Remember! - Mind Tools · remember information with easier stuff. The lilting cadence of a rhyme, a...

Remember! Workbook

Remember! The Memory Booster Workbook | MindTools.com

© Mind Tools Ltd, 2009-2011. 2

Remember! The Memory Booster Workbook This e-book is published by Mind Tools Limited, of 2nd Floor, 145-157 St John St, London, EC1V 4PY, UK. Version 2.0. Copyright © Mind Tools Ltd 2009-2011. All rights reserved. This e-book is protected by international copyright law. You may only use it if you have downloaded it directly from the mindtools.com site, or if you have received it under license from Mind Tools Ltd. Cover image © iStockphoto/moxduul



Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 4

Mnemonics ................................................................................................................................ 5

Remembering Faces ................................................................................................................. 7

Passwords ................................................................................................................................11

Key Learning Points .................................................................................................................14

Have you found this e-book useful? .........................................................................................15



Remember! The Memory Booster Workbook Introduced by Mind Tools CEO, James Manktelow

Your memory is a

precious asset. It may also be an under-used and under-developed one! How many times have you been caught wracking your brain trying to remember someone’s name? Or how often has a password completely escaped you? It’s common to be dissatisfied with your memory. Even people who you think have excellent memories probably complain that they forget things. Given the vast amount of information that is thrown at us everyday, it’s not surprising we can’t remember everything we think we need. To remember something, it has to be registered in our brain somewhere - otherwise it will slip away to make room for something else that is coming in. The key to a good memory is deciding what information you want to store away, so that you can retrieve it later. By learning how to register information accurately, you can improve your retention of important information. This workbook teaches you how to use memory techniques – mnemonics – to improve your ability to remember things that are important to

you. These are strategies that create linkages in your brain between something that is easy to recall and the person, item or fact that you want to recall. A good way of doing this is to create memorable images in your mind, so that you can tap into the power of your whole mind rather than the small part dedicated to “working memory” alone. The resulting associations allow you to remember an astonishing number of things, well beyond the number we can normally remember. This workbook is designed to increase your memory power. We will show you how to use key mnemonic techniques, using the examples of remembering people’s names, as well as remembering passwords. Specifically, during the next hour you will:

Learn specific techniques for remembering things, and realize that it requires more than simply trying harder not to forget.

Learn and practice remembering people’s names.

Learn and practice remembering passwords.

Enjoy using this workbook!

James Manktelow, CEO, MindTools.com



Mnemonics

The word mnemonic means “a device or code intended to assist memory”. These are mind tools that you use to remember something. You probably learned lots of mnemonics in school, for example, “I before e, except after c” is a common rhyme learned for spelling certain words. Musicians the world over have learned the names of the lines on the treble staff with a variant of the mnemonic “Every Good Boy Deserves Fun”. And when learning the abbreviations for elements on the Periodic Table, a friend of mine came up with a way to remember AU stands for gold that I remember to this day. She used the phrase, “Eh (A), you (U), lay off of my gold!”

Mnemonics work by replacing difficult to remember information with easier stuff. The lilting cadence of a rhyme, a memorable phrase, an association of one thing with another, or a visual image are all things that can make remembering something else easier. In these ways, mnemonics help us use the principles of imagination, association, and location to enhance memory. The result is a personalized connection between something familiar and something less familiar. Action: Think about some of the mnemonics you’ve used in the past, and list a few of them below. Note beside each why you think it is effective for you.

Mnemonics I Use

Mnemonic Why It Works



Some mnemonics are effective for everyone. Others work for some, and not for others. The reason you find a mnemonic is effective is because it means something to you. Because a mnemonic has to be meaningful, not everyone will respond positively to the same ones: We all have preferences and experiences that define us, so our mnemonics can be as unique as ourselves. A really good mnemonic is one that YOU can use effectively. It has to grab your attention and create a spark somewhere that you can ignite when you need to. To make your mnemonics more memorable, here are some tips to follow:

Use vivid images. Ones that evoke as many senses as possible are very effective.

Look for funny associations. Anything odd or different can help you remember.

Look for positive associations. Our subconscious often blocks unpleasant images.

Action: Create mnemonics that are meaningful to you, and that help you remember the following items:

My Mnemonics

Item Mnemonic

Colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.

The countries in the Group of Eight (G8): US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia.

Australia’s native animals include the platypus, dingo, wombat, kookaburra, koala, kangaroo, and Tasmanian devil.

For more tips on creating mnemonics you can read our introduction to memory techniques located here: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTIM_00.htm

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTIM_00.htm




Remembering Faces

With the age of the Internet, we don’t need many mnemonics, unless we are studying for an exam or trying out for a trivia game show on TV. This is because we can look up information so easily. The electronic age does not, however, give us digital access to the names of people we have just met. That unfortunately requires solid memory skills and there are some good tactics that you can practice to remember people’s names. One of the easiest (and least practiced) ways to remember names is simply to pay attention when someone is being introduced. Most of the time we are so caught up in formulating what we want to say that we don’t listen to what is being said to us. Learning to practice active listening skills is something you can do to immediately improve your recall of names. See our article on active listening for tips on perfecting this skill: http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm When you hear someone’s name, the next thing you can do is repeat it as soon as you can. “Hi Bill, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” “What do you think, Bill, isn’t this one of the best conferences you’ve attended?” By repeating the name, you improve your brain’s ability to recall it. Repeat the name as many times as is appropriate. Be careful, though: using it in every other sentence can sound strange, and while you may remember the name, the person might wish you hadn’t! If the name is unusual or otherwise difficult to remember, ask the person how it is spelled. This creates a mental image of the name on paper and gives you even more points of recollection. For more common names, find some reason to write the name down. Record it in a PDA or cell phone or write it on the back of a business card. The act of writing it out again creates a connection in your brain.

Then try to create a connection for the name. Does the name itself remind you of something? I recently met a lady named Sharaine (pronounced Shar-an) and I associate it with “Saran” as in “Saran Wrap” – a brand of plastic film I buy. You can also try to create association between the name and the person’s face or other features. Are there any distinguishing characteristics you can find that link to the name?

A lady named Charlotte who has a turned-up nose might be associated with the children’s book Charlotte’s Web because you are reminded of Wilbur the pig, a character within it.

You meet a man named Paul who has a receding hairline much like your brother-in-law, also named Paul.

George has a habit of raising one eyebrow to make a point and you associate this with Curious George, a popular children’s book.

Ted kept yawning all through the lecture so you make up the rhyme, Ted, Ted, couldn’t get out of bed.

Look for any other associations you can and use them to your advantage. Maybe the person’s profession or hobby reminds you of something. You can remember an architect named Meg with this series of links: Architects are associated with building, building is associated with Lego blocks, Lego My Eggo is a popular slogan for a brand of instant breakfast waffles, so you create the rhyme Lego my Eggo Meggo.

For some more detail on remembering faces you can read our article located here: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTIM_12.htm

http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm

http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm





The more vivid and creative your images, stories and associations are, the better. For instance, imagine that someone you sat at dinner with was particularly grumpy. This reminds you of Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street, which reminds you of two characters from that show, Bert and Ernie. Those names combined remind you of Bernie, which is this man’s name.

Action: Look at the following faces and names and create an association for each. Write it down in the column beside the photo. You’ll get a chance to match the faces to the names later so make sure the association will stick! NOTE: The photos you see are of people from a commercial photo gallery: the names used are fictional and strictly for the purposes of this exercise!

Maureen Newsome

Dale Fergusson

Harold McIntyre

Carly Thompson

Kenneth Jones

Richard Blankenridge

Louise Baker

Edward Larenko



Marjorie Young

Julie Thorne

Gordy Jones

Elaine Turner

Do you think you can remember the names? Let’s find out…

Action: Match the names to the faces on the following page. For each face, in the column beside it, record the number that corresponds to the name.


© Mind Tools Ltd, 2009-2011. 10

1. Marjorie Young

2. Maureen Newsome

3. Carly Thompson

4. Gordy Jones

5. Louise Baker

6. Julie Thorne

7. Richard Blankenridge

8. Harold McIntyre

9. Dale Fergusson

10. Elaine Turner

11. Edward Larenko

12. Kenneth Jones


© Mind Tools Ltd, 2009-2011. 11

How did you do? The stronger your associations, the better, I assume.

Now let’s look at another important type of thing that we have to remember: passwords.

Passwords

Passwords are everywhere. From signing into your computer in the morning to accessing certain files on the server, doing your on-line banking, using PayPal, and even logging into the Mind Tools Career Excellence Club, you have many passwords to remember. You might be tempted to use the same password everywhere, but what if someone cracked one of them? You risk giving that person access to whole lot of your personal information. It’s better to have a few different passwords at your disposal. Two very useful techniques for remembering passwords are the number/rhyme and the number/shape mnemonics. These are examples of “peg systems”, where information is pegged to a known sequence. This ensures that there are no gaps in the information.

Number/Rhyme With this technique you associate ordered lists with words that rhyme with the numbers in the sequence. A common rhyming sequence is this:

One rhymes with Bun Two rhymes with Shoe Three – Tree Four – Door Five – Hive Six – Bricks Seven – Heaven Eight – Gate Nine – Line Ten - Hen

Using this number rhyme, or another one that has meaning to you, you then associate the items on your list with the word that rhymes with its corresponding number. As an example, for remembering the password LTXBU you might conjure up the following images: 1 – Bun – L – The bun is picked up by a happy looking eLephant. 2 – Shoe – T – The shoe is also a Teapot, with a spout and a handle. 3 – Tree – X – You can see through the middle of the tree as it sparks with X-rays. 4 – Door – B – A swarm of honey bees is flying though the door. 5 – Hive – U – A man on a Unicyle has knocked the hive over. Now the bees are after him!

Action: Using the Number/Rhyme system, create a peg system for remembering the following password: RG0J2. Remember to link the associations together into a narrative.

To learn an image scheme that works with letters, see our article on the Alphabet Technique: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTIM_04.htm




© Mind Tools Ltd, 2009-2011. 12

Number/Rhyme

Order Password Sequence

Association

1 R

2 G

3 0

4 J

5 2

Number/Shape Another pegging system for remembering ordered list involves associating numbers with a shape. In the same way you associated the items on your list with words that rhymed with the numbers, this time you associate with words that describe the shape of the numbers. For instance, the number “1” is tall and straight like a candle. A common shape scheme is as follows:

1. Candle, spear, stick 2. Swan (beak, curved neck, body)

3. Bifocal glasses, or part of a "love heart" 4. Sail of a yacht 5. A meat hook, a sea-horse facing right 6. A golf club 7. A cliff edge 8. An egg timer 9. A balloon with a string attached, flying

freely 10. A hole

Action: Using the Number/Shape technique create a peg system to remember the following password: TGV73Y6. If you can, weave in a story to strengthen the associations.

Number/Shape


Association

1 T

2 G

3 V

4 7


© Mind Tools Ltd, 2009-2011. 13

5 3

6 Y

7 6

Of course, the best way to remember passwords is to use a combination of the techniques we’ve discussed to create a set of highly meaningful associations. Rather than sticking to one system or the other, using them together you can come up with an unforgettable series of associations. If your password contains the letters MSO, then rather than remember them separately, it might be easier to remember they could refer to “Microsoft Office”. Maybe the password has the

digit 19 in it and that is the date of your birthday. By using the best combination of the memory techniques available, you will be able to remember many more things than you could otherwise. Action: Using a combination of the memory techniques discussed, create a system of associations to remember the following password: BNQ1965R.

Mnemonic


Association

1 B

2 N

3 Q

4 1

5 9

6 6

7 5

8 R


© Mind Tools Ltd, 2009-2011. 14

Key Learning Points

Memory can be a fickle thing. One moment you may recall facts and information quickly, and the next they are escaping you like a person fleeing a burning building. To maintain some control over your memory and enhance your ability to the things that are important to you, you can learn to use a variety of memory building techniques. The key to using these techniques is to create meaningful associations between the thing you

want to remember and another thing that’s easy to recall. It might be the shape of the person’s ears, a silly rhyme you make up, or the order an item appears: The cues you use to trigger your memory are up to you. The object is to find something that causes your brain to relate to something familiar, and then to make the use of these memory techniques a habit that you use automatically.


© Mind Tools Ltd, 2009-2011. 15

Have you found this e-book useful?

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James Manktelow, CEO, MindTools.com

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