I was frustrated with how the mounting number of things I had to keep up with — whether grocery lists, numbers, faces & names — was at the verge of overwhelm. So, I found some game-changing memory strategies and I made a choice to learn about memory techniques. I spent a few solid years experimenting with new techniques and getting deeply familiar with memory systems and techniques, which really helped me out in personal and professional life. If you really want to delve into the world of memory systems, the stuff of memory champions, it can be overwhelming to start because there is so much to learn about. Where do you even start?

1. Just dive in and start small. 

The world of memory techniques and mnemonics is an ocean of knowledge that can overwhelm.  Just jump in, start small, and learn some basics first.

Here are some basic principles of memory techniques.

Also here is a quick exercise you can do know to jump in.

It helps to come up with some goals and to remember to celebrate your milestones and successes along the way.

2. Embrace the wackiness of it all.

In the mnemonics world, it gets wacky because awakening the senses and and any degree of surprise will make memories stick better. It’s the way it works. In making mnemonic associations, the crazier, more bizarre, outrageous, raunchy, stinky, vivid, colorful, loud, outsized, off-beat, etc. you can make, the more memorable it will be. Doing so also makes it more unique from other memories, which makes it stand out in your mind.

Stacking multiple associative techniques, including multiple forms of input will help strengthen your memory connections, such as:

3. Commit to mastering the fundamentals of key memory systems. 

Mastering these big three systems will greatly advance your skills:

• The Major System – converting numbers to sounds through a phonetic system
• Peg Words – associating words/images with numbers
• Memory Palaces – using spatial memory like a tool to store and retrieve memory content

These systems also complement each other and will mutually reinforce your skills.

4. Learn it, make it yours, use it, then get good at it. 

There is a big difference between knowing about something and knowing how to use something.  For example, you learn about Peg Words and why they work, but you must actually commit them to long-term memory and practice them in order to benefit from Peg Words as a subject you merely know about (intellectual knowledge) to something you are skilled at doing (practical application).  You must internalize it to master it.

5. Keep a memory journal. 

Write it down and embellish it.  You better remember what you write by hand. Writing helps us capture and expound on what we know in our own words, and it causing us to engage in retrieval practice, which is a more active form of learning.

When you take notes during a meeting or class, consider doodling, drawing or diagramming. Creating visuals activates additional ways for your mind to take in what you are learning or hearing.

For example, I often use mind maps when I take notes, which helps me organize that I’m learning. Mind maps are useful for brainstorming new ideas, but they can also be useful for taking notes. Also making visuals such as mind maps or diagrams for concepts helps commit things to memory by forging new connections between the content and your mind.

6. Make your associations personal and vivid.

Memory is highly personal. Make the connections yours. The more personal and familiar your mnemonic associations are to you, the better.

Sometimes being too generic or bland can make your linkages too prone to being forgotten. In remembering images, here is the advise of Harry Lorayne, one of the world’s best memory experts:

• Picture your items out of proportion. Exaggerate their size. So making your mental images gigantic or warped, for example would make them more memorable. Maybe if you wanted to remember drinking juice, imagine you are drinking from a HUGE straw from a container that is bigger than a house. That’s more memorable than a juice box.
• Picture items in action when possible. You are more likely to remember violent, uncomfortable, or embarrassing things more than pleasant things. It’s the way we are wired.
• Exaggerate the amount of items. This approach is similar to exaggerating the proportion, except we are now exaggerating volume. If you are imagining being being stung by a bee, maybe imagine that you are running for your life from a swarm of bees that looks like a dust cloud the size of a tornado, with millions of bees. That’s more memorable than a bee or two.
• Substitute your items. Make illogical swaps such as eating a store sign of an apple instead of a real apple.

Adding emotion to your linkages also helps because emotion tends to be associated with stronger memories:

7. Experiment with new approaches and ideas. 

You do not know what you do not know. You might discover something that works really well for you.

8. Feed your brain health. 

Mind your overall health, including healthy living habits, exercise, eating healthy brain foods, getting sufficient sleep, and managing stress-levels.  

Sleep. Research shows that both the quantity and quality of sleep profoundly impact learning and memory. Sleep helps learning and memory by improving your ability to focus attention and learn as well as consolidating memory, which is essential for learning new information. 

Exercise. According to Scientific American, exercise helps your brain health as well as your fitness. Exercise increases heart rate, which pumps more oxygen to the brain. Also it helps in the the release of hormones that facilitate in the health and growth of brain cells. Further, exercise also promotes brain plasticity, stimulating growth of new connections between brain cells.

Exercise protects and enhances your memory. Regular cardio or aerobic exercise is linked to an increased hippocampus, the part of your brain involved in verbal memory and learning.

Diet. Here are some brain foods to put into your diet for a healthier brain:

Stress management. Stress can be counterproductive to your memory and your overall wellbeing. Practices such as meditation and mindfulness can reduce stress and improve sleep. Also, studies have linked meditation to improve episodic memory, the memory of everyday events.

9. Practice often and wherever you are. 

The great thing about memory techniques is that you can practice them virtually anywhere, whether you are in the shower, on a treadmill, eating breakfast, at work, at school, at home, etc.  

I personally like to practice rehearsing my systems, such as Peg Words, when I am running or exercising. If you are running a 5k, for example, doing mnemonics while you run can really help pass the time, and I’ve found that distraction for me helps me with my personal running performance.

Regardless of which memory technique you are learning to use, it is important to practice regularly in order to improve your recall. To make the most of your memory techniques, especially when initially learning the systems, it’s helpful to be able to practice with minimal distractions. Find a comfortable and quiet place to practice, take your time, and focus on the material you are trying to remember. It may also help to break your practice sessions into smaller chunks to make it easier to stay focused. With regular practice, you can gradually improve your ability to remember and recall information.

10. Teach the content.

One of the best ways to learn is to teach. There is a psychological phenomenon called the protégé effect where either teaching or preparing to teach information to others helps a person learn that information.

This phenomenon is based on the idea that when a person is teaching or preparing to teach a subject, they must work harder to understand and internalize the material than they would if they were simply studying it on their own. The protégé effect is especially effective when it comes to more difficult topics.

The act of teaching forces the teacher to better understand the material in order to explain it in an understandable way to their students. This is especially true for topics that involve abstract concepts, such as mathematics, physics, or economics. In these cases, teaching helps the teacher to better understand the material by forcing them to explain it in understandable terms. The protégé effect is also effective for more basic topics.

When teaching a subject, a teacher must make sure that their students understand the material. This forces the teacher to go back and review the material to make sure that they are teaching it correctly. This can help you better understand the material by reinforcing the concepts they already know.

Finally, teaching is a great way to learn because it encourages active learning. When teaching a subject, the teacher must engage their students in the material. This encourages the students to actively participate and ask questions, which helps them to better understand the material. In addition to teaching others, you can teach yourself. For example, actively quizzing yourself on the material you are learning can greatly help with memorization.