Improving Memory
What if you woke up one day without the capacity to use your memory?
Losing your memory is the loss of who you are. For we can only learn, retain information, be creative, decide who we are in the world because of memory. Without it, our quality of life diminishes dramatically. I have set out on a quest to learn and understand the game of memory. Like anything, it can be trained, improved and utilised in a way to be one of my greatest allies.
Memory is a creative process, to remember names, places, information, dates and words comes down to your ability to bring these things to life.
See we often remember a person’s face but forget the name, why is that? Because pictures leave a greater impression in our memory than letters. If you wish to recall and remember anything, you first must understand a few of these basic principles.
Let’s start with the P.I.C principle.
P = Purpose. Have a purpose behind whatever it is you are learning. Be specific with your purpose, for example today I will read 50 pages in a book and my purpose is to learn 5 new pieces of information that I can memorise.
I = Interest. Be interested in whatever it is you are learning. The mind never wanders, it only goes to something more interesting. If you're not interested in the subject, link it to something that interests you. Do rely on your will power, rely on WHY power.
C = Curiosity. You could never lead a boring life with curiosity steering the ship. Ask questions, be curious as why, how, who, when, and so on.
Next lets add the S.E.E principle, this one is a game changer.
S = senses. When you are adding to something to your memory, incorporating the senses, what did it smell like? Taste like? What sounds did you hear? What did you see? The more senses you get involved, the more likely it is to stick.
E = Exaggerate. Take someone’s name or a new piece of information and exaggerate it! What is easier to remember, a strawberry? Or a giant strawberry bigger than your house?
E = Energise it. You need to bring information to life like a movie, energise it with action. Let’s take that giant strawberry and now let’s splatter it on Obama’s head. Stands out in your mind/memory, doesn’t it? The trick to remembering anyone’s name for example, is to actually slow down, concentrate on when they say there name and use the S.E.E principle.
If a fella walks into your store, a new customer and his name is Cape. I shake his hand and then in my mind's eye picture the Cape York peninsula growing out of his forehead. Haha, makes me chuckle and definitely sticks to my memory. You see people who have photo graphic memory or do incredible feats with their memory, are simply using a creative process to bring the information that they are remembering to life, with pictures, senses, exaggeration and having interest in what it is they are absorbing.
You also need to pay attention, our concentration is weakest when we dilute it by multitasking or if we are in conflict. Shifting your beliefs will help too. ‘Oh I have a terrible memory’ will not support your improved memory capacity. Why? Because beliefs are a pattern of thoughts we believe are true.
Beliefs can make us or break us. They can add to our life or hinder and limit them. Argue for your limitations long enough and they are yours. Your beliefs will shape your behaviour and choices, so pay attention and catch your inner voice, next time it says something that diminishes you, then ask ‘is 100% true? What evidence do I have that it is 100% true?’ 9/10 it is not even close to being true, thus shifting, dissolving that belief. Create space for another. All of these ingredients begin to create a wonderful recipe for a magnificent memory. I’ve only scratched the surface here and could go on and on.
However, I will wrap it with this: do you get a positive impression of a person who remembers your name after only meeting you once?
