Improve Your Memory

by Bob Walsh

The first thing that you should do when you want to improve your memory is to be clear about why exactly you want to do that. Because there are really many kinds of memory skills, and the more specific you determine your objective, the easier it will be to achieve what you want.

For example, do you want to become better at remembering names of people, things and places? There are specific techniques and methods to become good at remembering names – and those are what you should practice and become good at first.

Or do you want to become better at remembering what you read? Again, this is specific area of memory improvement, and there are techniques and reading strategies that will help you to become better at organizing the information you read so that you have a clear understanding of it, and committing it to long-term memory.

If you just want to have a better memory of what happened when, the things that happened in your life, then the best thing you can do is really to start writing a journal every day. There is a special way of writing a journal so that it won’t take up too much of your time. Basically it’s about not writing in full sentences but writing down only major “keywords”, that will then trigger all the memories associated with it.

If you want to become better at remembering numbers, there are quiet simple techniques that you can practice – everybody can do this, you just need to train it regularly to become good at it. Watch this short video clip where memory world champion Dominiq O’Brian explains how he memorizes random numbers:

And here is another video in which a memory expert explains a general mechanism called “deeper level of processing” that can help to remember all different kinds of information. This is a useful video, because it basically explains the underlying principles on which many mnemotechniques are based.

Mnemonics is the study becoming better at remembering things. It has been around since ancient times – Indian sages used these methods thousands of years ago to remember epic stories, and later the Greek and Romans came up with new methods of memorizing facts. One of the most interesting and useful are what’s called “roman rooms”, where you can use a “mental building” to put different images in your mind that will help you to remember them easily.

Also, memory enhancement only works if you are focused. So you might want to work on improving your concentration first.

If you want to improve your overall memory – from remembering names, to numbers, to facts, to study materials, and so on – then it’s best to go for a complete memory course. This will require a bit of effort – you will actually have to do brain exercises to help you strengthen your memory, but in the end it will be well worth it.

Whatever you do – improving your memory will benefit you in all areas of life. A powerful memory will help you to make better decisions and will make you feel a new and better sense of self-confidence and self-respect.