear your recommendations on philosophy and art books 😍 Thank you so much for all your amazing tips ❤
Why is everything so intense on the internet? Why is everything a method or formula that someone needs to explain to you? And why on earth does anyone need to read 100 books per year? Everything needs to be so extreme and over the top. Gosh. Calm down.
@GoogleAccount0
Ай бұрын
Only because at the end one has to cash it.
What's better? Reading 100 books or understanding a few books really well?
love the intro, i started and finisched thinking fast and slow last year at 18 lol
"Thank you! I used to have difficulty reading books and thought it was due to my lack of focus. However, I only read non-fiction, which can be challenging. I changed my beliefs when I read a fiction book in two evenings (it was my friend's before publishing so I also couldn't avoid it :D) and then Gabor Mate's "When the Body Says No," which is written in a more accessible style. I now realize it was just a matter of approach and that I am not unable to focus at all. Although, I'm not sure when I'll be in the right mood to tackle these harder books, haha An alternative to waiting for the right mood is to choose a different book on the same topic, there are many books on fallacies. I personally like Mlodinow's "Subliminal." It's a "pook" as I call it: excellent while pooping. The book is packed with information, but presented with stories and examples rather than scientific explanations.
you have become a huge inspiration to me in who i want to be and how i want to live my every day life. thank you for your beautifull and helpful videos
Fascinating! What a profound tutorial and guide on how to approach reading! Thanks for sharing! I sub'd
Your British accent is really good. I'm glad to subscribing to your channel today. You are an amazing girl with lot's of energy❤️
Greaat job! You must be a teacher. I actually learned something.
It is important to consider your energy level before diving into reading a dense book, something I hadn't thought much about until this video. I enjoy watching your videos. Greetings from Peru!
Great video as always! For some reason your audio is louder in the left channel than the right. It was like this in the recent Multipliers video also.
Thank you!
You never cease to provide immeasurable value!! You rock Elizabeth 😊
Thanks my dear 😊
This is one of the most epic starts of video I’ve seen. That’s what I call knowing the audience of a problem you’e tackling. I was like damn, that’s me with that book! Haha NICE!
Hi Elizabeth! I love your videos and how you break down your thought processes in each of them! Ever since I started watching your videos, I've been trying to familiarize myself with how I think and process information too. It's been super fun delving into topics and ideas that I've never really thought about but started to through your videos. Thank you for sharing another awesome vid :)!
Thanks for Your information
Thanks for this video! It inspired me to keep reading. Currently I am reading Continental Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction.
Waow.... I think these things were there somewhere in the brain in chunks but the way you have given those thoughts the words is awesome. I felt stressed sometimes but now I know the reason and the cure. Thank you!
Happy to find this video. I was wondering what's wrong with me . Some books are so exhausting and simply I can't finish them. Than I feel bad about it. On the other hand can finish books thick as the Bible because is sci-fi or easy to read. Now I understand what's going on. I will be more aware of my "mode" before taking a book into my hand. Thx . Great content BTW
Thanks like always . Can you also make a video how do you make notes of each category