Speed Reading Versus Speed Understanding [Video]

Do you remember hearing stories or reading books when you were a kid. Someone was trying to teach you something and maybe there was a lesson in those stories they were trying to get you to understand. 

Well one of these that was very popular was the tortoise and the hare. And in this story, there was going to be a race between the tortoise who was slow and steady and the hare who is very fast like a rabbit, they knew they could win.  

So in this story they talk about the hare being very fast got to this certain point and said he could take a nap. And the turtle being very slow and steady and in the end, I don’t want to spoil it, but the tortoise won. And that is because slow and steady, he just took his time and kept moving. Versus the hare who got to a certain point and stopped. 

And this reminds me of a trend I’ve been hearing. I think it might be really important for you to talk about with your kids, maybe understand and notice how they learn, but also for yourself. 

Like the hare, one thing that we can do really well when we are young and we are taught about is speed reading. It is one thing you can do very well – become a really fast reader. But how often do you read something, you might read it, fast or slow, and then five minutes later you don’t even remember what you read. You weren’t really engaged in what you were doing. But you do it fast. 

Versus something that is becoming a little more popular and a little more of a skill and that is becoming in demand is speed understanding. And this means not only can you read something quickly, or you learn something, but you understand and can apply it to your situation. 

So you are taking a class, you are trying to learn a new concept about your finances, in areas you need to get better, or something you don’t know about. Instead of speed reading, what is the right answer, what is the next step to do, what are the pros saying. 

Understand where you are at today so that you can understand all along the way. Speed understanding. There might be many times you need to watch something and read something and you may do it a few times so you can understand the concept of what’s happening to now go and apply it to your own situation. 

So hopefully this is helpful for you to share with someone or for you to try and increase a skill that seems to be coming more in demand – speed reading versus speed understanding. Really being able to understand things quickly so that you can apply them to whatever you are doing.

I hope this is helpful. We really want you to understand what you are doing with your finances. So if we can help you in any way, please reach out.  

Contact Financial Design Studio, Financial Advisors in Deer Park.