A good memory is absolutely essential if you are to have a successful life. A moment's thought will convince you of the many advantages having a good memory can bring you - more confidence in conversation, speedier learning and acquiring of qualifications, increased efficiency, not forgetting the freedom from regrets, humiliations & embarrassments caused by poor memory.
Several fallacies also exist about memory, the most common one being that "you are born with a bad memory" and you must simply accept the fact that there is nothing you can do about it. The fact of the matter is this, the memory of every experience, everything we have ever learnt, is stored in the mind. This means that everybody has a good memory, but most people don't know how to use it correctly. A "good memory" is simply the ability to recall at will any of these stored experiences, and just like any other muscle (your mind is a mental muscle) their are certain exercises and techniques you can use to help you develop this.
1. Stop Saying Your Memory is Bad.
The very worst thing you can do if you want to improve your memory, is to constantly tell yourself and other people that you have a "bad memory". You see, every time you say or think your memory is poor, you are making it exactly that. Psychologically, every time you repeat something constantly to your mind it becomes a reality, this is called The Law of Repetition. The good news is that you can use this law to benefit you, as quite simply if you repeat to yourself on a daily basis, especially of a night before going to sleep, and immediately on waking in the morning, that your memory is improving all the time, then your memory will begin to improve, and once added to the rest of these exercises your mind will become a powerhouse for you to recall your memories and facts at will, under any circumstances.
2. You Must Start to Trust Your Memory.
Remember what we have previously said, "Your mind is a muscle, if you want it to improve your memory you must begin to use it". So the first place to start is to begin to trust your memory. A good place to begin this process is the next time you go shopping, do not take a shopping list with you, just commit your list to memory and trust yourself to be able to recall all the items on it. Now the first time you do this of course, it's no good trying to remember hundreds of items, it is a good idea to begin with a small easily remembered number and build it up each time, until you CAN recall hundreds of items. Another technique to use to build trust between you and your memory, is to imagine yourself doing the thing you want to remember, at the time you want to do it. So for example if you are going out to the gym at a specific time tomorrow morning, and you want to return a book to the library on the way, see yourself in your mind leaving your house now with your normal gym bag in one hand and your book in the other. Once you have a few successes with these techniques you will become more confident in your memory and begin to trust it with bigger tasks, which in itself will mean you are improving it each time.
3. Understand What You Wish to Remember.
It might sound blindingly obvious, but it pays to understand in detail just what it is your are trying to memorize. So you must work at it until you understand it down to the nth degree. This means asking for help if you need it or consulting a dictionary or encyclopaedia in the event that it is a particularly obscure subject. Making diagrams or writing it down is another fantastic aid to the memory.
4. Repetition.
Constant repetition is one of the best, if not THE best, methods of cementing memories and experiences deep into the mind. Many scientific studies by NASA, and Harvard University in the US, and Oxford/Cambridge Universities in the UK, have established that repetition deepens existing neural pathways and helps to create new ones deep within the human brain. Repeating aloud is also known to be more effective than silent repetition, although any repetition has a positive effect. Also, although parrot-like repetition DOES help with immediate recall, it is even better to actually THINK about what you are repeating. Short periods of repetition are also known to be better than long periods, the principle here is to do lots of short bursts, as opposed to a few lengthy ones.
5. Maintain an Interest.
Emotions are a key element in the learning process, most people know that personal triumphs or disasters can be quite easy to remember, and in great detail. So this technique for memory improvement is to allow yourself to become emotionally involved, and you can do that by having an interest in the subject matter and maybe even liking it. Children progress much faster in subjects that they like in school, and adults are no different, things which interest us are much easier to remember, so the moral here is - maintain interest and you will be able to recall that much easier.
6. The Use of Mnemonics & Association.
Mnemonics are extremely useful as memory aids, especially for examination candidates. Almost all memory recall experts use mnemonics to create association, and the more humorous and nonsensical it is the better the effect. A good example of this is a method of teaching music to beginners when remembering the lines of the Treble Clef ( E.G.B.D.F.) Pupils learn this by memorizing the following phrase "Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit". You can see from this phrase that it is both nonsensical, as it has nothing to do with music, and slightly humorous as well. Such sentences are easily instilled into the mind and of course the initial letters immediately reconstruct the sentence in the minds eye.
7. Be Determined to Remember.
Is it any wonder that we forget things when you consider that we "hope" to remember, or we will "try" to remember? Make sure you are "DETERMINED" to remember, make it a definite act. Next time you meet a stranger at a networking event, be determined to remember his name and occupation, will yourself to do it. A quick technique for remembering someone's name by the way, the first time you meet, is to repeat their name back to them at least 3 times during the course of your conversation. It also helps if you can associate them with someone or something you know already.
So there you have it, 7 techniques to help you exercise your mental memory muscles, but remember, you MUST use them if they are to have an effect.
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