I was downtown last week when I bumped into a woman I haven’t seen for ages. We were just outside a coffee shop, and we both had time, so we went inside to enjoy a chat. I’d just sipped my cappuccino and glanced up as Megan began to tell me about an accident her brother had a month or so ago. And I knew exactly what she was going to say! The eeriest feeling came over me as my mind was jumping ahead of her sentences and I only just stopped myself from completing them for her. I haven’t seen Megan for at least two years and I only knew her brother as a little boy when we were all at school together. I couldn’t have known about his accident …… could I? Was this what people call déjà vu?
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Remember the days when you knew everyone’s name instantly? And recognized faces without a problem? In those days, you never seemed to have to struggle for clues – you just knew. You were probably about 14!
Actually, until you find yourself searching frantically for a name you really know quite well, you’ve taken the skill of recognition for granted. But it is actually a very complex process and it isn’t until your memory has let you down, that you begin to realize this. Read more…
How To Remember in 4 Easy Steps.
Get these right and you won’t forget important dates again!
You mightn’t realize it, but your brain is designed to forget – that’s right, to forget!
No, it’s not a misprint – your brain is working hard all day forgetting things so that you are not having a brain overload malfunction.
Imagine what it would be like if your memory remembered every detail of every moment of your day. It would be like a camera clicking every nanosecond.
Your clever brain filters out everything it thinks you don’t need.
So you have to give your brain clear signals about the things you want to remember.
How do you do that?
Well, it’s a big topic to cover here (full story in Seven Second Memory) but grab these 4 easy ways to help you remember:
1. Focus on what you need to remember.
Don’t expect to listen or look for a second or so and expect to remember. You need to concentrate for seven seconds if you want to remember something later. Try it, it will seem a long time but, if you spend this time repeating, connecting or visualizing the data, you will remember it.
2. Use ONE diary.
Put everything in there so that you are not looking through several places each time you want to check something.
3. Get your surroundings organized.
Establish places for all of the items that you regularly lose, and use them! Hooks for your keys, drawer for your wallet, mobile, glasses and diary – all need a defined place where you put them. Concentrate while you place them there!
4. Give your brain some help!
To remember appointments ahead of time (using your prospective memory) give your brain as many ‘hooks’ as you can. In your mind , embed the details of the appointment in as many ways as you can. I’m meeting the accountant on Thursday at 9.30 am. What is his/her name? Where will I park the car? Which floor of the building is it on? What do I need to take? What questions will I ask? Where will I go once I have left that appointment at 10.30? Use as many senses as you can – visualize the clock, building and face of the accountant, ‘hear’ the questions you will ask, ‘feel’ the papers you will need to take, and so on. Are you already thinking that you haven’t a spare seven seconds to do this?? Well, think of how many minutes you waste trying to remember the time, day, location and name if you haven’t committed them to memory. It’s a no-brainer!
Forgetfulness can ruin your confidence and your life.
When you forget something important, you feel all at sea and your confidence can take a serious hit.
But this does not have to be the story of your life. Taking a few easy actions can quickly provide certainty in your memory, every day.
For many more tips and fuller explanations of how you can regain your youthful memory, get Seven Second Memory Plus Six Other Powerful Memory Techniques. Rewire Your Brain For a Youthful Mind. Dr. Allison Lamont, PhD & Gillian M. Eadie, 2009.
You’ll be glad you did!
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This article was reproduced with permission of its author Gillian Eadie, founder of the Brain and Memory Foundation. Gillian is an award-winning educator with more than 20 years as a principal at several prestigious private schools and is a Churchill Fellow. For more free help and personal advice on getting organized, never losing things again and improving your memory, please visit the Brain and Memory Foundation.
