Get A Better Memory

How does the human brain work?  Scientists have pondered that question for centuries.  I don’t know if they discovered how it thinks and grows, or if they learned every little detail about the sections of brain.  I think I have discovered a method for memorization that will work every time you use it.

The method for memory and memorization that I discovered is based on keywords.  That’s right I said keywords.  Think about how your computer remembers where files are and what is in the file.  You may have a document in a folder called text.  The text file probably holds 100 or more words in it, yet the computer brings up all that information.  Your brain works in much the same way.  If you remember things by associating them with an acronym (keyword) then you can remember most everything else that is linked to that acronym. 

For example I want to remember what the Army values are.  I remember the acronym (keyword) LDRSHIP.  From this keyword I can then recall what each letter is or means.  Loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage; but wait, I am not done yet.  This file still has information in it.  Now I may want to know what each one means.  I start with the L—loyalty means to bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S government, the Army, the unit, and my fellow soldiers.  The same applies for all the other letters in the acronym.

The major difference between the human brain and a computer is how the information is stored.  With a computer you input all the data first (the 100 or more words), then you name the file (key phrase), and then you put a keyword on a file for quick and easy access.  With the human brain you have to reverse the order.  The first part of memorization is the repeating of a keyword, I.E. LDRSHIP.  Once you can remember the keyword with ease then you can expand on that by adding in the first layer of content.  For example, what each letter in the acronym represent.  Finally, when you remember the keyword and the key phrase you can expand that once more.  Before you know it you’ll be the smartest person you know.

What about numbers?  Since numbers cannot be associated (as far as I know) you need to find a new method of memorization.  I always find that remembering numbers simply requires repetition.  It is often best to memorize numbers by repetition but also by making the number bigger.  For example, say I want you to remember the number 12903467.  Obviously you will have a hard time memorizing that number if you break it all the way down to the smallest digital 1-2-9-0-3-4-6-7.  Instead try 12-90-34-67.  This is easier because now all you have to do is remember four numbers instead of eight.  You could also try to go further with 1290-3467, but this is harder because of the four digits per set of numbers.

Dates are more difficult but you can associate a little with them.  December 25^th 2009, can be easily remembered because it is Christmas, and you can associate that date very easily.  Any date in December can be associated with Christmas.  For example, the 15^th of December 1989; the year you need to associate with your age.  The day is a little more complicated but when you remember how old you were and in what month you should be able to pick out the day by reflecting on what you were doing.

The most important thing to remember about memory is that the brain is a muscle that needs to be exercised.  If you start off with easy and small things to remember like your phone number, your address and so on you can eventually work up to harder memorization.  Pictures are very helpful memory prodders but the greatest sense for memory is smell.  I know, that’s weird but the smell of something can take you back ten, fifteen, twenty years or more in an instant.  If I smell coconut I am instantly transported back to when I was 13 and playing concentration on our old Macintosh computer, and that was 17 years ago.  I vividly remember everything about that point in time too all because of a smell.

In conclusion, the more you memorize things the easier it becomes.  Don’t allow yourself to get frustrated because you’ll lose the ability to concentrate.  Stay calm and focused and everything will fall into place.

Copyright 2009 by Wesley Cox