Advice
How to Absorb Books 3x Faster in 7 Days
Reading is one of the most powerful skills you can develop — but most people read far slower than they could, spend time on information that doesn’t matter, and then forget what they read a week later. The Triforce Method changes that. It’s a three-part strategy that helps you increase your reading speed, focus on the most important details, and actually remember and use what you’ve learned.

Strategy 1: Increase Your Baseline Reading Speed
The first step is to read faster — but not by rushing. Instead, you’ll train your brain and eyes to process information more efficiently.
1. Remove Your Internal Monologue
Most people “hear” the words in their head when reading. This subvocalization caps your speed to that of normal speech — about 200–250 words per minute. To double your speed, you need to see the words, not hear them.
Think about a stop sign — you don’t sound out “STOP” in your head; you just recognize it instantly. You can train this with tools like Spreeder (free, not sponsored), which flashes text at higher speeds and groups words together. This forces your brain to process visually rather than subvocally.
With practice, this feels natural — the author of this method went from 250 wpm to over 500 wpm in just a short time.
2. Use a Visual Tracker
Your eyes aren’t naturally smooth when moving across text — small jerks and backtracking slow you down. Try this:
- Look at your screen and move your eyes from left to right. Notice the small jitters.
- Now put your finger or a pen in front of you and track it smoothly. Immediately, your motion is more consistent.
A tracker (your finger, a pen, or even a cursor) keeps your eyes moving forward, prevents regression, and lets you maintain speed. Over time, increase your tracking speed. This alone can add another 100+ words per minute to your pace.
Strategy 2: Have a Reading Strategy
Speed means nothing if you waste time on unimportant details. The second step is knowing when to read fast and when to slow down — especially for non-fiction.
The 80/20 Rule
In most non-fiction books, 80% of the value comes from 20% of the content. The rest is often filler, examples, or repetition.
For example, in Atomic Habits, the core lessons are surrounded by stories and case studies. Using the Triforce Method:
- Read most sections quickly (internal monologue removed, visual tracker engaged).
- When you hit a “golden nugget” of advice, slow down, think about it, and absorb it.
The key here: adapt your speed based on content. Reading 700 wpm during a key concept will reduce comprehension — so drop to 500 wpm or less when it matters.
Avoid “highlighting every sentence” syndrome. Focus on what really moves the needle.
Strategy 3: Summarise and Consolidate
Reading faster and smarter means nothing if you immediately forget what you’ve read. The third pillar of the Triforce Method is about retention and application.
Summarising
After each page, summarise it in 1–2 sentences in your own words. Even “nothing important happened here” counts. This habit forces your brain to engage with the material and improves comprehension.
Consolidating
Especially for non-fiction, you must take action on what you read. Learning is about changing behavior, not just collecting ideas.
Example: After reading about habit tracking in Atomic Habits, actually start tracking your habits that day — don’t just file the advice away for “someday.” The author of this method even paused reading for 24 hours to implement changes before continuing.
If you don’t change anything after reading, you haven’t truly learned.
When to Use This Method
- Learning-focused reading: Non-fiction, textbooks, technical guides, exam prep — anytime speed, focus, and retention matter.
- Enjoyment reading: Fiction, poetry, or literature may not require all these techniques — unless you want to increase speed intentionally.
The Bottom Line
The Triforce Method combines:
- Speed – Removing subvocalization + using a visual tracker.
- Strategy – Applying the 80/20 rule and adapting your pace.
- Retention – Summarising and acting on what you read.
With consistent practice, you can double your reading speed, focus only on what matters, and actually remember and use the information.
If you’d like, I can also make a condensed, visually appealing infographic summarizing the three strategies in the Triforce Method so it’s easier to refer back to.
Do you want me to prepare that next?