Unlock Your Memory: Proven Techniques for Names, Lists, and More

Jill Price was born in 1965 to a Jewish family in California. She lived an ordinary life attending a local school, but it wasn’t long before her family noticed something unusual about her. Her memory was remarkable. For most of us, our memory is a blurred collage of snapshots with some more vivid than others. Jill can remember, in detail, every day of her life.

In 2006, neuroscientists formally diagnosed her with a condition known as hyperthymesia shared with no more than about twenty-five other people on Earth.

A good memory is such a valuable skill, and yet so many of us feel we struggle with recall. If I gave you a list of ten things to remember, how many do you think you’d remember ten minutes later? How about names? If I introduced you to ten friends of mine at a party, how many of their names would you remember?

Fortunately, by applying some simple principles, it is easy to make significant improvements to your memory. Your memory is like a muscle, and your brain can change over time to provide a greater memory capacity.

In this article, I’ll explain the principles for improving your memory and then explore how you can apply these principles to double your recall of lists, names, and everything you read.

First, the Principles:

See Memory as a Process

The memory process has three separate steps:

STEP 1: ENCODE — STEP 2: STORE — STEP 3: RECALL

We assess our memory only at step three – but if we didn’t do step one or two well, step three will be impossible.

Think of it like creating and saving a file on your computer:

• If you create and then save a file, a search will easily find it.
• But if you never created it, or you didn’t save it, you’ll never find it.

So the way to improve memory recall is to improve step one (encode) and step two (store).

Improve Step 1: Encode/Creating the File

The way to improve the first step (and consequently improve memory of all forms) is to pay closer attention.

• How often are you introduced to somebody and forget their name immediately?
• That’s not a fault of your memory. It’s the fault of your attention.

French philosopher Simone Weil said, “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” Be generous with your attention to others, and if you want to remember anything specific, focus!

Improve Step 2: Store/Saving the File

To improve step two (saving the file), there are three effective methods:

• Repetition: Simple and effective – memories become stronger through reinforcement.
• Association: Especially useful when remembering what you read by linking new information to what you already know.
• Visualisation: Actively using your imagination, especially through images, is the key to the best memory techniques.

How to Remember Names

1. Pay Attention: Be present and undistracted when someone tells you their name. Decide beforehand that you’re going to remember it.
2. Associate and Visualise:
3. Repeat their name back to them as soon as possible (e.g., “Hi Hannah”).
4. Create an image that represents their name – the sillier, the better.
5. Link it to someone famous, someone you know, or use metaphor or literal representations.

How to Remember What You Read

The Oscar-winning film Rain Man was based on the extraordinary life of a man named Kim Peek. Considered a ‘mega savant,’ Kim had an almost unbelievable capacity for memorising things, including the ability to read two pages at a time.

While Kim’s talents are unique, you can improve your memory for what you read using the SQRQS Model:

1. Scan: Before reading, scan the document to understand its length and structure.
2. Question: Ask yourself, “What do I know about this already? What do I hope to learn?”
3. Read: Read the document, pausing between sections to enhance recall.
4. Question Again: Test yourself on what you remember and think about the content.
5. Scan Again: Do a final scan to fill in any gaps.

How to Remember Lists

The Memory Palace Technique

The Memory Palace is one of the most powerful ways to improve your memory, often used by memory champions. It uses familiar locations to help you remember unfamiliar lists.

Step 1: Create Your Memory Palace

• Choose a familiar room (e.g., your bedroom).
• Draw an overhead view or imagine it in your mind.
• Identify 15 landmarks in the room (e.g., furniture) that you pass in sequence.
• Number these landmarks from 1 to 15.

Step 2: Memorise Your Memory Palace

• Close your eyes and mentally walk through the room, forwards and backwards, identifying each landmark.

Step 3: Memorise the List Using Your Memory Palace

• Imagine each item on the list as vividly and bizarrely as possible at each landmark.
• Use all your senses to make the image memorable.

Example: If the first item on your list is a chicken and the first spot in your palace is a table, imagine a cartoonish, noisy chicken on your table.

Conclusion

Your memory is already phenomenal – given the right conditions. Have fun applying the principles above, and with practice, you’ll realise your memory is far better than you ever thought it could be.

3-Point Review

1. The memory process = encode, store, recall.
2. Remember names by paying closer attention, repeating, associating, and visualising.
3. Use the SQRQS Model to remember what you read and the Memory Palace technique to remember lists.