Many people seek ways to improve memory. After all, when you know of ways to improve memory, you know how to enhance all aspects of your life-your professional life as well as your personal life. The idea that memory needs to be enhanced or improved is often related to aging, but in fact there are plenty of young people who could use some memory improvement, too. If we don't have good memory, then what have we got? We've got nothing but fleeting events that have little meaning for us. Even great creativity requires great memory.
So, can you apply ways to improve memory? Yes, you can. Memory can be enhanced by following certain methods. Let's look at some of them.
One of the most important ways to improve memory is to be engaged. That is, be active (or interactive) rather than passive. In other words, do whatever you can to make yourself involved in what you're trying to memorize. Write things down, actively speak to the person who is conveying information, or even doodle images that reflect what you are hearing or doing. The more active you can be with whatever it is that you're trying to remember, the better your chances of formulating and retaining a detailed memory.
Being engaged also means being focused. When you really want to memorize something you have to have total focus. Don't be foolish and pride yourself on your "multitasking" capabilities when you need to memorize things. You may very well have above-average multitasking ability, but even if you do it's no help with memorizing things. Memorization absolutely requires intensity of focus, no matter how you are. Maybe you need to tap your foot or stroke your beard to ensure that you are intensely focused, but little quirks like these are worth the cost of a superior memory!
Memory is enhanced when you engage in "lateral thinking". In other words, make interesting associations between disparate things. One of the most well known ways of doing this is through rhyme. Poetry began as more than just art. It was also a mnemonic device. Another powerful method of making this rapid mental associations is by making imagery associations that aren't literal. For instance, if you want to memorize someone's name, instead of just trying to memorize it "cold", when you first hear it think of what images that name makes you think of. What does "Stonewall Jackson" make you think of? When you can memorize the name of a person or an event it becomes far, far easier to memorize other related details, for that name itself triggers those other associated memories to rise up to the surface. But in order to memorize the name you need to be able to make fast mental associations between the sound or spelling of the name and what other emotional imagery it conjures up for you.
Don't be ashamed of repetition. Did you realize that music is based upon repetition? Repeating things over and over, writing things down several times over, or coming back to doing the same thing over and over all cause strong memories to formulate.
Finally, know that if you are passionate about the concepts, method, or information that you want to memorize, you'll do far better with retention. This requires emotional interest as well as a certain measure of selective memory. If something is important to you, try to find some way of making it personal, emotionally.
Use these ways to improve memory for yourself. By practicing these ways to improve memory, your life will be improved in every way.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6732280
No comments:
Post a Comment