* Why do we read? What benefits do we gain from reading? How should we read? Without considering these questions, it would be difficult to discover the essence of reading and the best way to do it.
Reading doesn't simply mean looking at letters.
Reading a text means reading the thoughts, intentions, and purposes contained within the text.
Reading is an encounter with thoughts that transcends time and space, and at the same time, it is an encounter with each other's thoughts.
And through the exchange of ideas, we can get what we want.

* The most important thing before making a reading plan is to clearly define its purpose and meaning.
Reading without a purpose is likely to be a waste of time.
You must be able to develop your core competencies efficiently and have a unique value that differentiates you from others.
Smart reading depends on the ability to internalize the know-how of successful people hidden in the text.


* To transform from an ordinary life to an extraordinary life, a 'determination' is necessary, and reading must be included in establishing a specific strategy for that determination.
To clarify a blurred goal and a loose consciousness, you must read.
If you want to improve your life, start by setting a reading goal.
Once you set your goals, countless pioneers will become your mentors.


* Anyone who goes through the process of reading more than 10 books ten times in a year in this way will find that their mindset, thinking ability, and expertise in the field have greatly improved in just one year.
And you will gain the confidence that you can achieve any goal, the conviction that comes from knowledge, and the concrete steps you can take to achieve them.


* There are things in life that we can control as we wish, and there are things that we cannot.
Time is given equally to everyone, but its amount cannot be increased or decreased.
Yet, one of the misconceptions many people have is that they think they can manage their time.
Time is not something to be managed.
What matters is how valuable the given time can be used.

* The fastest and most certain way to achieve any goal is to find the know-how of those who have already succeeded and apply it to yourself.
That's imitation.
Imitation is the shortcut to success.
There is no technique of achievement more effective than imitation.
All human success stories are ultimately created through creative imitation.
So we need to find out the mindset, methods, and core know-how that led them to success.
There is a story about imitation that goes like this:

* Creation is not a rainbow, nor is it a bluebird.
It's not that far away, it's very close.
Creation is something that can be easily grasped by making even a slight change to something that already exists.
The lower class tries to create a perfect creation from scratch, but the upper class copies it meticulously.
From the edge of meticulous imitation comes a new re-creation.


* The method to break the 10,000-hour rule is similar to the principles and methods of focus reading.
It's about focusing on the core and the essence.
The world is much more extreme than the 20:80 rule.
1:99 is actually more natural.
It is composed of 1% core and 99% periphery.
Therefore, focusing on the 1% core can maximize efficiency.
This is the principle of focus reading that increases both speed and accuracy.
In the same vein, success in life depends on whether you focus on the mission that defines your life's purpose.

* More important than reading skills is confidence in your goals.
It is important to be confident that the goals you have set will be achieved through reading.
Because it will turn out just as you think.
The reason it's difficult to achieve goals with vague hopes or expectations is because they don't generate the kind of powerful immersive energy that certainty does.
Without immersion, it is difficult to practice consistently.
Remember that the driving force behind motivation is the conviction that it will happen and the will to achieve it.


* Silent reading, which involves reciting the text in your mind rather than reading it out loud, is like pulling the side brake and then stepping on the accelerator.
When the side brake is applied, the speed does not increase no matter how much you press the accelerator pedal.
Likewise, no matter how great the brain's potential is, it cannot read at a certain speed if the side brake called silent reading is pulled.
If you want to read quickly, it's a good idea to break the habit of silent reading.


* What's the point of studying and reading for the same amount of time if you only manage to cover a small amount of material, or invest a significant amount of time studying and reading but can't remember it or apply it to exams or business? Yet, people don't seriously consider such issues.
Because we take it for granted.


* The more information you input, the more likely it is that the information will be transformed.
This is because the number of cases in which information can be combined increases accordingly.
We call the ability to creatively reconstruct and output input information 'creativity'.
The more you read and experience various things, the more you see, hear, and read, and the more your ability to come up with new ideas, that is, your creativity, improves.


* One of the most important things to properly practice focus reading techniques is to clearly understand the concept of ‘letting go.’
Yes, that's right.
Letting go is the key.
This has very important and deep implications.
The same principle applies not only to reading, but to everything in the world.
If you want to get to something important—the essence, the truth, the values—you have to be able to let go of what isn't important.
You can't gain anything new unless you change or discard habits, patterns, and ways of thinking that have accumulated over a long period of time.


* It is almost impossible for an average person to read the contents of a text just once and save it all.
Therefore, we must increase the level of understanding and retention through repeated reading.
Skipping & scanning is not a one-time thing.
It is important to gradually increase your level of understanding through several repetitions.
So, when you first start skipping and scanning, you should only look at the key points with the feeling that you are only understanding about 50%.
The remaining 50% can be gleaned as much as you want through repeated reading.

* You don't necessarily have to agree with the author's message when reading the text.
The author writes based on his own thoughts as an individual.
It is up to the reader to interpret and utilize it to suit themselves.
So, it is important to maintain your own perspective while reading a variety of texts.
And you must also thoroughly filter out the key words from your own perspective.
This is precisely what subjective and independent reading is.


* It is difficult for ordinary eyes to see what others cannot see and to focus on the core and essence.
Seeing the unseen and gaining enlightenment is a gift given only to those who ask questions worthy of that level.
Not knowing what questions to ask is like trying to find your way in the dark.
When we are always at a crossroads and struggling to make a choice, questions are what can serve as a lighthouse.
Without questions, wise choices and focus are just someone else's story.

--- From the text