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Most of us learned how to study books & highlight in high school. And we're still doing it the same way.
I don't know about you but I haven't been in high school for over 20 years now. Back then the internet was young. We weren't dealing with constant information overflow & AI wasn't even a thing.
The world has completely transformed since then. The way we work has changed. The way we consume information has changed. The way we USE information has changed.
But most of us? We're still highlighting like it's 1999 😅 (yes I'm one of those people born in the 1900's)
Think about it. You're reading a book, highlighter (or digital equivalent) in hand, and what do you do? You highlight the "main points." You try to summarise each chapter. You essentially create a book report... just like Miss Johnson taught you in Year 10 English.
But in reality you're not writing book reports anymore. You're a knowledge worker, creator, or professional looking to actually learn & implement what you read. And those old highlighting habits? They're holding you back.
I know because I used to do the same thing. I'd read a chapter, highlight what seemed important, write a neat little summary at the end. And you know what happened to all those highlighted passages & summaries?
Absolutely nothing.
They just sat there, completely useless, because I was essentially just an information summariser. But I thought that was how you were supposed to read a book.
It wasn't until I completely changed my approach to highlighting that my reading actually started to create real knowledge & insights.
Instead of trying to capture "main points" (whatever that means 🤪), I now look for five specific things when I read. And trust me, this has completely transformed how much value I get from every book.
Look out for those moments that make you go "oh, that's interesting!" These are your natural curiosity points. They're like little bolts of lightning that grab your attention - and they're usually the ideas that will stick with you.
The key here is to trust your attention. When something makes you pause, when your brain lights up with interest - that's a spark moment. Don't override it thinking "but is this important enough to highlight?"
These sparks are your brain's way of saying "hey, this matters to YOU." Not to your high school teacher, not to some future exam, but to YOU, right now.
This one's a game-changer. Instead of highlighting what seems "important," highlight what's useful RIGHT NOW.
For instance, I was recently reading "Get Scalable by Ryan Deiss" and came across their framework for reporting on an organisation's top 5 KPIs. I highlighted it immediately because it was exactly what I needed for my business this quarter. Not in some vague future - but right now.
Think about the challenges you're currently facing. The projects you're working on. The problems you're trying to solve. When you read through this lens, you'll start finding immediate solutions rather than just collecting "good to know" information.
Highlight things you actually want to DO. Not just know about - but take action on. These become your implementation points, not just information points.
I'm talking about specific strategies, frameworks, or methods you can implement. The key word here is specific. Don't just highlight general advice like "build a morning routine" - highlight the actual steps, the real methods, the concrete actions you can take.
When you review your highlights later, you should be able to take action immediately. No more vague "this seems important" highlights that you never actually use.
These are the perspective-shifters. Just last week, I was reading about AI in marketing and came across a prompt framework that completely changed how I thought about content creation. Those moments are gold - highlight them!
These are often the ideas that challenge your existing assumptions or show you a new way of thinking about something you thought you understood. They're the highlights that make you pause and say "wait, what if..."
Don't skip over these just because they don't seem "important" enough. These perspective shifts often lead to the biggest breakthroughs in your thinking and work.
When something makes you think "wait, what did they mean by that?" - highlight it. These questions become fantastic jumping-off points for deeper exploration.
But don't just highlight the part you're questioning - add your actual question in the margin or in your notes. What specifically don't you understand? What would you like to explore further? What connections are you trying to make?
These questions often lead to your most original insights. They're not just gaps in your understanding - they're opportunities for deeper learning and creative connections.
We're not in Miss Johnson's English class anymore (thank goodness 😅). We're not reading to pass a test or write a book report. We're reading to grow, to solve problems, to create new things.
When you highlight like you're still in high school, you end up with two problems:
But when you highlight for sparks, solutions & actions - you end up with notes you actually want to review. Notes that can turn into real knowledge & insights.
Look, highlighting better is just the start. The real magic happens when you can turn those highlights into insights, knowledge & ideas that actually fuel your work and creativity.That's exactly what I teach in my new course Knowledge Alchemy.
It's not just another "how to take notes" course. It's a complete system for:
The best bit? No more heavy, complicated systems. Just practical methods for transforming what you read into knowledge you can actually use.
