6 Cool Ways of Improving your Memory

(First of all, don't forget to read this!)

Carry Index Cards and a Pen
I love index cards. You will too! Get them big or small, ruled or unruled, white or colored – but get them. The small ones are perfect for your daily agenda. Write down everything you need to know & do that day on a card – appointments, errands, phone numbers, anything – and slip it into your pocket or purse. At the end of the day, just toss your card in the trash (or, if you prefer, file it), then prepare your card for the next day. You’ll be amazed at how much you accomplish and remember. (Plus, index cards are great for jotting down ideas as they randomly occur to you throughout the day.)

Time It & Rhyme It
To remember something, set aside just 60 seconds to really focus on remembering it. A minute of your time = a lifetime of total recall. If you want to remember that Columbus discovered America in 1492, spend a full minute concentrating on that single fact. Think of nothing else. Afterward, create the best rhyme you can think of. Remember “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue?” Of course you do!

Think of “Roy G. Biv”
Does Roy sound familiar? He should! He’s the acronym that helped you remember the colors of the spectrum (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet). Go acronym crazy! Use them! Abuse them! You’ll be a memory super-freak!

Screw Multitasking
I’ll be frank. You can’t remember something if you’re doing six things at once. In reality, to “multitask” means “to do a lot of things lamely.” To be special, to be great, you’ve got to concentrate. To have a great memory, you’ve got to focus on one thing, one thing only - just one thing at a time. (Remember, when actors memorize a script, they’re not on the phone with their agents and signing autographs – they’re focused on the script!)

Create a Crazy Picture in Your Head
Okay, you’ve just met a woman named Jennifer Bamburger and it’s very important that you remember her name. Don’t sweat it. It’s easy. Imagine her with Jennifer Aniston. Or Jennifer Lopez. Or any famous Jennifer. Now imagine the two of them beating the heck out of a giant hamburger. Bam! Trust me, “Jennifer Bamburger” will stick in your head.

Use Sports to Remember Numbers
Need to remember a lock combination? Let’s say it’s 5-23-7. Maybe you’re a fan of the Yankees, maybe not, but you realize those are the numbers of three famous players: DiMaggio, Mattingly and Mantle. Just take a mental snapshot of the three of them standing together… Boom! You’ve just memorized the combo! You can do the same thing with phone numbers. Need to remember 712-2399? Imagine Jose Reyes, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretsky being photographed together! Bam!