Can you memorize 7 random items in 4 seconds?

DO YOU TEND TO FORGET?

Have you forgotten someone's name just after they introduce themselves? If you are anything like me, having memory slips can be frustrating and downright embarrassing. I remember this one time I had to get up and perform a piano piece for a recital and I totally start to blank on what notes come next. I didn’t have the music in front of me, and the more I played the more I feel my memory slipping. I will come back to that story, but memory slips can have huge impacts on our day to day lives.

But, what can you do to improve your working memory? It’s well and good to test your memory, but what practical things can you do to get better at memorization? What memory methods can you use to bring your short term/working memory into long term/lasting memory?

MNEMONICS

Mnemonics is a memory method used to assist in memory retrieval. It can involve replacing letters of first words to represent other words. For example the term K.I.S.S. can stand for keep, it, simple, smarty (I don’t like to use stupid the term stupid if I can help it.). This can also be done with songs. If you want to remember a long list of people's names you can make a song about it. To find really good examples of mnemonics check out this website (Click Here)

BE ENGAGED AND INTERESTED

You remember a lot more when you are interested and engaged in the subject in question. Spend time priming yourself to be fully in the moment and mindful and this will increase your ability to memorize. Read the post on "Setting Intention."

PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY

This might seem like a stretch, but I am going to go ahead and say it, “We all have photographic memory to some degree.” Unless you were born blind, you have the ability to use your photographic memory. Some of us just have a better working version of it. Many people never consider this, but our brains like to work in pictures. Take a listen to this Ted Talk and try to develop your photographic memory. You might be surprised at how reasonable it is to develop this ability. (Click Here To Watch The Video)

MEMORY PALACE

The idea of a