Memory Improvement Tips

Have you ever forgotten someone’s name immediately after you had met that person?

Have you ever asked someone to give you a call, just to hear the phone ring because you couldn’t remember where you put your mobile phone?

If your answer is “YES” on both questions, don’t worry! You are not alone!

Sometimes forgetting little things can be harmless, but sometimes it can makes us feel completely embarrassed.

I remember one situation that happened shortly after I moved to the UK. I had a business meeting and I was in hurry to get there on time. I quickly bought a tram ticket, put it into my backpack and jumped onto the tram. After 15 minutes, there was a ticket control and I was asked to show my ticket.

I couldn’t find it!

The controller asked me to step out the tram. While we were stepping out, I was trying to explain to him that I had bought a ticket earlier. Off course, he didn’t believe me. I quickly searched my backpack to prove it.

Suddenly, all the stuff from my backpack slipped from my hands, my laptop power cable fell to the ground, pieces of papers were flying around and one apple was rolling down the tram station. The controller was staring at me and then he noticed that other people were staring at us as well. He didn’t want to prolong this situation anymore so he said that he wouldn’t ask me to pay a fine. I simply needed to go and buy another ticket. I was just about to do that but then I found the ticket.

“I told you I had it” – I proudly showed my ticket, but in the end I was late to the important meeting and I felt terrible.

It was during that moment that I decided I needed to remind myself to pay attention where I put my things.

Of course, we can’t always pay attention to everything, but if something is important, then you need to pay attention!

If you focus on something for more than 8 seconds, you can effectively transfer it from your short-term to your long-term memory.

For example, when you first meet someone, it’s very important to pay attention to the name of that person. If you repeat it back to the person (“Nice to meet you, xxx”) then you have a 30% higher chance of remembering that name. After you repeat the name, you can even visualize the letters of the name written on the person’s forehead.

There are a few more memory improvement tips that I want to teach you.

Let’s do the test to see if you can pay attention and remember them!

I will share with you 5 memory improvement tips. Your task is to remember all of them using the techniques describe in it.

1. Create Mental Pictures

I just told you my story about the tram ticket. Why do I remember it? Even though it was long time ago, I still have a mental pictures in my head. I still can see that apple rolling down the tram station. I still can visualize that tram station.

The best way to remember something is to create a clear and vivid mental pictures in your head.

If you want to remember the 5 tips from this article, you need to visualize them.

You can imagine for example 5 chairs.

Imagine that on each chair is “sitting” one memory improvement tip.

Since the first tip is to “create mental pictures” then you can for example imagine a picture of the human brain “sitting” on the first chair. This will be your trigger to remember the first memory improvement tip – “CREATE MENTAL PICTURES.”

2. Drink Enough Water

We can memorize something more easily when we are focused and concentrated. We are more concentrated when we are hydrated enough. That’s why you need to take a pause in reading, stand up, stretch yourself, drink a glass of water and then continue reading. Do this now!

Don’t forget, we are doing exercises and your task is to remember ALL of the memory improvement tips. What was the first one?

Now we will try to remember the second memory improving tip. If we imagine a glass of water “sitting” on the second chair then this can be our reminder for the second memory improvement tip – “DRINK ENOUGH WATER.”

Can you remember the first two memory improvement tips?

3. Use Your Environment

Make the object you don’t want to forget visible!

For example, if you want to eat healthier but you always forget to eat healthy, then make healthy food visible. You can put an orange next to your computer or somewhere where you will constantly see it. Make it visible in your environment! If you constantly see it, eventually you will eat it.

We can use orange as an example of an object in our environment and as a reminder to the third memory improvement tip.

Now we can visualize the orange “sitting” on the third chair as reminder to the third memory improvement tip – “USE YOUR ENVIRONMENT”.

Can you remember the first three memory improvement tips?

4. Associate

With the association technique, the brain uses existing connections to make it easier to remember something new. It’s more likely that you will remember something if you relate it with something that you already know.

For example, if we know that the orange is a reminder for the third memory improvement tip then we can use a peeler as a reminder to our fourth memory improvement tip. To eat an orange, you need to peel it first, so that’s why we associate a peeler with the orange (we are making a logical brain connection to remember something new more easily).

A peeler is our reminder for the fourth memory improvement tip – “ASSOCIATE”!

Now imagine a peeler “sitting” on the fourth chair.

Association is an extremely powerful way to improve your memory – that is how you can learn and remember new things more easily – you just associate the new information with something that you already knew from before.

Can you remember the first four memory improvement tips?

5. Create a Story

To make even stronger mental pictures and neuroconnections, you can create a story.

As a reminder to our fifth tip to improve memory, we can use a book. You can visualize a book “sitting” on the fifth chair, which will be a reminder that the fifth memory improvement tip is to “CREATE A STORY.”

On the first chair, we have picture of a human brain. The human brain is made up of about 75% of water, and on second chair, there is a glass of water. We need drink water and eat vitamins to be healthy. On the third chair, there is an orange, which is a good source of vitamin C. To eat an orange, we need a peeler, and that’s why we have a peeler on the fourth chair. This is how we create a story. On the fifth chair, there is a book where we will write our story!

By creating a story, you can relate things, which seems to have nothing common. Our mind loves stories and metaphors!

Did you manage to remember all of the memory improvement tips? Close your eyes and try to visualize them all.

We used visualization, association and we created a story to memorize something more easily.

Once you create strong mental pictures in your head, it becomes very hard to forget them. That’s why many people struggle with different problems from their past. They still have strong mental pictures, which are triggers to emotions they once felt in the past. Instead of letting those pictures fade, we are giving them more power when we think about them.

The power of visualization can be extremely beneficial if we use it for the right things – to improve our memory and to improve our lives.

Next time you want to remember where your keys are, try to visualize the place where you put them. Pay attention to it! Or even better, try to always put it in the same place and remember what that place is! 🙂

Where else can you apply this tips?

If you don’t apply the things you’ve just learned, you will easily forget them. If you don’t USE them, you will LOSE them!

Next time you want to remember someone’s name, try to visualize the name written on the forehead on that person or try to associate the name with something already familiar to you. You can even try to create a short story to relate that name to the person you just met.

Written by Eva Lu

Eva Lu is an ex engineer who decided to give up her successful career and dedicate her life to inspire and motivate others to find the best in themselves. She founded the “Mind of a Winner” website because she strongly believes that success is a skill developed by persistent people and her passion is to motivate others to become persistent enough. Her inspiration and her mentors are self-made millionaires who helped thousands of people to change their lives and who managed to build careers with their passion and vision towards doing something what they love. She also helps young entrepreneurs with business advices and encourages them not to give up on their dreams. She teaches them how to turn dreams into clear visions and ideas, and ideas into actions and results.
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