Skipping a part of a book for later

[Rachityczny]

Hey there!

I`m currently reading "Spiral Dynamics" by Don Beck and Chris Cowan. As i consider myself orange, it`s somewhat hard to think broadly and Second Tier and my pace is around 20 pages per hour. Currently I`m on the application part, which is the hardest to get through and digest, and then it`s each stage described with a lot of detail. I really want to learn these stages and consider skipping application part for later bcs it propably will make the application part easier. But I`m afraid i will just leave this part forever, and this isn`t a good way to go about the book.

Do you skip parts of the books you read? Do you manage to come back to them? Did this kind of practice was ever helpful for you?

Anyway, have a good one!

[KMB4222]

I don't often skip parts of books to come back to at a later time. I usually settle for skimming certain sections if they don't seem to be interesting or helpful. Of course, the downside to this is that I might miss something quite valuable, or there might be something very insightful that doesn't click with me until later on.

I suppose the best way to approach reading (especially if it's for personal development) is holistically, if I'm using that term correctly. Consider that reading the book from cover to cover will provide one kind of understanding of the material, and also that reading a bit here and there can be also be helpful. If the book is more instructional, it might be more beneficial to go through the lists of exercises discussed one or two at a time and see what seems to work for you, or what you can apply and benefit from. If the book is discussing a smaller number of topics, then it might be more beneficial to read the chapters in order, because that's how the author and/or editor put it together, and the intent might have been to lead you toward a greater understanding that way.

I would also consider journalling to be part of holistic approach to reading. Books can be read for many reasons and in many degrees of intent. If the reading is done for personal development, then there will probably be some way to journal about what you have read, or some of the questions the book poses. For example, I recently read "Don't Polish Your Ignorance...It May Shine". While the book was incredibly insightful just on its own, I was able to come up with a long list of questions that I could work through myself via journalling. In a way, this solidified and personalized the reading experience and the value of the book. 

Another helpful tip is to allow yourself to reading a book multiple times. I used to get stuck on reading a book just to cross it off my reading list, but then I would inevitably be drawn back to reading it again because I had found it helpful. My first reading provided me with some level of understanding and insight the first time, and the second time I read it I was able to gain something else as well. 

Hope this helps in some way.

-KMB