Memorizing important information
Between the names of new acquaintances you met at a networking event, the items on your grocery list, and the vocabulary words for the foreign language you're trying to learn, you've got a lot to remember on a daily basis.
Here's one technique that can help: the method of loci, or "memory palace." The strategy dates back thousands of years, and the US memory champion even recommends it as an easy way to boost your memory capacity. The idea is to associate each item you're trying to remember with a specific image and place.
For example, say you're trying to remember the names of all the US presidents.
First, pick out furniture in your home, then assign numbers to each piece. Next, create images that incorporate a president's name and a piece of furniture — so for example, if No. 1 is a table, then imagine someone washing the table with soap and water because it sounds like Washington. Finally, practice until you have it perfect.
Weird, yes. But effective? You bet.
Between the names of new acquaintances you met at a networking event, the items on your grocery list, and the vocabulary words for the foreign language you're trying to learn, you've got a lot to remember on a daily basis.
Here's one technique that can help: the method of loci, or "memory palace." The strategy dates back thousands of years, and the US memory champion even recommends it as an easy way to boost your memory capacity. The idea is to associate each item you're trying to remember with a specific image and place.
For example, say you're trying to remember the names of all the US presidents.
First, pick out furniture in your home, then assign numbers to each piece. Next, create images that incorporate a president's name and a piece of furniture — so for example, if No. 1 is a table, then imagine someone washing the table with soap and water because it sounds like Washington. Finally, practice until you have it perfect.
Weird, yes. But effective? You bet.