Mnemonics And The 7 Eternal Laws Of Memory Improvement

Be honest about your experience with mnemonics.

You've read a book or two, maybe even taken a video course. And yet …

You're Still Scrambling To Recall Information!

If that sounds like you, then here's the sad truth: You're suffering from "memory improvement randomness." That's what happens when people read a book on mnemonics, take a stab at the techniques and then … give up … only to pick up another book by someone else and try all over again.

Fortunately, there's a cure.

In fact, there are 7 of them.

Why Most People Are Allergic To Mnemonics

First off, let's look at one big problem.

The word "mnemonics" isn't all that sexy, is it? And it sounds an awful lot like "pneumonic," in the singular "mnemonic" form, which makes it sound even more like this beautiful art relates to pneumonia.

"Mnemotechnics" is nicer, and definitely won't make you sick. But the "technics" part makes the whole thing sound like hard work.

That's no good.

Because the truth is that mnemonics are not only easy, but they're the most exciting activity in the world.

And that's the key to falling in love with this special field of personal improvement.

How To Find Excitement In The World's Oldest Mental Art

To locate and embrace the excitement of using mnemonics and memory techniques, you first need to get rid of the notion that any of this is "hard work." It isn't. Never has been. Never will be.

Unless you decide that it must be. That's all mindset and this podcast on developing better mindset will help you with that.

Bookmark those resources for later as we dive into the 7 Eternal Laws Of Memory Improvement. Follow each of these laws of mnemonics and you will quickly find the fun in using memory techniques and never forget what a wild ride the art of memory can be.

1. You Have The Duty To Go Insane With Your Mnemonics

The trick to remembering anything is association. You take a piece of information you don't know and associate it with something you do.

For example, I had no idea the word 感到 (gǎn dào) meant to feel. But I do know of a character named Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. And in my imagination, I know how to hurt his feelings.

So that's what I did. In the craziest way possible. Then, using the drawing skills I have, I got it down on paper to make the learning process even faster and easier.

Of course, the trouble with teaching mnemonics is that I can't exactly show you exactly what the imagery looks like in my mind. I would need a Hollywood film crew and a Spielberg-sized budget for that.

But rest assured that what happens when Gandalf feeds the Tao Te Ching to that black horse isn't pretty. But it helps me remember not only the sound and the meaning of the word, but also its tones in Mandarin.

If you'd like to get better at making crazy imagery in your imagination, check out the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episode called Mindshock: How To Make Amazing Visual Imagery And Memorize More Stuff.

2. Every Building You've Ever Been In Is Infinitely Valuable

To get the most from mnemonics, you need to locate the crazy images you come up with in a Memory Palace.

Unfortunately, a lot of people think that Memory Palaces take too much work, and that's probably my fault.

You see, I've used the phrase "build Memory Palaces" when talking about mnemonics thousands of times. What I really mean is "create" Memory Palaces – or whatever word you need that involves spending 2-5 minutes creating a fantastic tool you can use to organize and store your mnemonics.

If you don't already know how to build create a Memory Palace, I suggest you register for my Free Memory Improvement Kit right away. If you're already a pro when it comes to this realm of mnemonics, then kudos to you. Send me a scan or picture of one of your Memory Palaces by email. I'd love to see it.

The important point is that you have learned the Memory Palace skill. It is the ultimate form of mnemonics because it lets you use every other kind of memory technique inside its walls.

And since the most efficient Memory Palaces tend to be based on actual buildings you've visited, that means you can increase the real estate value of them all. Instead of just handing over your rent or paying down a mortgage so you can store your stuff while working, why not store your memories their too? It's a great way to make every building you've ever known invaluable using mnemonics.

3. Always Begin With A Clear Picture Of The End In Mind

One thing that trips up just about every beginner with memory techniques is planning. Each memory project is unique, which means you need to take stock of the situation and work out a few things in advance.

For example, if you like to learn languages online as opposed to from a textbook, you'll have different amounts and kinds of material to memorize.

When I work with a Chinese teacher, for example, I have different Memory Palaces than I do for Spanish. When I'm memorizing music, my use of mnemonics differs a great deal, and in that case, the Memory Palace is the instrument itself. See Memorize Bach on Bass for some preliminary music memory explorations and my discussion with John McPhedrine for his current music mnemonics ideas.

But no matter how you approach mnemonics (and even when you learn without mnemonics), you need a plan.

4. Know Your Passion Inside And Out

It breaks my heart when people struggle with learning.

The problem usually isn't with them, however, and it's never with the information.

It's always THE COMBINATION of the two.

Let's face it: some people just don't like some of the things they wind up studying.

Yet, for various reasons, they feel stuck with a topic or simply have to fulfill a commitment.

For most of us, most of the time, we can skip the problem altogether by finding topics to learn that we're truly in love with.

Because when times get tough – and they always do eventually – passion will pull you through.

5. Believe In The Natural Abilities Of Your Imagination And Nurture Them

If there's on thing that gets newbies and old pros with mnemonics in a rut fast, it's a sudden drop in self-confidence.

It happens to the best of us. Even I avoided tackling Japanese and Chinese for a long time because I worried mnemonics wouldn't help with these languages.

The solution for when confidence dries up?

Certainly not dinky software brain games to which some people run.

No, we want to nurture our mind with simple creativity exercises at which we cannot fail. For example, the Creativity Kickstarter is a great way to return to the basics by coloring while recalling some information you've already confidently memorized.

For example, when I go to the Creativity Kickstarter when I find a current Memory Palace and its mnemonics too challenging. This happened a lot with my Chinese C Memory Palace – probably because of the Memory Palace I chose for it.

To reduce my frustration, I got out the Creativity Kickstarter and while working with it, I practiced Recall Rehearsal by firing off the mnemonics in Chinese Memory Palace B. My success in that Memory Palace boosted my confidence back up to the top and the C Memory Palace no longer felt so challenging.

6. Close The Deal By Knowing Your Numbers

Can you remember the 3rd Eternal Law of Memory Improvement? If not, scroll back up and take a peek.

If you do remember it, good work! What mnemonics did you use to memorize it?

The point is this: A huge part of knowing where you're going is determining how you'll know if you got there.

For me, I currently have a goal of memorizing 3 new Chinese words every morning before I turn the computer on. Why only 3?

It's because Chinese is different than other languages I've tinkered around with. Whereas a German word is just sound and meaning with spelling so intuitive it makes my Macbook Pro ashamed, Chinese vocabulary involves:

* Sound + correct tones

* Meaning

* Characters

In my mind, each word is actually 3 words and each requires 3 mnemonics. (Or more. At the moment I'm using the Major Method for the tones.)

How do I know if I've successfully memorized 3 words at the end of the day?

Easy. I test.

If I can recall them at the end of the day and the next morning and correctly use them in a sentence, then I've memorized them.

In other words, I don't leave recalling what I've memorized to chance. I test as a matter of course to ensure that when the time comes to use the word or phrase in actual context, the mnemonics are there for me.

Skip this Eternal Law at your own risk.

7. You Must Keep Going

Unused talents die and turn to dust with alarming speed. Once you join us mnemonists who practice the art of memory and make mnemonics a way of life, you have to keep going. Like any skill you can hone, to keep it sharp, you've got to use it.

How? Easy. Make sure that you're follow all 7 of the Eternal Laws of Memory Improvement. Each feeds the other, making a bullet proof shield that no sword of forgetfulness can penetrate. Not only will you be able to learn, memorize and recall anything, but you'll accomplish goals that have evaded you and feel amazing.

Never forget that memory and confidence connect at the hip. The more confident you are in your memory, the more confident you'll be in all areas of life. This leads to rich new experiences that give you more exciting memories.

And the more experiences you have to draw on in life, the more associations you can make when using mnemonics. Isn't that exciting?

Quick Recap

7 Eternal Laws of Memory Improvement When Using Mnemonics

1. You must create insane associative-imagery that is impossible to forget.

2. You must locate that imagery in specific and easy to find Memory Palace locations.

3. You must have the end goal in mind. Knowing where you're going will ensure you have as Memory Palaces as you need (or at least keep you creating them as you go along so you never run out).

4. You must be passionate about what you're learning. If you don't value the topic or the larger topic it belongs to … what on earth are you spending time on it for?

5. You must believe in the natural abilities of your imagination and nurture them.

6. You must test and track your results.

7. You must keep going.

The post Mnemonics And The 7 Eternal Laws Of Memory Improvement appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.