Two Videos, One Big Kindle Week
Amazon quietly pushed out one of their most useful Kindle updates (version 5.19.2) in years, and almost nobody noticed.
This week, I released a video all about the changes in this new update, and another video about how we can retain more of what we read.
This retention strategy is heavily linked to how we use annotation, which is one of the big parts of your Kindle that has just been updated.
🎉New Kindle Update (5.19.2)
Within this new update, there have been two additions to the annotation menu, with underline & pin, which I think are great new options. Underline is a more subtle way to highlight text, while pins are dropping a bookmark on a specific location rather than a whole page.
Annotation filtering has been added too, and this makes it easier to sort through highlights, notes, underlines and bookmarks.
For Colorsoft users, you now have green highlight as an extra colour. Meanwhile, Scribe 3rd Gen & Kindle Scribe Colorsoft can send files to Alexa+, and sync imported files from Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive across your Kindle devices.
You can check out my video on this topic here:
🧠How to Retain More of What You Read on Kindle
The best way to remember what we read is by actively engaging with books.
Kindle devices make this easier, thanks to annotation options.
In my lifetime, I have tried two methods. The first involved making notes after every single reading session. My retention improved dramatically, but the catch was that I found myself reading fewer non-fiction books, owing to the writing attachment after every reading session.
The second method, and the one which has worked consistently for me, is annotating books on my Kindle, whether that’s highlighting, making notes on the device, or leaving a bookmark on a page. Then, at natural pause points that work for me, I revisit my annotations and add my own notes.
You can check out my video on this topic here:
📖What I’ve Been Reading
This week, I’ve been returning to The 12-Week Year, by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington, which helped me achieve more in less time.
The concept is to shift your annual planning to 12 weeks. Your long-term visions should still underpin your goals for what you want to achieve at the end of a “12-week year”, but you take a shorter-term approach.
If you have ever struggled with annual planning, then I would highly recommend this book.
đź’A Thought for This Week
It’s so common now for device updates and upgrades to be heavily publicised. It tells users what to expect and shows why their product is the best on the market.
For some reason, Amazon don’t do this with their Kindles. This week has been a real reminder of this point, and it has me questioning why they don’t promote their devices and upgrades more widely.
It feels like Amazon is missing a real opportunity here, even if it’s simply to gain early feedback on their updates and new devices.
âť“A Question For You
Do you have any strategies or systems to retain more of what you read? I'd love to hear your thoughts at Hello@charliesamways.com.
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