Can You Remember Not To Forget

Forgetfulness is normal, occurs mostly due to lack of attention and further our lifestyle forces us to multitask, rendering more distraction. Missing keys? Losing wallet? Delayed payments? We all have our moments of oblivion only to patiently wait for some magic wand waved to survive our frustration and awkwardness.

Taking things to memory is a talent at least that is how all my schools linked them to grades. Our examinations involved memorizing every line of the book and top scorers are human hard disks in GBs. Mine is similar to the cheap flash drives, craftily disappears on seeing the question sheets and never could I put up a good relationship with the grades. Luckily now dear Google provides answers even in life critical times like this.

Qn: Must we mean what we say?
Google Ans: No, or yes, or no. I don't know
Qn: Why can't I sleep?
Google  Ans: Because you are now reading this on a screen that keeps your brain going! Turn off your computer and go to bed.

Although modern gadgets aid in timely alert with smart planners, online calendars and custom alarms, we still need a sharp mind to recall trivial things and routine activities. Standing in line at the Grocery's, you bump into someone very familiar. Gosh! you don't know what his name is or worse who he is. Feeling embarrassed? It certainly is a tiresome and mundane task to pick a random name out of the zillion things that our little brain is processing every minute. However it is important to have a strong mind and never too late to get one. Try these 5 tips if you want your grey matter in good condition.

1. The Picture Superiority:
Of all the other senses, our Vision has the strongest recall value. And advertisers use it for the better. Reason why seeing a product poster with contrast prices UP: $140 Now Price:$80 or Buy 1 Get 1 Free billboards lure us into buying them despite not needing it.

The influence of a picture is very much significant. When we think about our past, It usually flashes only the images of that incident happened in the first place whereas the actual words spoken will have been faded or modified with time.

So if you wish to remember something, attach a visual cue to it. Register that image to relate it with your concept or thought.

If it's a woman named Abby, imagine a bee stinging her eye. If it's a guy called Bill, imagine him with a duckbill for a mouth.
- Joshua Foer, U.S. memory champion 2006

Studies have proven using markers, colours and diagrams help students score better than the rest as we are more stimulated by colours. Hence convert your info into pictures as the mind can store it for longer periods than simple texts.

2. Method of Loci:

Otherwise known as the Mind Palace, a technique invented by Greeks and dates back 2500 years ago, yet so powerful even now that the brilliant Sherlock Holmes of BBC often uses it to solve his mysteries. Practically is it possible? With a lot of practice and patience, you can. All you do is drop your thoughts with impossible things or weird ideas by walking in your mind through a comfortable real space such as home, bedroom or work desk. You should know your places well and elaborate your inputs accordingly. For instance if your busy day is full like this:

• Drop kid to school
• Doc Appointment 
• Board meeting 
• Trip to Grocery 's

Imagine when you open the door, you see your child in the hall tugging your laptop all coated in yellow paint, a stethoscope on the kitchen sink, group of  men dancing in the balcony and  a giant celery stalk sleeping on your bed. Total haywire! It still can make you remember the list for a longer time period. Such kind of bizarre ideas tend to ease our recollection. So think and make up your own story!

3. Mnemonics Tools:

You listen a song, start humming and like it so badly that you can recite the entire lyrics in one go. Just as kids also grasp rhymes faster and sing or possibly babble it loud even before knowing their ABCs. Inculcating rhythmic texts like 'Thirty days have September, April, June, and November' or using acronyms such as VIBGYOR for the colors in Rainbow can never get out of our memory. Probably why this universal way to work on a  nut or bolt still rings a bell.

"How do I get this screw out?"

"Righty tighty lefty loosy!"

Using mnemonic tools in daily life assists in learning new languages quickly, knowing a lot of people details and even help mastering the art of flattery. A Boss who remembers his employee son's birthday gets more work done than a task master with strict orders.

4. Repetition is the Key:

Constant repetition carries conviction -Robert Collier

If you have read the Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, you will have known how the author convinces us with his notion that a '10,000 hour rule' is good enough to make you a successful expert in your field.The Beatles he points out, had spent an amassing play time of more than 10,000 hours before giving their first hit. So to master any talent, you need to repeat it, practice continuously and train the mind to pay attention.

5. Apple-pie order:
Being a bit organized, scheduling in advance and placing things in its assigned spots all these can save time from frantic searches for lost items or feeling guilty over delayed bills.


Small actions for eg., sticking a note on your shoes before sleep, to remind filling tax form, will certainly keep you noticed when starting to office. Here are a few more activities to remember chunks of data

• Use Flash Cards
• Write it down and make notes
• Use colors and markers
• Keep reminders and alerts
• Talk it louder often

These shortcuts are intended to help sharpen your memory but do not guarantee you long- term storage or recollect a deck of cards within a minute. What matters most is our attention span to our surroundings. When was the last time you really took time to enjoy a scenery or just rushed to get the imprint on your camera . Photos do have lasting records but they can never offer the nostalgia that the mind gives.

Our Life is full of Memories; events and occasions mixed with happiness, grief, laughter and love. Make your life memorable, cherishable. Impress people with your strong remembrances of them. Live For You Remember to Remember!