Guides To Self Improvement

Having a good memory can often mean the difference between success and failure. Consider for example two employees, one always forgets to do things and the other has memorized a Rolodex of names and numbers and can recall them at the drop of a hat. Who do you think will have more success in life?

But, having a good memory is not only beneficial for succeeding in the business world. In fact, being able to remember well has great mental health benefits. Think of a time when you couldn’t remember someone’s name or couldn’t remember an important phone number? It’s frustrating. Having a good memory on the other hand can lead to increased confidence and empowerment. I remember a few years back when the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts was in the process of being confirmed everyone in the hearing room was aghast at seeing him walk in without so much as a notepad. Instead he stunned everyone by answering every question by pure recall.

Like anything, developing a good memory takes practice. There are two parts we will cover, numbers and everyday things.

Remembering Numbers

Ever wonder why telephone numbers are formatted the way they are (123-555-1234)? It’s easier to remember! Obviously it would still work if you wrote it as 1235551234, but who could remember that?

In order to better remember numbers, we are going to apply the law of 3’s. The law of 3’s is an unofficial theory about they way westerners think. It can be applied philosophically such as in birth-life-death or as pragmatically as breakfast-lunch-dinner. I’m sure if you think about it, there are many other examples you can come up with.

So when dealing with numbers, think always in 3’s, also give them personalities. Yes, numbers have personalities and they can be whatever you wish them to be. Imagine 1 is a skinny guy, 2 is a queen, 3 is an eccentric, and 4 is missing a leg. There are only 10 total numbers, the rest are just combinations of these. So create ten personalities. When you have to remember say, an address, come up with a story. 1432 Bird rd can be remembered as a skinny guy without a leg who is an eccentric queen, lives on a bird road. Sounds ludicrous right? That’s the whole point; you are more likely to remember weird and wacky stuff than regular everyday mundane tasks.

Remembering Everyday Things

The ability to remember names is one the most important talents you can have. Let’s face it, would you rather someone remembered you by name or would you rather people kept referring to you as “hey you”? The trick to most memorization is to create a story or scene in your head. Rather than trying to recall things by brute force, it is far easier to come up with a story about them. Say you have a to-do list:

1.Go to the grocery store
2.Pick up at the dry cleaners
3.Drop off books at the library
4.Buy a gift for friends birthday
5.Take garbage out

I would come up with a story like this;

“While shopping for groceries I came across a huge row of clothes on a conveyer belt in the produce section. Books were attached to all the sleeves on the clothes and I showed my friend Karen the big pile of garbage I got her for her birthday. “

Sounds like the rambling of a maniac, put picture that in your head, it’s so bizarre you can’t help but remember it.

This also helps with thinking outside the box. Constantly pushing yourself to create imaginative stories can do wonders for your creative flair. So there you have it, you can kill two birds with one stone, have a good memory and be more creative.