Over that last few weeks, I have begun listening faster than ever before than by listening to audiobooks on Audible at x2+ speed after each book is completed I increase the speed by 0.5 to find my max digestion speed. As it stands my current speed is at x2.15, I still have no problem taking in the information or understanding what’s being said. I’ll admit when I first started at x2.0 speed in my listening faster journey it sounds a bit strange but after 10-15min my brain had adapted and was processing the information normally. But why I hear you ask?
Why start listening faster
Consuming information and media is a fundamental part of life, whether your listening, watching or reading we all do it, it’s how we grow as a person via our learnings and life experiences, if you can consume and learn more, it can set you apart from another who is consuming only minimal amounts and not learning much at all.
If I said to you that you could easily get through 5-6 audiobooks per month with only an hour a day of listening faster, would this not peak your interest? Over the course of a year, you would amass a total completed list of 72 audiobooks!
How? Audiobooks are recorded for all ages and capabilities, the default playback speed has to suit everybody regardless of the speed they themselves can read or digest information.
In a digital age of social media and instant gratification, the speed I can process information is much faster than the likes of my Dad, while he is tech-savvy enough not he’s not been around technology and the Internet throughout all of his teens and adult life like I have, he’s much more comfortable reading the paper than flicking through Reddit and news sites. Due to the bombardment of information, I am used to I can process information quicker, and more efficiently than my Dad can and no doubt the kids of today the true digital natives can do it better and listen faster than me.
Finding your limits to listen faster is simple when you read a book to yourself or think to yourself what speed does your internal monologue go at? I am sure it’s much faster than you can read aloud.
The aim of listening to audiobooks at an increased speed it to find where your limit is when your internal monologue can no longer keep up, once this point is reached drop the speed one or two points below this value and continue listening. Being at x2.15 at the moment I am having no trouble I can see myself reaching around x2.5 before I need to look at tapering off.
Honestly give it a go, audiobooks, podcasts anything you just need to sit and listen to, its weird at first listening to someone speak in fast forward, by your mind soon adapts the situation and handles it as the new normal and once this happens yours well on your way to listening faster.
If you liked this article on listening faster please have a look at some of my others here.
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