Double Your Content Consumption Speed

Imagine being able to get through content at twice the speed. It’s absolutely life-changing. It’s like unlocking additional time. You can consume double the amount in the same time or simply be done in half the time.

How to do this?

The basic idea is very simple. You force yourself to consume the content at progressively higher speeds. It’s progressive overloading for your brain.

That’s all there is to it. Plus a fair bit of practice.

Consuming content at progressively higher speeds forces you to pay more attention. Ever read a page only to wonder what the hell was it all about after? That was probably because your mind got bored and wandered. Consuming the content at higher speeds fixes that as it forces you to pay more attention.

It also forces you to give up that perfectionism-induced urge of having to consume 100% of the content. As you increase the speed, some of it will be lost. Some words, frames, or sounds will have to be skipped inevitably. And that’s perfectly fine. You don’t need 100% consumption. You just need to get the idea behind the medium. The content per se is irrelevant.

Here are a couple of pointers depending on the media type you’re consuming.

Audio or Video Content

Adjust the playback speed.

Pro tip: on the browser, use Video Speed Controller.

Start at 1.5x This is generally slow enough that you still understand 100% of it.

Then adjust from there in 0.1x increments depending on the content and the speaker. Progressively force yourself with higher and higher speeds.

With a bit of practice – depending on the speaker – you can comfortably reach 2-3x speeds.

Written Content

Simply force yourself to read it faster and faster.

There are hundreds of courses on “speed reading” but the basic idea – when scientifically sound – is really just the same. You simply force yourself to go through the material at increasingly higher speeds.

Pro tip: use a pacer. Your finger is perfect.

Initially, it will seem too fast and you will lose some comprehension (though not as much as you think). That’s perfectly normal.

With enough practice, your brain will slowly adjust accordingly. And you’ll be able to comfortably read at higher and higher speeds.

Now go do your magic.

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