Improving your skills requires a strategic approach to reading and retaining books efficiently.

As someone who has navigated the traditional education path and finished the exhausting journey with an MBA working full time, I understand the value of learning.

But the most profound lessons that have shaped my life have come from books. 

Books offer insights from brilliant minds, providing growth opportunities that traditional education often can't match. You can learn from the best, no matter the era.

To truly improve, one must become a ferocious reader.

My journey to understanding the transformative power of reading began when I picked up a No B.S. book by Dan S. Kennedy that revolutionized my business concepts — a revelation that surpassed the teachings of my MBA.

That moment made it clear that despite thinking I hated reading all my childhood and teen years, it was not just an activity but a vital tool for improvement.

However, reading indiscriminately isn't enough.

It's essential to read a lot. Morgan Housel writes you need a lot of inputs to ensure you're reading as far and wide as possible. But you also need a strong filter. You have to decide quickly if the book is worth reading.

Charlie Munger has a strong filter, "Most books I don't read past the first chapter. I'm not burdened by bad books."

You and your team need a well-defined strategy for improving reading skills if you want to elevate your skills.

Enter the 5-step active reading process:

Step 1: Read with a purpose.

Align your reading goals with your personal and professional objectives.

Each book you read should help you improve a goal, project, or core system. The goal is to develop skills to make your pursuits more effective. If you lack the skills, many obstacles will be insurmountable.

Approach each book with a clear intention and focus on the skills you want to enhance.

For example, if you need to increase sales, you could pick up three sales books, or you could go a little deeper and read a book on sales tactics, negotiation, and supply chain if you need to deepen your knowledge about a specific vertical to have better consultative sales conversations.

Step 2: Buy the Kindle book and audiobook together.

Invest in Kindle books paired with audiobooks using Whispersync.

This combination enables seamless transitions between reading and listening, optimizing reading times. As you listen to the audiobook, whispersync will follow along in the Kindle books so you can quickly highlight the relevant parts.

If the book doesn't have whispersync, more manual effort is needed when actively reading, but that's okay.

Just read damnit.

Step 3: Read during idle times.

The most convenient time to do this is during waiting or relaxing periods.

It could be while you commute, waiting at the doctor's office, or before you fall asleep. Always capitalize on audiobooks while commuting, housework, or related activities.

This small hack allows you to read anywhere because it gives you both eyes and ears to read with.

Step 4: Actively highlight.

If you want to learn how to improve reading skills, this is the most important tip:

Actively reading.

Active reading is when you're focused on the text and engaging with its content in some way, whether highlighting or taking notes.

As you listen to the audiobook, highlight the key sections in the Kindle version that you want to keep and recall.

If the book doesn't have whispersync, schedule a short time to skim and actively highlight the parts you listened to.

Then, employ progressive summarization with multiple summary layers for optimal comprehension and retention.

Step 5: Execute core ideas.

Put your insights into practice immediately.

Go beyond mere reading by remixing the most impactful concepts, adding your creativity and personality to their application.

Then, apply the concepts to your goals, projects, or systems.

Innovate, iterate, and improve.

Mastering skills requires a commitment to strategic reading.

By following these steps, small business teams can elevate their performance, gain fresh perspectives, and embark on a journey of continuous improvement.

As I've discovered on my path, books are a treasure trove of wisdom waiting to be unlocked — a key to realizing your full potential.

Start your journey today and uncover the transformative power of active reading.