Ryan Holiday's 3-Step System for Reading Like a Pro

Ryan Holiday's 3-Step System for Reading Like a Pro 🔗 **Source:** [Ryan Holiday's 3-Step System for Reading Like a Pro](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM) > [!note]+ Document Notes > tags: [reading-systems, commonplace-books, knowledge-management] > author: Ryan Holiday > source: YouTube > reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM > date created: 2024-12-19 15:30 > > # 🏷️ Title: Ryan Holiday's 3-Step System for Reading Like a Pro >  ## 🧰 Action Inbox - [H1] Start reading with pen on physical books — avoid screens #reading - [H2] Create commonplace book system with note cards — organize by themes #knowledge-management - [H3] Let books sit before processing — wait weeks then extract notes #process ## 🧭 Table of Contents - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📚 References](#-references) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#️-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical Validity](#-logical-validity) - [🛡️ DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### 🔗 References - [Daily Stoic Read to Lead Course](https://dailystoic.com/reading) - [Daily Stoic Email Newsletter](https://dailystoic.com/email) ## 📝 Summary - Ryan Holiday, author of 11 books, shares his 3-step professional reading system - Process involves active reading with physical books, letting material sit, then extracting notes to commonplace book - System creates "muscle memory" through repeated interaction with material across multiple formats - Commonplace book serves as "backup hard drive" for future use of wisdom and information - Method transforms individual insights into full books through pattern recognition and organization ## 📖 Main Content Holiday's reading system operates on the principle that authors are "professional readers" who must systematically process and organize information for future use. His approach emphasizes physical interaction with books rather than digital alternatives, arguing that screen-heavy lives benefit from tactile reading experiences. The three-step process begins with active reading using physical books, pens, and highlighters. Holiday treats reading as a "two-way street" conversation with authors, marking important passages, writing margin notes, and folding pages. He demonstrates this with well-worn copies of classics like Cicero's "On the Good Life" and McCullough's Truman biography. After completing a book, Holiday lets it "sit" for weeks or months before processing. This delay allows for reflection and helps identify which marked passages remain relevant. During processing, he hand-copies selected quotes and insights onto index cards, organizing them by theme in what he calls a commonplace book. The commonplace book system, historically used by figures like Thomas Jefferson and Montaigne, serves as an external memory system. Holiday's note cards are categorized by themes and eventually spawn individual books when enough material accumulates. His book "The Obstacle Is the Way" began as a single note card category that grew into multiple boxes of research. ## 🗒️ Notes #### ⏱️ [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=0) — [H1] Professional Reading Identity - Key idea: Authors are fundamentally "professional readers" who must systematize their reading practice - Evidence: "It's a weird thing to say but I guess I'm a professional reader that's really what authors are" #### ⏱️ [00:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=35) — [H2] Physical Books Over Digital - Key idea: Physical books provide necessary screen-free engagement despite digital convenience - Evidence: "With too many screens in our life you're watching this on a screen reading should take you away from screens" #### ⏱️ [01:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=75) — [H2] Active Reading as Conversation - Key idea: Reading should be an interactive dialogue, not passive consumption - Evidence: "You're supposed to be in an argument in a discussion it's a two-way street with you and the author" #### ⏱️ [02:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=120) — [H3] Cicero Example - Multiple Readings - Key idea: Valuable books are revisited multiple times across different projects and life stages - Evidence: Shows 15-year-old copy of "On the Good Life" with different colored annotations from multiple readings #### ⏱️ [03:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=210) — [H2] Leadership and Reading Connection - Key idea: Reading serves practical purposes for decision-making and leadership development - Evidence: "Truman famously says that not all readers are leaders but all leaders have to be readers" #### ⏱️ [04:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=255) — [H3] Page Folding System - Key idea: Physical marking of valuable pages creates quick reference system for later processing - Evidence: Demonstrates hundreds of folded pages in 1100-page Truman biography #### ⏱️ [05:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=300) — [H2] Waiting Period Before Processing - Key idea: Time delay between reading and note-taking helps filter truly valuable insights - Evidence: "When I finish a book like this I let it sit I put it on the shelf behind my desk and I just let it sit couple weeks a month" #### ⏱️ [06:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=360) — [H1] Note Card Extraction Process - Key idea: Hand-copying selected passages onto note cards creates deeper engagement than digital highlighting - Evidence: Shows process of transferring folded pages to individual note cards with themes #### ⏱️ [07:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=450) — [H1] Commonplace Book Organization - Key idea: Thematic organization of note cards creates searchable external memory system - Evidence: Shows boxes of categorized note cards that became source material for books #### ⏱️ [08:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=525) — [H2] From Cards to Books - Key idea: Individual themes expand from single note card categories into full book projects - Evidence: "My book the obstacle is the way began as just one little section of note cards in this box" #### ⏱️ [09:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=570) — [H2] Muscle Memory Through Repetition - Key idea: Multiple manual interactions with material create intuitive understanding - Evidence: "Reading it once going back through it writing it by hand organizing it this forces me to go through the material over and over again" #### ⏱️ [10:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=615) — [H2] Backup Hard Drive Metaphor - Key idea: Commonplace book stores potentially useful information that can't be remembered but might be needed - Evidence: "Really what a commonplace book is it's kind of like a backup hard drive of your brain" #### ⏱️ [11:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=660) — [H3] Obstacle Book Origin Story - Key idea: Books emerge from pattern recognition across multiple sources and note card accumulation - Evidence: Traces "The Obstacle Is the Way" from Marcus Aurelius quote through Pierre Hadot to final book #### ⏱️ [12:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=750) — [H2] Universal Application Beyond Writing - Key idea: System works for any profession where future application of current learning is valuable - Evidence: "This isn't just a tool for writers it doesn't matter who you are or what you do" #### ⏱️ [13:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT1EExZkzMM?t=795) — [H1] Start Now Philosophy - Key idea: Beginning imperfectly today is better than waiting for perfect conditions - Evidence: "The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago but when it's the second best time the second best time is now" ## 📚 References - [The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday](https://ryanholiday.net/the-obstacle-is-the-way/) - [Daily Stoic Platform](https://dailystoic.com) - [Thomas Jefferson's Commonplace Book](https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/jeffersons-literary-commonplace-book) ## 🗣️ Paraphrase - Holiday advocates for treating reading as an active conversation with authors through physical annotation and engagement rather than passive digital consumption - His system involves a deliberate delay between reading and processing, allowing time to identify truly valuable insights before hand-copying them to organized note cards - The commonplace book serves as an external memory system that transforms scattered insights into structured knowledge that can spawn complete creative projects over time ## 📰 Newsletter **Transform Your Reading Into a Professional Knowledge System** Ryan Holiday's battle-tested reading method can revolutionize how you extract value from books and articles. His three-step system—active physical reading, strategic waiting, then hand-copying to organized note cards—creates what he calls a "backup hard drive for your brain." The key insight? Multiple manual interactions with material create deeper understanding than digital highlighting ever could. Whether you're building documentation, planning content, or developing expertise, this commonplace book approach helps you spot patterns and connections across sources. **Ready to upgrade your reading practice?** Start with physical books, embrace the mess of margin notes, and build your own theme-based note card system. Resources: [Learn WordPress](https://learn.wordpress.org/), [Developer Docs](https://developer.wordpress.org/), [WP-CLI](https://wp-cli.org/) ## ✅ Action Items #### DevRel - Developer advocacy: Create commonplace book for industry trends, conference talks, and developer pain points to inform advocacy strategy - Education: Build note card system of teaching techniques and curriculum patterns for workshop development - Developer experience: Collect user feedback quotes and UX insights in organized format for documentation improvements - Community management: Track community discussion themes and frequently asked questions for pattern recognition #### WordPress - Documentation: Apply commonplace book method to collect documentation gaps, style guide insights, and user feedback across DevHub/HelpHub - Community: Use note card system to organize meetup feedback, WordCamp insights, and community member suggestions for program improvements - Core: Create organized collection of performance insights, accessibility findings, and user research for development prioritization #### FAIR - Technical independence: Document governance patterns and independence frameworks from multiple open source projects for comparison - Policies: Collect transparency examples and anti-capture mechanisms from various organizations to inform policy development ## 🧪 Hypotheses - Hand-writing notes creates stronger memory retention than digital highlighting due to motor memory activation - Delayed processing of reading material improves insight quality by allowing subconscious pattern recognition - Thematic organization of insights across multiple sources reveals connections invisible during single-source reading - Physical books provide superior annotation experience compared to digital alternatives for active reading ### 📊 Methodology - A/B test comparing hand-written vs digital note retention over 30-day periods with recall assessments - Longitudinal study tracking insight quality between immediate vs delayed processing of reading material - Cross-source analysis measuring pattern recognition in thematically organized vs chronologically organized note systems ### ❓ Questions - How does the optimal waiting period between reading and processing vary by content type and reader expertise level? - What digital tools could replicate the tactile benefits of physical book annotation without losing engagement quality? - How might AI-assisted pattern recognition enhance traditional commonplace book methods without replacing manual curation? ### 🔮 Future Research - Comparative effectiveness of commonplace book methods across different learning styles and professional contexts - Integration possibilities between traditional note card systems and modern knowledge management tools - Scalability analysis of manual curation methods for high-volume information processing requirements ### 💡 Implications - Practice: Reading time investment must include processing and organization phases for maximum value extraction - Education: Teaching reading skills should emphasize active annotation and delayed reflection techniques over speed reading - Knowledge management: Personal knowledge systems benefit from physical/manual components even in digital-first environments - Content creation: Quality creative output requires systematic capture and organization of source material across time ### 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment Reading level estimate: 8th-9th Grade Level #### 👀 Visual learners - Present: Book examples with visible annotations, note card organization systems, box organization - Improve: Flow diagrams showing progression from reading to note cards to books, visual theme categorization #### 🔊 Aural learners - Present: Video format with clear narration and explanation - Improve: Audio summary of key steps, podcast-style discussion of method benefits #### 🗣️ Verbal learners - Present: Clear definitions of commonplace books, analogies like "backup hard drive," historical context - Improve: More examples of how different professionals could adapt the system, storytelling approach #### 🧩 Kinesthetic learners - Present: Hands-on demonstration of book marking, note card creation, physical organization - Improve: Step-by-step checklist, practice exercises, starter templates for different themes #### 🧠 Logical learners - Present: Clear three-step process, cause-and-effect reasoning from cards to books - Improve: Metrics on time investment vs output, decision trees for theme categorization #### 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social learners - Present: References to community engagement, shared reading practices - Improve: Book club integration suggestions, collaborative commonplace book approaches #### 🧘‍♀️ Solitary learners - Present: Individual reflection time built into system, personal organization methods - Improve: Self-assessment questions, private journaling integration, solo practice guidelines #### 🌿 Naturalistic learners - Present: Organic growth metaphor from single cards to full books - Improve: Ecosystem analogies for knowledge building, seasonal rhythms for reading cycles ### 📊 Accessibility Assessment #### Screen reader semantics - Present: Clear verbal explanations, logical content flow - Improve: Detailed alt text for book images, structured headings for process steps #### Keyboard navigation - Present: Standard video player controls - Improve: Timestamped chapter navigation, keyboard shortcuts for key concepts #### Contrast and readability - Present: High contrast between text and backgrounds in demonstrations - Improve: Larger text in book examples, better lighting for handwriting visibility #### Text resizing and reflow - Present: Video format maintains aspect ratios - Improve: Transcript availability, resizable subtitle options #### Media and captions - Present: Clear audio narration throughout - Improve: Professional captions, downloadable transcript with timestamps #### Forms and interactions - Present: Simple video interface - Improve: Interactive worksheet downloads, accessible note-taking templates ### 🌍 DEIB Assessment #### Cultural breadth - Present: References to historical figures from multiple cultures (Cicero, Jefferson, Montaigne) - Improve: Examples from non-Western reading traditions, diverse author recommendations #### Inclusive language - Present: Gender-neutral terms, accessible vocabulary - Improve: Acknowledgment of different economic access to books, digital alternatives #### Neurodiversity support - Present: Clear structure, step-by-step process, visual demonstrations - Improve: Alternative methods for different attention styles, sensory considerations #### Representation - Present: Focus on process rather than identity - Improve: Examples from diverse professional contexts, varied book recommendations #### Psychological safety - Present: Encouraging tone, "start now" messaging - Improve: Acknowledgment of different reading backgrounds, anti-elitist framing ### ✅ Logical Validity #### Strong reasoning - Deductive strength: If repeated interaction improves retention, and this system creates repeated interaction, then this system improves retention - Inductive strength: Personal success across 11 books suggests method effectiveness