creative : : reading : : memory
Maximise your Memory!
Try this: In your mind go through your house slowly in a systematic fashion. For example, start with the front door: what does it look like, is it painted, is it matt or glossy, does it have a knocker or glass, then as you enter are you in a hall, or room? Remind yourself of how it appears, light or dark, what colour are the walls, what sort of lighting is there, then, following a logical path, go to the next room – perhaps the kitchen. In your mind’s eyes, look into the kitchen carefully: what furniture do you have, what kind of windows, blinds or curtains, floorings, and so on; next move to the next room Is it your sitting room? Again remind yourself of how it appears, how the furniture is arranged and so on until you run out of rooms. You can use loos and landings too.
Next, imagine you need to remember what you need to do tomorrow. And your list looks like this: First thing, you need to e-mail a colleague about an important meeting, then you need to chase someone by phone about the outcome of a contract, afterwards you need to check whether the arrangements for a trip abroad in a couple of weeks have been made, then you need to prepare the Agenda for a meeting with contractors and so on.
Now use your house: on the front door, see an e-mail glued to the door as you enter your house with the name of your correspondent in gigantic letters, then in your hall, visualise yourself running after the person who is clutching a contract, in the kitchen open your oven and there are your flight tickets for your forthcoming trip while in the sitting room your floor is covered with Agendas for meetings.
In other words, you link what you know well, is familiar (your house) with things that are likely to be forgotten such as your list of things to do that day. The key to success is that the link you make is unusual, silly, or fun. Try it! It works. For example, do your front door and kitchen look like the picture below?
If it sounds too difficult to this on your own, ask your line manager to organise a workshop on how to “Maximise your Memory”. We will make a real difference to your life.
