I read books wrong for years, until I tried this
The 3-step method that finally made me learn from what I read
I used to read a book, close it, and feel smarter.
Then a month later, I couldn’t remember a single thing from it.
No ideas. No lessons. Nothing.
Just another book collecting dust, plus a few hundred pages of wasted time.
Sound familiar?
The realization hit me hard: I wasn’t learning. I was just consuming.
Here’s how I fixed it.
The problem: finishing ≠ learning
We love tracking books: “I read 10 this year.“ “I’m doing one a week.“
But here’s the truth: speed doesn’t equal growth.
If you can’t explain or apply what you read, you didn’t learn it.
This is why I stopped reading to finish books and started reading to absorb them.
After months of testing and tweaking (over 4 books now), this 3-step system changed how much I remember and apply.
How to turn books into mentors
1: Focus — Listen to the book.
When you read, use a different voice in your head than the one you usually think with.
I know, it sounds weird, but it forces you to listen instead of skim. It’s like having a mentor explaining it to you, not just words scrolling through your brain.
Experiment with music as well.
Long ago, I read a book while listening to only one single song. Years later, I was able to remember parts of the book without notes, just by listening to that song.
2: Highlight — Don’t try to remember.
When you start reading, grab a pencil. Whenever you find a line you want to remember, highlight it just on the sides (mark the lines). This does two things:
You don’t have to memorize while reading, you can do it later = more focus
You spend as short time as possible highlighting = more focus
3: Write — Close the book, then think.
Once you finish a chapter:
Write a summary in your own words (based on your highlights)
Pick one sentence that captures the entire chapter
List 2-3 ways you’ll actually apply what you learned
This takes less than 10 minutes.
But it’s the difference between remembering a book and becoming it.
That’s it. Three steps. But this method turned books into mentors.
The Shift
This system turned reading from passive to active. I’ve used it on my last 3 books1, and it’s wild how much information I've stored.
I have 2 complete summaries, 15 pages each (the third is in progress). When I revisit these notes, I don’t just remember ideas. I remember moments, mindsets, and actions.
Remember this:
The number of books you read doesn’t define your growth. The number of ideas you live by does.
I don’t read to finish books anymore.
I read to change how I think.
— Zoli
The first book (from the 4) doesn’t count here because that was a really early test and didn’t work that well.
Love it 🦋✨sounds like my approach