This skill can also help you in other areas of your life as well as work and business. If you are at a party and talk to someone for a while, and remembered their name at the next party a year later, would that not make you stand out from the crowd? You could gain a new friend or even a new partner because of this.
I have a very powerful technique that I am going to share with you. I once considered myself to have a poor memory for names. When I learnt this technique several years ago I went to a member of my then girlfriend’s family of whom I knew no-one. I set myself up for a boring night! Then I decided to ask her everyone’s name in the room, and she also told me a little bit about each of them. I must have remembered about 50 people’s names, and even some information attached to them. I could not have remembered 5 people’s names without this technique.
Before I share this technique with you, I will quickly run through some important basic principals of good memory.
You must believe that you have a good memory, and have faith in it. If you believe you have a poor memory and you cannot remember anything, your mind will prove you right. When you learn better memory techniques, you will have a better memory. A person with a “better memory” is knowingly or automatically using better memory techniques.
We remember things that stand out. If a pink elephant walked past you in the supermarket, then it is highly likely that you will remember this for years to come. You probably would not remember a dog walking past you in the street an hour after it happens.
We remember things that we pay attention to. A lot of forgetting is down to people not paying attention. If someone asks you to remember to do something, briefly imagine yourself doing it. Think about when and where you will do this. The more details you attach to this, the more likely you are to remember it.
A relaxed mind helps memory. When you are trying to remember something, stay relaxed. Also keep a relaxed mind when trying to recall anything. If you are struggling to recall something, do not get frustrated. Instead forget about it for a while. Often your unconscious mind carries on looking for this information without you realizing it. The memory often pops into your head when you least expect it.
Reduce anxiety. Mild anxiety can increase interest and attention. However high anxiety can impair our attention and concentration, and may inhibit our ability to recall. That is why people sometimes ‘blank’ when sitting an exam. In this situation hypnosis and meditation can greatly help.
Use the techniques we have just discussed to remember these principals. Read them a few times. Make sense of them. How can you use them? What situation might they help. Can you think of times when you have done the complete opposite for example got frustrated and not been able to remember anything?
Right then, I said earlier that I would share the technique for remembering people’s names – remember?! Here goes …
When you meet someone, ask them their name. Be interested in their name. Say it to yourself a few times. If they have an unusual name then ask them about it. Find out what it means – why they were named this. It’s amazing how much even this helps. The information about their name creates a sort of ‘hook’ for you to hang on the dry information of their name.
The clever trick here is when someone tells you their name then try and link it to them. For example someone called Michelle may be wearing shells round her neck. However you will probably not be so lucky! Sometimes I imagine them interacting in some unusual way with a celebrity of the same name. If for example a man says he is called Tom, then you may wish to imagine him having a fight with Tom Cruise for example. Try to visualize it as vividly as you can. Use as many of your sense as you can. Make this image funny, scary, unusual – something that stands out. When you next see this person and think about their name, this image literally pops up on it’s own to remind you.
This technique is also great at building up your creative powers as you have to sometimes be very creative to find a link. It can be difficult, but there is always some kind of link if you look hard enough.
As with most things in life, the more you do it the better you will get. If you keep in mind these techniques and use them regularly, you will find that you quickly become better using them. If you stick with using these principals, you will find that you will start to use these without even thinking about it. Then you will truly feel that you have a great memory. Remember where you got this information from when you rich, generous and successful!
