Bhagavad-gita is concise enough to carry in one hand and deep enough to study for a lifetime. The challenge is to read it in a way that affects life rather than becoming another stream of information.
Read in context
The Gita is a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna at a moment of moral crisis. Keep asking: What problem is Arjuna facing? What assumption is Krishna correcting? How does the teaching develop?
Use a trusted commentary
Sanskrit philosophical terms carry layers of meaning. A recognized Vaishnava commentary helps connect verses to the bhakti tradition and protects against reading our existing opinions into the text.
Ask three practical questions
What does this teach about Krishna? What does this teach about the self? What change in action or attitude follows from it?
Keep a verse notebook
Write verses that address recurring struggles such as anxiety, duty, anger, attachment, discipline, compassion or remembrance. Revisit them when those situations appear.
Avoid rushing to finish
Completion is not the same as assimilation. It is reasonable to spend several days on a few verses if they are changing the way you think.
The Gita becomes transformative when reading, reflection and conduct meet. Even one instruction practiced sincerely can open the next layer of understanding.