by: Timothy Romano
Your brain is a very able piece of machinery. The organ collects data and thoughts, and then categorizes and stores them. For the information in the brain to be used beneficially, it must be available for quick retrieval. One such case of quick recall would be answering a question like, "how old are you," or "what is your address?" How many of you have searched high and low for a pair of eyeglasses, and found them right on your head? Maybe you have forgotten something more important like a project at work, or a homework assignment. The good news is that you don't have to keep worrying about your memory. Regardless of age or ability, there are lots of things you can do to exercise, and improve the performance of your memory.
Sometimes the best "improve your memory information" can be found by asking someone who's got a lot of experience under her belt. My grandmother used to tell me about an old trick to help remind myself of something I had to remember. The technique is to tie a piece of yarn on your finger, or put some tape on your hand to serve as a reminder that you had to remember to do something. Since the string or tape is out of the ordinary, it will help you remember what you were supposed to do. You could tie a string on your thumb, wear your watch upside down, or even set an alarm on your mobile phone. The secret is to mix up your normal environment just enough to tune you in to the fact that something is wrong and you have something to remember.
You can also try creating a picture to help improve the effectiveness of your memory. The easiest way to accomplish this is to create a scene in your mind of what you are trying to remember. In my language learning hobby, I have found this technique very effective in learning new vocabulary. This is how it works. "Potato," in the German language, is pronounced cart-awfol, which is in no way like to the word potato in English. Try to form the following image in your mind. You're shopping for groceries at a store in Berlin and see a gigantic cart of rotten potatoes. Your buddy exclaims, "That is a cart of awful potatoes!" Implant the image in your mind and think about how bad that smells. I'll bet that you'll remember the German word! If your image is wild and imaginative, even a little dirty, you are much more likely to remember your vocabulary word. It works, believe it! This is a system I have employed over many hundreds of words in several languages. Try it! You can use this helpful trick to remember far more things than German vocabulary!
These are just a few ways you can supercharge your brain. The improve your memory information that I've shown you here is easy enough that you can start practicing right away! In no time, your memory will be much improved, thanks to the new techniques you've learned and practiced.
