The Magnetic Memory Method Podcast

It happens. We all have verbal diarrhea from time to time. Sometimes we say something we think is funny. Other times we're just being rude. Heck, sometimes we don't even know why we get the feeling we've said something wrong or offensive. For whatever reason, often within seconds… Ours words suddenly rub us the wrong way. Worse: The bad feeling that won't go away starts to itch… It may even burn, sometimes leading us to say even more ludicrous things that make us feel even worse. Once those words are out there … they're out there. The worst thing of all: This Problem Chews Up Your Mental Space And Memory Resources! Make no mistake: The things we say can be damaging. Very damaging, especially regarding how others perceive us and how we perceive ourselves. But it's probably our self-perception that takes the hardest hit, especially if we have OCD tendencies and repeat words and phrases in our minds. (That happens to me a lot, along with earworms.) The "Childish" Reasons People Self-Punish Ultimately, no one knows why we self-punish. It could be that our bodies and minds are trying to build up energy to deal with the pain. But we do it in a childish way. Ludwig Wittgenstein has been credited with originating the story of the child who made his way into a cocktail party. While there, the child banged his knee on a table and started crying loudly. "There, there" said all the adults when they saw his bloodied knee. And the adults continued cooing at the child to comfort him as they applied rubbing alcohol and a bandaid to the wound. Now imagine the same cocktail party. This time, instead of a child, a grown man bangs his knee. He feels the exact same pain and his wound produces the same amount of blood. But the difference is that the man does not bawl in public. Instead, the grownup observes silently that he has banged his knee and excuses himself to the washroom. There, he finds the rubbing alcohol on his own and administers a bandaid. Do You Scream In Silence? Why does the man do all of this in silence instead of crying his heart out? Simple: Social conditioning over the years has not changed the nature of the pain or the work needed to care for the wound. But social conditioning has changed the nature of what makes for an appropriate response to the pain. According to some self-punishment theories, even the maturest of adults have minds that still need conditioning so that they respond in mature ways to mental pain. Exactly How To Mature Your Mind And Stop Mentally Punishing Yourself I don't know about you, but in my past, I've called myself an idiot for the verbal mistakes I've made at least a thousand times. In fact… I've said many things worse than that to myself. And no, I'm not going to repeat them. But I've come to understand that they were just the signs and symptoms of an untrained mind. There was nothing wrong with that mind. It just hadn't been matured. And although this self-punishment still happens once in awhile, I've learned to settle the self-abuse down. The cure mostly comes down to a combination of relaxation, mindset and huge respect for memory and the practice of memory improvement and maintenance over many years. Here are four ways I've dealt with the self-punishment so that it no longer chews up memory power, no longer bashes self-esteem and no longer has the power to reduce life satisfaction: Tip #1: Learn The Scary Truth About Social Inattention Here's a power reality: A HUGE percentage of the things we say to others tend to be forgotten. In fact, thanks to something called inattentional blindness, most people barely perceive what you're saying at all. Why? Because the people you're talking to are barely paying attention. Even if they were, human memory is flawed in your favor. If the minds of other people are barely tracking a tenth of what you're saying, they are encoding far less than that into memory. The Ultimate Proof That Few People Remember What You Say Want proof? Go ahead and study yourself when listening to others and I think you'll find that it's true. You're not focused like a laser on what they're saying. You're not enjoying photographic memory, nor recording everything like a video camera. Quite the opposite. The truth? Your Mind Is All Over The Place! More than half the time, you're thinking about what you're going to say next. You're probably even obsessively repeating what you want to say in your mind so you won't forget. The rest of your conscious mind is either thinking about the past, the future or fantasizing about some alternate present. This significant amount of brain activity means that you'll miss entire details completely. All this happens despite the fact that you'll be experiencing reality as an unbroken continuity. Scary, but true. What this all means is that when you say inappropriate things, you shouldn't get too worried about it and start flagellating yourself. You also shouldn't start self-punishing yourself for having the attention span of a goldfish (you don't). But if you get all hot and bothered about something you said, the best trick I know is to confront the feeling head-on. Just ask the person point blank: "Did what I said about x a little earlier offend you? Because I apologize if it did." Chances are you're the only one bothered by what you said, and it's probably already been forgotten – assuming it was registered in the first place. If you punish yourself at all for things you've said, please take up this practice of publicly confronting this feeling. You will feel tremendous relief when you do. Tip #2: Take Responsibility For Your Verbal Oil Spills As I've just suggested, one great solution to managing your anxiety about verbal diarrhea is to confront it directly. If you've said something that bothers you, don't be afraid to draw attention to it. And go in prepared to do so. Decide to be a conscientious conversationalist and own up to every faux pas you make. In other words: If you say something that either is insulting or you feel could be interpreted as insulting, be the one to call yourself out on it. What's the worst that can happen? The answer is simple: The worst that can happen is that people think you're weird… Not such a bad thing, is it? In all likelihood, they'll probably appreciate you more and admire you. Why? Because you take ownership over your mouth – even if they never noticed the thing you said in the first place. Tip #3: Always Be Cool I can't always pull it off the Always Be Cool rule due to food sensitivities and psoriasis arthritis. Unfortunately, even with the strict dietary controls I place on my diet, it's impossible to know the location of every farm and every nibble eaten by every chicken. So yes, some things send me into a conniption that can last far too long. But overall, I'm generally a calm and cool guy. I owe that stability to a few things. The first is regular meditation. I practice multiple kinds, mostly structured around the sit-just-to-sit variety I learned from an Alan Watts recording. I'll also practice Savasana, breath-withholding and walking meditations that incorporate a bit of both. (Yes, you can lay down in parks during walks.) Use Memory Techniques Everyday For Mental Relief Second, I use memory techniques everyday. For reasons that go beyond learning. Make no mistake: A lot of people use memory techniques as a means to an end, which is great. That's what memory techniques are there for. Learning a new language, remembering numbers, remembering names, and more. Why Memory Techniques Are Better Than Psychoanalysis But there's also tremendous therapy to be had from memory techniques. They make you feel confident, composed and relaxed. These outcomes are especially important when you're a guy like myself who is always fighting for stability and hoping to stay off medication to do it. If you want the background to that story, here's a video from quite some time ago when I declared I was going on the psychopharmaceutical sauce for good: As brave as I sound in that video, it was actually one of the scariest things I've done in my life. But everything worked out. Why? The answer is simple: Memory Techniques + Meditation = The Perfect Time Machine When you practice meditation and memory, you're always more in the moment. In other words, you've got a "time machine" that keeps you focused on the present. Why is being present so cool? Because true presence means that you're paying attention to what you're saying BEFORE you say it. And that's the ultimate solution to self-punishment: Pre-awareness that prevents you from making the kinds of errors you punish yourself for in the first place. Tip #4: Learn To Listen To Yourself And Others This one is going to require a bit of self-analysis and the study of others. It might also be considered half-lunacy, as Freud himself noted in his General Introduction to Psychoanalysis lectures. Beyond that, the premise is that we all unconsciously encode messages in the things we say that seek to communicate what we're really thinking. We typically tend to send these messages in the form of the stories we tell or off-handed remarks. They can be attempts at manipulation, retaliation or simply telling truths too dangerous for our conscious mind to handle. I learned to spot the tendency to encode information unconsciously in myself and others from Robert Langs. Langs was a controversial figure with whom I underwent Communicative Psychotherapy in New York. His style of therapy is based almost entirely on dream interpretation in a situation in which death anxiety is deliberately invoked by the therapist. Langs died recently and I'm still stunned by his passing. He seemed like one of those timeless figures who would always be around, particularly because his ideas were so impactful and larger than life. Although I only spent six months in weekly sessions with him, in addition to reading his books, my time with Langs completely changed my way of living and communicating. How To Get The Best Psychotherapy In The World At Very Little Cost The best way to learn how to spot your unconscious communications without the help of a therapist is to journal your dreams. You're not going to try and interpret them as such, but just get a feeling for the kinds of narratives that come up. In a session with Langs, he would ask you to narrate one or more dreams. He would then have you free associate to it and recite whatever came to your mind. This task always brought up a lot of irrational resistance in me. There was never any reason not to tell Langs the things that came to my mind, but yet it would often seem threatening to do so. Sometimes the resistance would bring the session to a complete shutdown. Gradually I learned to open up and reveal the connections that would come up in my mind. I couldn't always do it, but Langs would always ask what the dream and how I related it had to do with him. It was always a perplexing question, but I'll never forget the day I finally drummed up the courage to start answering it. Because the truth is that when we tell stories to others, there does always seem to be some comment we're making on the present situation and the person to whom we're speaking. So if you can find someone to whom you can tell your dreams and who can hear what you're REALLY saying, this is a great way to practice the awareness of what you're saying in any conversation. And you can learn to listen to others better too. That doesn't mean judging them or necessarily telling them what you've perceived. But it will help you form better ideas about the real messages you're receiving and shape how you respond in more sensitive ways. Ready To Stop The Self-Punishment? Although it won't necessarily happen overnight and may still recur from time to time, you can get a handle on punishing yourself for saying stupid things. Just use the tips above and you'll start to see a difference immediately. And if you're interested in learning more about how self-directed dream therapy can help, I recommend getting my video course with its bonuses, How To Remember Your Dreams. In this course, you'll learn more about hearing your true voice by unlocking an aspect of memory improvement that you've likely never considered before. Use Coupon Code "DREAM" and take $50 off your tuition in this exclusive memory improvement course. Alternatively, you can get How to Remember Your Dreams as part of the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass. You might want to take my free course on creating Memory Palaces first. The choice is up to you and we'd love to hear you in the conversation below. What are your thoughts on defeating self-punishment for the stupid things we sometimes say and do? The post How To Stop Punishing Yourself When You Say Stupid Things appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Hate flying? I sure do, but with a solid walking meditation, all aspects of the flights I take go much smoother. Same thing with going to the dentist or making your way to the surgical table. Having a go-to walking meditation method takes the edge off. Oh, and walking meditation helps create everyday stability too. And since most of us walk at least a little every day, why not use that time to experience memory improvement? The question is… What is walking meditation? It's a means of practicing mindfulness and presence. And how mindfulness and presence help your memory is about to be revealed… 3 Reasons You Should You Develop A Walking Meditation Practice 1. Meditation reduces stress and causes your brain to release healing chemicals. 2. Meditation has also been shown to improve concentration and memory, likely because of how the practice makes you more attentive throughout each day. And since you can't remember what you haven't registered, anything that increases your present-moment awareness is worth every second you spend developing it. 3. Meditation is a form of rest. In my own experience, a solid meditation of just 9-15 minutes can feel just as restful as a good night's sleep. Yes, meditation is that powerful. Why Walking Meditation Is Bliss On Wheels And the fact that you can meditate on the way to the grocery store makes everything about the practice even better. Instead of frittering away the time on useless thoughts and worries, you can focus on your physical being in the present moment. You'll enjoy life more and experience increased health. Both of which can lead to more time in which to enjoy your improved awareness. To help you out, here are three relatively unheard of ways to kickstart one of the best habits you'll ever develop. 1. Breath Counting Meditation One of the easiest ways to start a walking meditation practice involves nothing more than tracking and counting your breathing. Every time you breathe in, give the breath a number. Likewise, give each exhale a number. I like to count each number twice, i.e.: In 1 Out 1 … In 2 Out 2 … In 3 Out 3 … You can count to as high a number as you wish. Take note of anything that distracts you or causes you to lose count. Then gently bring yourself back and start over at '1' anytime you wish. Leave Judgment At The Door No matter what happens along the journey, it's important not to judge yourself or cast evil spells against your memory if you lose count while practicing. Simply allow yourself to practice. If you choose to see it as a challenge, always do so in good spirits. If you set meditation of any kind up as a game, you will find it frustrating because if it's a game, random thoughts will always win. But meditation is not a game. If it were, the only way to lose is by not practicing it at all. 2. Syncing Counting With Steps And Breathing Another way to count your breath as you practice walking meditation is to sync each breath with a step. You can create a number of patterns starting with a one-to-one correspondence. To begin, inhale and step and then exhale and step. Next, take two steps per breath. As you inhale, take two steps and then exhale as you take two steps. Increase the number of steps you take per breath up until 10 steps per breath or until it feels uncomfortable. The goal is to maintain focus on the practice, not pass out, so take care that you increase your steps slowly. Follow your instincts and enjoy the process. Pay attention to everything happening to you, including heart rate changes and thoughts that arise. 3. Sensory Style Walking Meditation You can practice the next approach on its own or in combination with breathing. The goal is to focus intensely on your physical body and its connection to the surrounding world. Beginning with your feet, notice each area and how it contacts the ground. Notice how your feet handle your weight and explore placing different levels of emphasis on various parts of your feet as you move. (You can also practice meditatively studying the way your feet contact the world while standing.) From your feet, scan your entire body. Notice the sensations of your clothing on your skin. Then, narrow your attention on the feel and temperature of the air. Instead of hearing environmental sounds, practice experiencing them as physical sensations in your ears. (You can practice sound as a physical sensation with music too.) The more immersed in physical sensation you become, the less random thoughts control your mind. You'll find the world unbelievably peaceful when you take it as a physical reality without thinking about it or making judgments. Take It To The Next Level With Impromptu Memory Palaces Once you've had some experience with walking meditation, try using the same immersive and breathing principles while reading, eating and even conversing with other people. You'll be more involved with your life in the present moment. You can also use the technique to help you create impromptu Memory Palaces: It's a super-simple technique and one you can use any time you wish in just about any location. The Ultimate Walking Meditation Benefit In a word? Presence. Presence is the most precious thing in the world. Why? Because it helps you encode more information into memory. But please note that meditation works best with regular practice. Many experts agree that a minimum of 4 sessions per week are required to experience substantial benefits. I would suggest going in with an abundance mentality and meditating daily. The trick is to take it small at the beginning and enjoy the ride. Meditation is best learned by doing and walking meditation requires doing above all. Like when you're walking to your next flight and feeling anxious… Or taking a trip down to surgery… Don't overthink the process. Don't give in to analysis paralysis. Instead, take action. I've shared these three practices as a guide for exploration so you don't have to do anything but implement the techniques. And after you've taken action, then let analysis have a cameo. Analyze what happens after you perform a walking meditation. That way, you can improve your practice over time. And do feel free to report your results. I'd love to hear what happens! The post Walking Meditation: 3 Memory Improving Ways to Walk Yourself Into Bliss appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Even if astrology is complete nonsense, it's a neat memory exercise to know the Zodiac inside and out. Plus, committing the star signs to memory lays the groundwork for memorizing the months of the year in any language – fast! The memory skills needed to memorize Zodiac and horoscope info all begin with accepting one fundamental truth: If you can imagine something, you can remember it. The Undeniable Truth About Your Imagination A lot of people attracted to memory techniques get hung up on the idea that mnemonics involve visualization. Not true! Memory techniques involve imagination, and… If you're reading and understanding these words now, you definitely have one. Each letter and every word is an image… Your brain is rapidly transforming these micro and macro images into sounds and meanings… And delivering these meanings to the Understanding Nations in your brain. Introducing VACKSOG… The United Nations Of Your Brain That's right: Your brain is a United Nations of Understanding. Together, your internal "UN" understands a variety of images: Visual Auditory Conceptual Kinesthetic Spatial Olfactory Gustatory When we put all of these together, we make your memory "Magnetic." What does this idea of "Magnetic Memory" mean? Simple. It means that the information you want to stay in the Understanding Nations of your brain remains. Anything that distracts or detracts is "Magnetically" repelled away. All you need are… 13 Simple Mental Images To Magnetize The Star Signs Into Your Mind Hold up now… 13?!? Aren't there only… 12 star signs? That's right. Don't get your knickers in a twist. We need one Magnetic Image to guide them into our long term memory. It's called a Memory Palace. This technique draws upon the spatial memory and spatial imagination of your brain. Don't know how to make a Memory Palace? No problem. Just claim this free, complimentary Memory Palace training kit: Once you have a Memory Palace with 12 Magnetic Stations, it's time to start associating each month with a simple Magnetic Image. Annoying Janet Smashes The Jam Jar Ever see Rocky Horror Picture Show? If so, then it's going to be easy to associate the abstract idea of January as a period of time with Janet from that movie. This Janet could serve as a one off image before you move to February, or she could be the Bridging Figure you follow throughout your Memory Palace for the Zodiac and other horoscope related information. Don't know Rocky Horror Picture show? No problem! Any Other Janet Or G.I. Jane Will Do! Perhaps even a close match like Jane Fonda. Or Janie from that Aerosmith song… The important point is to associate the Janet you pick with an object and an action. Smashing a jar of jam on the ground works well. Especially if you can make the jam specific. (Note: Some people in the memory training world call such a chain of associations PAO, and this is a rare case where I would use a small PAO set for a limited purpose. Here's why I normally do not use a PAO system, however.) Like the raspberry jam your babysitter used to make. Or the BOB jam in Sweden you remember from camping near Östhammar back in 2013. (Oh no, wait. That was me. Enjoyed BOB a lot that first while in Sweden. But the point remains the same: Specificity matters to your United Nations of Understanding.) The Gangster Unicorn Pops A Cap Let's review: At this point, you've got a Memory Palace. You've got someone named Janet in mind. She's smashing some particular jam that means something to you on the ground. Now you need to imagine something in your mind that you can associate with the weird-sounding word, "Capricorn." Like how about a gangster unicorn? You know the kind, right? They all wear a dark gangster hats, have a gold-capped teeth and swear they're gonna pop a cap in yo' you know what. Oh, and that ain't just any kind of gun he's toting. It's a gun that shoots corn. These are the unicorn's bullet caps. At the first Magnetic Station, associate Jane smashing a jam jar on the ground with the gangster unicorn furious enough in response to start shooting his corn gun. Rinse And Repeat A Bundle Of Associations Once you've completed this step, move on to the next Magnetic Station in your Memory Palace. Give each month a Magnetic Image and associate it with the star sign. Use the Memory Palace to help you practice recalling each association you create until each is in long term memory. The Rule of Five should get you there. Hold On There, Star Cowboy! What About The Specific Date Crossovers? Oh, right. In this strange and silly system, Capricorn becomes Aquarius on January 20th. No problem. I just see a giant nose sneeze so loudly it blows both Janet and the gangster unicorn out into space. Why a giant nose? Because I use the Major Method for numbers. That also happens to be my image for the 10 of Spades. If you don't have a way to memorize a deck of cards, here are 13 reasons you should have a system for remembering cards. Since all transitions across the Zodiac star signs occur between the 19th and 23rd, each transition point is covered by a playing card if you use the Magnetic Memory Method approach to card memory. Super-cool, or what? The D.O.C. C.U.R.E. For Memorizing The Zodiac Even though I've given only one example here, you can easily come up with your own for the rest of the year. And if you want, this precise same process will let you memorize the months of the year in any language. With a bit of imagination, you can come up with dozens of applications for the simple memory technique you've just learned. It all makes for great brain exercise, and you can give compelling cold readings if you're a mentalist or magician. (Just be honest about the fact that your psychic powers are not real. Ian Rowland's Full Facts Book of Cold Reading is highly recommended.) If you need more help with creating mnemonic examples, join the Masterclass. You'll be invited to an upcoming Implementation Bootcamp where we can practice creating the images you need together. The point? D.O.C. Doing is the Origin of Confidence Doing is the Origin of Creativity Doing is the origin of Consistency And together that amounts to the C.U.R.E. for forgetfulness. Create a Memory Palace for a targeted purpose Use your Memory Palace Review what you placed in your Memory Palace using Recall Rehearsal Explain what you remembered and enjoy That's all there is to it, and when you need more help (or just want to join the fun), the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass remains the world's premier resource for all things Memory Palace and beyond! The post How to Memorize Zodiac And Horoscope Info (For Entertainment Purposes Only) appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Would you like to eliminate the 'busy-work' from your language learning activities? You know the ones I mean: Scouring the Internet for vocabulary and phrases – the kind that will actually move you towards meaningful fluency… Hunting for images to open up the visual centers of your brain and memory… Driving yourself mad looking for audio clips that match the words and phrases you want to link together on your SRS device. Meet The 'Tesla' Of Language Learning Who Is Working To Engineer A Completely New Kind of Language Learning App As a polyglot, bestselling author and all-around nice guy, Gabriel Wyner is the man behind a completely new kind of language learning app and the book Fluent Forever: How To Learn Any Language Fast And Never Forget It. He also runs the incredible Fluent Forever blog where you can learn things like How To Use Flash Cards While Driving. And on this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, scroll up, press play and you'll learn: Why pronunciation is one of the first barriers language learners face and why lack of familiarity with sounds frustrates most people. Why Gabriel talked about memory scientist Hermann Ebbinghaus as a masochist, and how he's helping eliminate masochism from the language learning process. The role of learning a language without translations to cause your brain to make associations you wouldn't discover any other way. How to create useful language connections using Google images and create fill-in-the-blank-sentences. Why Gabriel is working so hard to replace one of the most commonly used SRS software for language learning. Why you need to make your own flash cards and the decisions you can make to take a more active role in your language education experience. What makes SRS and search-based websites such a huge burden and Gabriel's hard won experiences learning to use them with "two-handed mouse and keyboard maneuvers." The difference between "busy-work" related to language learning and actually learning the language. The role of choice in language learning and why it pays off big time in language study. Why you need differentiation when looking at variation sentences for your memory to benefit from the Von Restorff Effect and related memory effects. The value of looking at words both in context and out of context. How engineering influenced Gabriel's quest to create a language-focused SRS app better than any other in existence. How Gabriel has tested and optimized the user experience in order to create an easier learning process with real people. The hidden connection between desperation, motivation and the unexplainable sources of inspiration that lead to the "joy-fueled" energy that propels learners towards fluency. Why you don't need to know your "why" to learn a language. Fascinating ideas on how to use recordings to help you remember gendered nouns – an incredible idea that you're not going to want to miss! Oh, and Gabriel's a great singer too. Check this out: So, what do you say? Are you excited? I know I am, so make sure to check out Gabriel's Language Blog on the Fluent Forever website so you can learn more about his upcoming app and how to get involved. Additional Resources for Gabriel Wyner And Fluent Forever Great Derek Sivers review of Fluent Forever Gabriel Wyner on the Art of Charm Podcast How to Teach Old Ears New Tricks on Scientific American by Gabriel Wyner MyQuest For Your Memory Improvement with Edan Kertis The post The Fluent Forever App: Eliminating The Busy Work From Language Learning With Gabriel Wyner appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Don't you hate it when people spew nonsense about YOUR attention span? I sure do. Especially when it comes to games of comparison that don't hold water. Like the terrible story people keep repeating about your attention span being shorter than that of a goldfish. Oh, Is It Now… Really? Who on earth comes up with these ideas? Certainly not people with short attention spans. In fact, it must have taken a good deal of consideration to come up with the attention span calculation of this long suffering species of fish. In fact, the Great Gold Fish Attention Span Myth has quite a long history. And what, dear Memorizer, should we suppose goldfish have in life so worthy of attention? After all… Goldfish Float Around In Glass Bowls! Of Course They Have A Short Attention Span! You, on the other, live in a world filled with all kinds of vibrating and exciting things to which you can direct your attention. And you do. Novels… Movies… Books… Video games… Singing a song… Concerts… Sports… Looking at your pay stubs… Gazing into someone's eyes… Pillow fights… Making coffee… Talking about yourself… Eating chocolate… My point? When you're interested in something… You Have An Abundance Of Attention! Not only that, but when you're interested and motivated or the stakes are high, your attention span is tremendously elastic. The trouble is… People are gullible. They hear that their attention span is shrinking and start repeating it. To themselves. To others. In fact, so many of us are willing to spread nonsense as far and wide as possible that… The B.S. Quickly Becomes A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Well, I'm here to tell you that this false story needs correcting. And I'm not alone. As this article on the goldfish attention span with demonstrates, there's simply no good reason to believe this myth. And since it's B.S. that harms the human race, we need to correct and eliminate the myth. Fast. Here are three reasons why: 1. Your Attention Span Is Defined By One Person And One Person Only You. Seriously. It's your brain. Your eyes. Your lips. Your lungs. Your tongue. And you can train your brain to focus and concentrate on having the most profound and bulletproof attention span on the planet. All you have to do is train it. Stop giving in to Digital Amnesia (check out that link and start practicing Digital Fasting today). Own it. Cultivate it. Craft the attention span that you want to have. If you can't practice with your own sunrise, try mine: No matter how you practice extending your attention span… Here's the truth of the matter: You're the only one who can do it. And if at the start, you find that you can't focus or concentrate… A simple meditation practice with a bit of memory training will help. Don't take my word for it. All the science supporting meditation is here on my post about How to Improve Concentration and Memory Buddha Style. 2. Unlike A Goldfish… You Can Observe Your Attention Span Okay, to be fair, we really don't know if goldfish are capable of self-observation or not. But chances are the last thing they're doing while floating around their little bowls has anything to do with self-reflection. As a human, you're unique. You can observe yourself. You can measure your assets. What you can measure, you can improve. Example: Let's say that you're in lecture and struggling to pay attention. In addition to learning the Magnetic Memory Method approach to note taking… You can also keep an Attention Span Journal. You can journal about lectures you've attended, or books you've read. Like how about one of these? As you fill out your Attention Span Journal, think about what's triggering the problem. Is it your REALLY your attention span? Or is it the fact that your smart phone is on and you're either being interrupted by notifications… Or on the alert for notifications? Be Honest About It You'll probably find that there's nothing wrong with your attention span. Quite the opposite. Your attention span is fine, but it's primed to pay attention to the wrong things. 3. You Have A Trillion Interesting And Exciting Things To Learn Yes, we sometimes have to learn topics that bore us. But there are strategies for coping with the boredom. Here are five ways to deal with boring topics you might have to study. Even better than the self-hypnosis I teach for dealing with boring information: You can feed your brain with topics that DO interest you. If you're so bored with the information you're consuming that it can't hold your attention for longer than six seconds… Simply switch it off and study something else instead! The cold, hard truth is that many people seek careers that will never fulfill them. They're after financial security. They're trying to please their families. They're Playing Not To Lose Instead Of Playing To Win That's no good. It goes against your normal and natural human impulse to do the things you really want to do. And here, right now, in the 21st century, you can create systems that will let you live the life you want to lead. Yes, you have to play to win. And that means taking on some risk. But what would you rather have at the end of the day? The attention span of a goldfish because you're bored senseless by the life you've chosen to lead… Or A Razor-Sharp Attention Span That Cuts Through All The Clutter? I hope you're ready to choose yourself and the path to personal power. Why? Because when it comes to the Magnetic Memory Method, oh sure… memory techniques will help you. It's actually impossible for them not to help you, even if you're a skeptic of memory techniques. But the reality is this: They'll help you even better if you align them with authentic goals. That dream life whispering or screaming at you from deep inside. Many people have silenced that voice… Others can't shut it up, and suffer deeply as a result… Yet others have channeled that beautiful energy into amazing careers. You Too Can Fulfill All Your Dreams Using The Simple Power Of Your Memory Here's a simple exercise demonstrated live: Start exercising your autobiographical memory. As I go through my early memories, I'm unpacking so much creativity, so much energy, so much joy. In your past, you'll discover so much about yourself. You'll discover so many people you've known. So many places you've been. Even better, you'll realize that you always have all the assets you need to accomplish any goal or need. Right now. But if you don't mine your past for the gold… You'll Be Stuck Swimming With The Fishes Of Your Own Invention Frankly, I find that outcome unacceptable. It goes completely against all ethics, morality and the Paradise of Multiple Intelligences we learned about from Tony Buzan brimming inside each and every person in the world. What must you have to do to unpack your glorious multiple intelligences? The answer is easy: Use them! Often! Proudly! The Number One Reason People Stay In The Goldfish Bowl You know the answer, don't you? It's confidence. People lack confidence for a number of reasons. Maybe they had poor childhood experiences… Maybe some disease crippled their bodies… Maybe they have a speech impediment… Whatever. None of those issues have stopped the best of the best from succeeding. And yet when you accept a limiting story about your attention span, you're the most crippled person on the planet. How To Gain Confidence In Anything Faster Than The Speed Of Light Two steps: 1. Understand D.O.C. D.O.C. is an acronym. It stands for: Doing is the Origin of Confidence It really is that simple. If you want to gain confidence in an activity, all you have to do is get started. Most of us are spooked by unfamiliar territory. Me too, quite frankly. But if there's one thing that distinguishes those who playing to win from those playing not to lose is this: They enter the darkness. And simply being in the darkness sheds more light on the unknown than you'll ever need. Then comes the next trick I've got for you: 2. Don't Give Up At The First Sign Of Trouble You know why it's so lonely at the top? Because 99.9% of people who enter a field of mastery give up at the first sign of trouble. Why? Barbara Oakley cites evidence in Mindshift that it has a lot to do with the insular cortex. That scientific fact creates one illuminating and elucidating power: The pain you feel when something feels hard or doesn't go right the first time? Completely Normal! And all you have to do to get accustomed to it is simply try again. What you're looking for is something quite simple. It's called a "quick victory." Sometimes you get them straight up. Other times, the quick victory doesn't come so quick. To be fair, there may be times when the quick victory isn't coming at all. When To Cut Your Losses Without The Shame Of Giving Up Look: I'm not preaching that you should bang your head against the wall. There's no use in doing that. Ever. But as you give things several good tries and observe yourself in the process, you'll know that it's time to back out based on one simple metric: The Magnetic Memory Method P.I. (No, Not 'Private Investigator') Basically, you have to learn a bit more about what gives you pleasure, and the different kinds of pleasure available to you and your brain. For example, there is the satisfaction of a hard day's work. Or there is the feeling of being in "the zone." It could also be the feeling of progressing towards a goal by knocking off milestones, one at a time. And as you knock off those milestones, you're documenting the process like an artist in a sketchbook so you can see your progress. (One reason I highly recommend The Freedom Journal.) Whatever you do, you need to create a Pleasure Index. Know what turns you on. What rattles your cage. Discover the signs and symptoms of growth and celebrate each and every one. This Is How Attention Span Grows And Grows Nietzsche pointed out that the human species will always need myths. But we don't need to blindly accept them. Rather, we can choose the myths we use to guide our progress through life. In place of the goldfish attention span myth, why not pick something more empowering? Be like an arrow flying toward a goal. Or be like the hawk, observant of every movement in the field, hunting only those objects that sustain self and family. Otherwise, we all risk living a disempowered life. And the moments that filter past while we're spinning circles in the fishbowl? They're never coming back. I'd rather be up in the sky, soaring over the world and basking in the fullest possible attention span the human brain can achieve. It's so quiet up here where the better myths of human psychology fly free. Join us. The post 3 Reasons We Must Destroy The Human Goldfish Attention Span Myth appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Don't you hate that feeling of linguistic deskilling? You know the kind I mean… The feeling that you're losing command over your language. It could be a language you've learned… Or even your mother tongue that starts to slip. I've experienced both kinds of linguistic deskilling. In fact, when I listen to the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episodes during the Berlin years vs. those recorded in Brisbane… The difference is shocking, because: You Really Can Lose Command Of Your Mother Tongue! Seriously. It can happen to anyone, including memory experts skilled in conference interpreting. In fact, it's even happened to me. Near the end of my time in Berlin, I spoke English so infrequently, I was gradually losing my mother tongue. Worse, when I did speak English, it was usually over Skype. Nothing wrong with that, right? Wrong. Telecommunication is great, but it starves the brain of so many non-verbal cues. Sure, the pros outweigh the cons, but… All The Pros In The World Can't Defeat The Force Of Linguistic Deskilling! I first realized I had this problem when I read about linguistic deskilling in Mindshift by Barbara Oakley. At the time, I had no particular means of combatting the problem. After all, the people in Berlin with whom I spoke English tended not to be native speakers. That meant I would pick up their habits with English. Even crazier, my English often took on the characteristics of German grammar. And that was especially bad when I found myself speaking English with my wife and making all kinds of mistakes she would then incorporate into how she used English. Even more alarming, I was about to embark on an adventure in Beijing, completely unaware of how long we'd be spending in the city. Of course, the excursion was great for my Chinese! Neither of my in-laws speak English and only a handful of April's relatives know it well enough to string along a conversation. I was forced to listen like a hawk and speak Chinese a lot. All Of It Chipped Away At My English I don't mean to exaggerate the problem. But more and more I felt as though I was reaching for words in English that normally would have leapt to mind. The Ugly Sister Effect also seemed more prevalent than ever. But within a few weeks of settling in Brisbane, I noticed that the lumps in my English pipes seemed to clear. Then something great happened: The bumbling around that had become so characteristic on the podcast seemed to completely disappear! It was like the difference between day and night. Until… Language Learning Tragedy Strikes! The problem with winning back English and narrowing my focus on Chinese? I began experiencing the deskilling of my German. I knew it was coming, which is why I was careful to enact the Dieter Dictum. The Language-Preserving Power Of The Dieter Dictum Dieter is my former father-in-law. Odd how divorce and re-marriage shifts these people around, but I'll always think of Dieter as a father-in-law no matter what. And there's no reason not to, what with the ex and I remaining such good friends. Anyhow, Dieter moved around a lot in his career and apparently he once told my ex-wife something I've never forgotten: Responsibility for keeping in touch falls on the shoulders of the one who left. That's why, even with its lack of verbal cues, I make sure to spend time with friends on Skype at least 2-3 times a month. Put in the context of linguistic deskilling… 1. It's Your Responsibility To Maintain Ties With The Languages You Want To Preserve And you need to do it in multiple ways, ideally ones that harness all of The Big Five Of Language Learning: When it comes to maintaining and even flourishing an attainment of fluency, you'll need at least three of these 4 Cs: Community Culture Concepts Clapping (i.e. Recognition and reward in the form of encouraging applause that you meaningfully deserve) To be honest, I haven't quite cracked the code on how to get this for German in Brisbane. That's because… 2. Effective Learning Experiences Should Align With Your Values I was so excited when I discovered the Brisbane German Book Club. And after discovering its existence, I had just time enough to prepare by reading Im Krebsgang by Günter Grass. Just that one book alone would easily satisfy all of the Four Cs. With a short book review written auf Deutsch, I would have easily covered all of the Big Five of Language Learning too. The problem…? Culture be damned, I'm sick of reading depressing stories about war, terrorism and broken families. Burning Torches Of Negativity Sucks In All Languages And it turns out that the next few months feature similarly downer texts at a time I'm craving light-hearted literature – or at least darker stuff from a more Romantic era. There Are Always Solutions Turns out there is a Saturday German school for beginning students just up the street. I might be able to preserve my skills by pitching in and offering to help. And then there is always the option of language learning online, despite its many deficits. The important point is that, there's little to be gained from frustrating or boring language maintenance materials. Instead… 3. Align Language Learning Materials With Your Interests As I continue searching for German-speaking community in Brisbane, it's important to keep exposure to the language high. And since I'll need to await for some alignment with the local German bookclub, I performed a simple inventory of what I'm currently interested in. Turns out that my current fave topic, Advaita Vedanta, is also loved by Germans. So much so that there is an abundance of books and videos on the topic. The best part? German speakers discuss topics in ways that English speakers do not. Sure, the differences aren't that huge, but listening to discussions on this topic in German still opens perspectives that I doubt ever would have come alive in a thousand years of English study. (Often German Wikipedia entries, such as the one on vedanta are either more detailed, better prepared and or peppered with richer/alternative hyperlinks not featured on the English pages.) Why Does This Exposure Matter? Because when you can study a topic in a different language, you're getting perspectives from people who have read dozens, if not hundreds of books in their native tongue that have never been translated into yours. Chances are they never will be. And if you fail to keep up with that language you learned and let linguistic dskilling have its way… You risk missing out on more than just the joys of communicating in that language. Worse, you risk losing the myriad of worlds each language contains. The solution? Memory of course. Here's how to get it on your side: The post 3 Language And Memory-Preserving Ways To Combat Linguistic Deskilling appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Let's face it. Everyone has fantasized about having a memory implant. You know the kind: A small, unobtrusive thing, patched directly into your brain … … capable of letting you learn and remember at miraculous speeds. Heck, maybe this neural implant or brain prosthesis (whatever you want to call it), doesn't even need to break the skin. It may even be possible that your memory could be manipulated by radio waves or some other external signal. But until that time, unless you've already decided you're going to be the first in line … Here are 7 reasons why memory implants are probably going to suck. #1. Memory Implants Won't Eliminate Practice I conduct a lot of surveys here at the Magnetic Memory Method headquarters. And that scene from The Matrix … … comes up a lot. The problem is: People don't watch the movie for what it's really saying and the true metaphor about the value of training and journeying we can extract from the tale: Downloading IS NOT Learning! Not only does Neo have to get into the dojo and spar with Morpheus as a form of "accelerated practice" … … Morpheus next cajoles Neo into jumping off a building, part of a chain of events that causes the "real" Neo to bleed. Morpheus then tricks Neo with the woman in the red dress, proving again that downloading isn't enough. Far From It! The mind still needs to be trained. The mind still needs practice. And let me ask you something: What is Neo's ultimate showdown with Agent Smith other than another training exercise? An exercise that actually requires Neo to die before he experiences an awakening … … That leads to two sequels where he needs to practice being Neo even more until he can surrender his life to the war between humans and machines and finally die. And even then, some people reckon that Neo's not really the one: The point is this: When people fantasize that a memory chip implanted in their brains is going to give them knowledge … They're just plain wrong about the definition of knowledge. Knowledge may well involve things you can store and retrieve … But at its core … Knowledge Is The Ongoing Practice Of Knowledge And that knowledge/practice coupling should ideally become better practice over time. But it can only be earned through consistent acts of practice, consistently applied. The level of learning most people want will never be instant. It will always require practice over time. And it will always involve an interesting combination of weaving and navigation as you create the paths you travel. I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times. - Bruce LeeClick To Tweet Understanding takes time. Even understanding must be practiced through consistent contemplation. Yes, Yes, But I Still Want To Know … Is There A Shortcut? As a matter of fact, yes there is. A short cut even better than the shortcut many people seek. The only (and best) shortcut to contemplation is memory techniques. Learn them a.s.a.p.! Why? So you can STOP dithering around with the consumption process and get on with processing information. No computer can do that for you. Ever. That's entirely on you. #2: If You Think Advertising Is Bad Now … A lot of people whine and complain about advertising. Sadly, this kvetching often comes from the same people who sacrifice hours of their time to social media and mindless television. To tell you the truth, it kind of makes me miss the PBS days … What people who complain about advertising don't realize is that this big media platforms are chewing up your attention span by selling ads … … and THEN telling content creators how to make their content in ways that serve ads better and more frequently. Serve ads better – not necessarily you. And you had better believe that the first thing they're going to do if implants succeed is erect billboards in your head. At least now we can fend off Digital Amnesia by digital fasting. But once the branded devices are fused with your brain, you'll be the walking receptacle of advertising you can't switch off. #3. The Nightmares Of Hardware Maintenance … In The Flesh! Taking care of our human bodies is hard enough. People do a better job with their pets and vehicles a lot of the time. And since we know the implant market will follow the trends of manufacturing processes, there will be an ongoing attempt to make the hardware as cheap as possible to maximize profits … Think about that. Do you really want a brain prosthesis built in a sweatshop constantly breaking down and rotting in your head? When you could simply learn memory techniques and have way more than you ever need? Plus, bad people will be constantly trying to hack into your implant. And the first place they'll go is your passwords manager, while also working to put your entire brain on the fritz. #4. Medical Maintenance Monstrosities And that's just the tech side of the equation. Imagine a hacker being able to cause electrical shocks or worse, simply by writing a line of code and "email thinking" it at you? Someone writing a "Brain Aneurysm" virus is almost a certainty. And it would be so medically disgusting. Or disgustingly erotic, as David Cronenberg envisioned the human-computer interface in eXistenZ: #5: It Could Become Very Expensive (Even Deadly) NOT To Have A Memory Implant Don't have an implant? Too bad, kemosabe. You'll have to go live in the camps. Assuming the scientist can solve all the biotech problems I've just predicted, I foresee even worse problems. For example, what will it matter if you have all the currency in the world, if you don't have the brain implant by which it is traded? Just as we are all now forced to have email accounts to do just about anything, social trends may wind up forcing a majority to adopt a thoroughly unhealthy implant just to keep up with the joneses. This Problem May Lead To All Kinds Of Terrifying New Governance We already see how slowly sovereign powers around the world have risen to deal with the Internet. And we see more and more control over this precious tool that will lead to greater control over the inside of our minds and memory if we allow wired neuralinking and the government lurking behind it to penetrate our skulls. Pause: In case you missed it, we were jamming on related topics with reference to everything from Jacques Ellul to the Unabomber to Videodrome on this Magnetic Memory Method YouTube Live. Feel free to enjoy the replay: #6: Memories Are Generated, Not Recorded Okay, enough Sci-fi … Another big reason brain prosthetics will suck is that our brains don't record memories. They encode them, breaking them apart for reconstruction later. It's a chemical process that can be guided by thought (itself produced out of the chemical brain). But if an implant "records" a memory for you, then it is not encoded. This will atrophy those beautiful parts of your brain, mind and willpower that need the fitness. Those parts of your brain need fitness as badly as the muscles in your arms and legs need pushups and squats. Just walk around: Couldn't more people use more physical fitness? Just talk to people: Aren't most conversations a series of statements like, "I'll have to look that up and send it to you"? Well, having an implant in your brain might make it possible to perform a quick search and send a thought email … … And heck, why not thought-Tweet it to everyone in the world at the same time? … That Will Only Create More Noise Worse, we'll suffer even fewer instances of meaningful information consumption. More twitchy people who are less and less interesting to talk to. Because now instead of constantly monitoring their phones in the middle of conversations, they're zoning out from inside their heads. #7: Non-Wired People Already Struggle With The Failure To Disconnect What will they do when it becomes impossible to unplug? Download and scan Orwell through their minds, and in a Neo-esque moment of triumph, proclaim, "I know 1984?" Not likely. Is There An Upshot? Sure. Through neural implanting, blind people have been able to experience sight. Valuable triumphs like these have been going on for a very long time. Perhaps there is even hope for brain lesions, curing Alzheimer's and other problems that plague humanity. But as science discovers more ways of fusing technology with the brain through neuralinking, neural implants and the like, let's understand this: The brain is not now and never will be technology. Even if a strong enough neuralink is established, people who fantasize that machines will learn on their behalf completely misunderstand what memory and learning mean and how practical, everyday life will define it. And nothing will ever replace the amazing feeling of being accomplished in several areas of interest, skill and aspects of human and scientific knowledge. Don't Want Those Things? No Problem. (Or Is It The Biggest Problem In The World?) Keep playing with your apps and fantasizing that spaced repetition software is the path to a truly powerful memory. Go ahead and be the first in line when the chopshops open up to perform neural implant surgery. Let the surveillance parameters of both computer hacker criminals and government and the marketers they barely control have at it. I'll point out in conclusion that humans are very poor at predicting the future, including me. But whatever direction this project of neural implanting takes us, just don't call it memory. The great tradition of memory techniques and the current Mnemonics Renaissance only holds meaning through our own acts of preservation through practice and practice as preservation. The post 7 Reasons Having A Memory Implant Would Really Suck appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Tired of note taking techniques during lectures that sound like they'll be effective … …but ultimately fail to help you remember information? You know the kind: The ideas look good, but … not exactly something you would ever do. And every time you try some new note taking technique … No matter what, all of them seem to lead to one place: You … writing down loooooong strings of notes verbatim. It's usually boring, and (stand by for truth pill) … Boring Note Taking Rarely Works! It gets worse: These boring note taking styles mean that you're always struggling to keep up. You often wind up missing huge sections of the lecture and struggle to reconstruct what was said from the notes. And if you're anything like me, you don't want to struggle with your memory! Pause for a second. Do you have time for a quick question? Do you like live discussions? Here's one about note taking that I think you'll enjoy: We had some great questions and contributions on the call and some really interesting books and resources were mentioned. Click play and see if this kind of learning experience suits you! Back to our regular scheduled blog post: If you're tired of struggling with your memory after note taking, then you're in the right place. I'm going to give you some counter-intuitive note taking techniques to try. Some of them even tap into episodic memory and how to improve it (check out that post and Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episode for 4 super-powerful episodic memory exercises). But please understand the following … This is The Brutal Truth About Note Taking Techniques You can read all the articles on note taking in the world, but it's never the note taking techniques that should take the blame when you fail to remember information. There are other factors at play and they all meet in one central place: You. So if you're taking lecture notes verbatim, that's the first thing that should change. This practice is taking you out of the presence of the information at a moment when your focus should be on its source. To help you increase your focus and memory, get ready for techniques that I've used myself to remember more and develop tremendous confidence in any subject area. The 6 Guiding Principles That Govern Magnetic Note Taking But before diving into my Magnetic Note Taking Techniques, let's take a step back and look at a few other factors. We need to be aware of them for one simple reason: All the best note taking techniques in the world won't help you for even a second if you haven't got the following aspects handed. After all, your note taking can only ever be as good as the state in which the notes were taken. 1. Be well rested Seriously. I'm on YouTube Live every once in awhile, and always astounded by how late some learners in the world stay up. I don't care what note taking techniques you use. They all suffer if you're tired.Click To Tweet And exhaustion means this: No note taking efforts in the world can help the information enter your mind at the highest possible level. We can't properly pay attention to what we're learning when we're tired and often wind up taking notes about unimportant details. But when you're well-rested, you pay closer attention to the information that matters. This raised level of awareness already makes every note taking technique you try instantly better. To help you get a better rest and benefit from the improved memory abilities sleep creates, check out this Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episode on sleep and memory improvement. 2. Nutrition and Hydration Foods that improve memory aren't hard to find. Luckily, many of us don't have a hard time finding water either. We don't need to dwell on this topic for long, but please understand that your brain shrinks when it's not properly hydrated. Many foods deplete your hydration. By making a few simple dietary changes and drinking more water, your note taking abilities will go way up automatically. 3. Fitness and Meditation Your brain is a physical entity. The more you exercise it, the greater focus you'll experience. Likewise, meditation primes your brain to pay attention and remember more. Meditation improves concentration and memory too. 4. Knowledge of how memory works Note taking skills work better if you know about the Primacy Effect and Recency Effect. You're much more likely to remember the beginning and end of a lecture, for example. But even if these general rules don't fall in your favor, the forgetting curve will take its toll unless you do something about it. The science of memory, particularly as it stands in support of a Memory Palace approach, should be covered immediately. It will add a great deal to how you think of note taking from a meta level. Never forget: practical tips are great, but understanding why the tips work is golden. Using tips based on understanding makes you and your memory Magnetic. 5. Be Prepared We'll talk in a moment about pre-reading, but as a global point, too many learners show up to lectures unprepared. As a student myself, I can't tell you the amount of times I heard people asking, "what's this week's lecture about?" That should never be the question on your lips. You should know the syllabus or plan inside and out so that your brain is primed and prepared to lock-in on the most salient points. Seriously: If you want to help yourself remember more, stack the chips in your favor by reading as much as possible in advance. Heck, you can even email the speaker and ask what you should read to be better prepared if it isn't already clear to you. I'd even suggest pushing for more suggestions. Even if you only have time to skim over the suggested material, you're feeding your brain with velcro hooks. And the more hooks you have before you show up, the more material will stick. 6. Know Your Learning Preferences Finally, a huge shortcoming to all note taking is that many people aren't aware of their learning preferences. They don't know if they're primarily visual, auditory, kinesthetic or conceptual. And when you lack that knowledge, you can't determine your MMM Learning Hierarchy. I'll be talking a lot about how to do this in a new book I'm releasing. For now, just understand that you probably have a sensory preference of which you're unaware. The following techniques on offer here reflect some of mine. Regardless of how I learn, the most important thing is this: Experiment with different note taking techniques based on your MMM Learning Hierarchy. You'll quickly find yourself remembering more when you honor the way your brain prefers to learn by matching your note taking approach to these preferences. Heck, you might even find yourself focusing and concentrating on your studies like a Zen Master. WARNING! You're about to discover some of my most prized – and totally counterintuitive – techniques for taking notes at lectures. These are significantly different from how I would take notes from a book. You can explore that approach here on my podcast and infographic about How to Memorize a Textbook. Everything in that teaching applies here as well, provided that you take your notes on index cards or move them over to index cards. None of the techniques you are about to discover are mutually exclusive. You can use some of them at the same time. You can even use all of them to varying degrees in the same lecture. But what you should never do is experiment with new note taking techniques when the stakes are high. Like gambling, only try something new when you can afford to lose. With that caveat in place, here are … My Favorite And Most Magnetic Note Taking Techniques For Lectures 1. Release Yourself From Note Taking To be honest, I often prefer not to take notes at all if I can avoid it. At least … not the first time around. How is avoiding note taking possible? How is it even responsible? Desirable? Especially when you're someone dumping thousands of dollars into a university education, a certification course or other live educational event. Easy. Just press record. Many speakers will allow you to record their talks. And when you can record, you can simply release yourself to absorb the information without distracting yourself with the need to capture any of it. I know this is counter intuitive, but it's well worth practicing. I suggest that you go to a few public lectures where you don't need to remember anything and then use the room as a Memory Palace as you listen. Don't know how to create a Memory Palace? No problem. Just grab my: Once you have the Memory Palace tool working in your favor, cool things can start to happen. When you remove the consequences of forgetting and then think back to the lecture and allow yourself to remember, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what comes back. It's almost as if you've said to your memory, "Go ahead and forget everything. It will be fine." Of course, you're not actually saying that, and this "reverse psychology" could backfire. But by releasing the outcome, you'll likely focus more on the proceedings and remember more by default. Pros: You can practice being more present in the room and using a Memory Palace. Allowing yourself to recall information without notes provides you with profoundly powerful memory exercise. Cons: Things can go wrong with recording devices. But if you have a solid network of friends, they can supply you with their notes and commentary. 2. Take Notes From The Recording Recordings are powerful assets. You can listen to them anytime you want in the future, as many times as you want. And you can take notes at your leisure with one powerful asset: You're encountering the information for the second time, not the first. You've already got the broad overview, and you've primed your memory with reverse psychology. And you're also in a position to listen more strategically. Plus, when you take notes from the recording, you're able to do it in a preferred environment free from the distractions of other people in the room. You're even free from the visual distractions created by many speakers themselves. Pros: You can review recordings as often as you wish. If you like 2x-ing your content, you can listen to it faster on the second review. You can also pause the recording so that you're taking notes without missing out on any of the information yet to come. Cons: Speakers often don't prepare lectures for the purpose of creating recordings. Their lack of intention to perform for your posterity can make the recording slow, punctuated by "dead air" and filled with the sounds of people and paper shuffling. 3. Minimize Notes, Maximize Creativity Although I do like to attend lectures and take no notes at all, I still always have a notebook. And in that notebook, I like to doodle. I've doodled in lecture halls around the world. And it's also a great activity while watching or listening to recorded lectures. The longer the lecture and the more attention they require, the more I find doodling beneficial. Why? Because long content can make me fidgety. No matter how enthralling it is, I like to be moving. The best part? Drawing doesn't exclude note taking. Rather, it shapes and informs it. As I draw, I write down keywords and notes that seem interesting to me and useful for further exploration. In a way, doodling while paying attention to information is like mindmapping, but without creating a deliberate mindmap. It also helps me focus on the information as it flows in real time without being distracted by writing down things said seconds or minutes ago while new information is accumulating. Wow – Cool! Two Kinds Of Drawing There are also different kinds of drawing that are useful. I would divide these between doodling abstract shapes and forms and drawing characters. For many years, I drew abstractions almost entirely. Then I started drawing figures. Doctor Fuse Less is one figure in particular who came up in my notebooks again and again. In either case, I found that by drawing the same things repetitively while focusing on lectures helped me focus even more on the material. It's being creative and giving the body something to do without creating anything from scratch. This lowers the cognitive drain of the doodling and maximizes how it can focus your attention like a laser on what you're learning. After that, the keywords you write down on the page are triggers or catalysts for remembering what was discussed. Pros: You increase your focus on the content. You give your memory exercise by letting it decode keywords you've made, rather than having to read through hastily written notes later. Cons: You might struggle to decode the keywords you noted down. You also might get better at drawing, but you can't expect to get an A+ on an exam if you cover it with doodles. 4. Be A Note Taking Maximalist (If You're Prepared To Follow-Up) Sometimes I like to take massive amounts of notes. To do this, I just go hog wild. There is no particular strategy. It's just to write down as much as I can in a linear fashion. Is this effective? Yes and no. But in order to make sure that it is effective as possible, I tend to type these kinds of notes later into a document or a summary. I talked about the power of writing summaries last week when we discussed instant gratification, and that raises an interesting point. Writing down as much as you possibly can during a lecture is essentially succumbing to scarcity. You're acting out of the fear that you're going to miss something. We need to be really careful about this fear. Why? Because chances are, fear will cause you to write down a bunch of useless information and actually miss the most important points. Why does this happen? Because you'll be note taking while the more relevant information is streaming past you, outside of your awareness. And you can't write summaries of information you missed. So if you're going to use the maximalist technique, back it up with a recording so you can review the lecture later. Pros: Your wrists and arms get lots of exercise. You feel like you've accomplished a lot. Cons: Most times you won't have accomplished much. Instead, it was a bunch of activity that crowded your attention when you needed to be focused elsewhere. 5. Have a note taking strategy and style planned in advance Now that you have some more approaches in your note taking arsenal, you can start practicing them. But I find that one of the most important aspects of note taking is simply being strategic about what you write down. For example, I've had a lot of students who write down all the book titles I mention … but they're not the type of students who ever go and read those books. As a result, they miss out on what I'm actually saying about those books while writing the titles down. But if you notice that you have the habit of writing down a bunch of information you never follow up on, you stand to gain a lot by writing down only so much information as you can and will follow up on during the post reading phase. On the other hand, maybe you don't have to attend the lecture at all. You can skip a whole lot of lectures entirely by simply reading an article written by the speaker and then reading all the books and articles mentioned in the bibliography. I have done this many times and feel confident that I gained as a result and never lost. Or, you can combine reading material by the lecturer and attend the lecture. Pre-reading is a great strategy and one that will maximize the value of every lecture you attend. Pros: You'll be prepared and have maximum flexibility. Cons: None. Unless you're the type of person who gets so caught up in preparation that you suffer analysis paralysis. Magnetic Tips For Beyond The Lecture Speaking of pre-reading and post-reading, one of the best things you can do regardless of how you take notes is read beyond the lecture. And understand that you get more bang for your buck if you also speak with others about what you've encountered in lectures. Some of my favorite memories of university involve the discussion groups I attended with my fellow students. In English 1300, for example, a small cluster of us all walked away with the top grades. Why? Because after many of the lectures and tutorials, we met to discuss the material further. I'll never forget sitting up in the 7th-floor Grad Lounge of the Ross Building. I don't think we were aware of it at the time, but think of the unconscious message we were giving ourselves. A first-year course and we chose the grad lounge as our meeting room for discussion. We treated this first-year course as if it was graduate-level material and that gave all of us a cutting edge. Later, in grad school, I recall other student groups with different dynamics. In one of my favorites, we would each voluntarily read an article to present to the group. In this way, each of us was exposed to additional reading material for which we had no time. Yet, we could still take notes about the key points, remember these and enjoy the effect of priming our memory for future encounters with that text or references to it. Effective Note Taking Is A Process That Develops Over Time Effective note taking skills are everywhere. There are scientific studies well worth your attention too, such as this Scientific American article about not taking notes with a laptop. Whatever you do, I suggest that you approach note taking as an art and a science. Make sure that you experiment with multiple styles and track your results. As you pay attention to what's happening more consciously, you'll learn more about what works for you and lean towards your preferences with greater understanding. But at all times, choose flexibility. Make sure you have on hand what you need whenever you attend a lecture or recording of one so that all your bases are covered. And above all, remove all stress. So many learners bring so much worry about the game of education that they forget to play it. But learning really is a game. It's one you can win too, provided you put your memory first. And to help with that, I'm confident these note taking techniques – if you give them a try in combination with the bigger picture of your rest, relaxation, health and a Magnetic Memory Palace Network – will force you to remember more without so much as breaking a sweat. Bonus: Matthew Clark was one of my favorite profs in grad school. Through the magic of the Internet, I now have the chance to take some notes from one of his lectures. Wanna trade? The post 5 Note Taking Techniques That Force You To Remember More appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

The experience of memory loss creates the kind of story you normally only see in the movies. Yet, for Jennie Gorman, the experience of memory loss was all too real. Although we all experience the occasional mild loss of memory, it's difficult to imagine what it must be like dealing with a disorienting and painful experience like this: Luckily, Jennie found incredible resources within herself that drove her to find a solution. And that solution could well help you too. If not now, possibly in the future. So buckle in, click play above, and discover the root cause of Jennie's memory loss and how she solved it. The Nasty Substances Creating Your Current Or Eventual Memory Loss Story We all put things into our body that don't serve us. For some of us, it's a bad habit like smoking (here's the Magnetic Memory Method way to stop smoking if you need help). For other people, it's the absence of foods that improve memory. Not everyone can get away from medication, but as Jennie points out in this podcast and video … … the substance rotting your memory ability might not be booze, tobacco or a medication. That means, you've got to dig deep to find the problem. Like Kasper Bormans is trying to do: The Truth About Memory Loss And The Dark Of Night The quantity and quality of your sleep influence your memory in many ways. That means you can get a ton of sleep, but if it isn't good sleep, you'll still suffer memory problems. Likewise, you can get quality sleep, but still not enough of it to make an impact. In all cases, sleep deprivation is a memory killer. Avoid it at all costs. Protect Your Brain That brain of yours is like an egg in a shell. Brain trauma can happen anytime, so please exert caution when riding your bike, driving or engaging in sports. The sad thing about injuries to your head is that the symptoms and problems might not show up for decades. That's why we must all exercise maximum vigilance at all times. Entrepreneurial Memory Secrets One of the most intriguing elements of Jennie's story involves her success as an entrepreneur. As the incredible leader of Connexions Unlimited, Jennie is a master networker. The ability to recall names and faces is very important when you're in business and her memory loss threatened this skill in an immediate way. Luckily, Jennie recovered her memory, which is also a key part of her work with Business Mastermind Groups in Brisbane, Australia. The level of care she brings to helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses extends far beyond their names. It involves helping them manage their business vision, mission and a number of goals and milestones. Apart from memory techniques … what's the secret to keeping your memory fresh and alive when you're in business? Plenty of networking and Masterminding, of course! Seriously. Keeping social and avoiding isolation helps your brain coat itself in healthy chemicals that will preserve your memory. Unfortunately, far too many entrepreneurs lock themselves away. But that too can create brain trauma of an even more pernicious kind … The Pen Is Mightier Than Memory Loss But if you're going to isolate yourself, a great way to fend off memory loss is regular writing. As the author of Awesome Authenticity: Mastering Business Relationships, Jennie continues writing new books and on her blog and social media pages. Writing is an unknown memory preserver because of how it stimulates your brain. It doesn't really matter if you write or type, but you do want to consider the advantages of handwriting for your memory, especially if you're a student. Here's more information about the memory advantage of handwriting based on some killer science: Even if you're not going to write books and articles, just 5-10 minutes of daily journaling can give your brain and memory huge benefits. Give it a try! What's Your Memory Loss Story? Have you had an experience with memory loss? What are your thoughts on the difference between memory loss and forgetfulness? Let us know in the comment area below. In the meantime, for more about Jennie, the help she offers entrepreneurs and to connect, check out these links: Jennie Gorman's The People Connector page on Facebook Jennie Gorman's An On Purpose Life Jennie Gorman on LinkedIn Jennie Gorman on YouTube The post Memory Loss Story And Memory Recovery Tips With Jennie Gorman appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

You know that instant gratification is the real reason you struggle to learn and remember information, don't you? Good news: If you'd like the cure, let me instantly gratify you and jump right in. Here are three: 1. Understand the Sickness of Instant Gratification For What It Is That's right: Instant gratification is a disease. Think about it … What building gets to scrape the sky overnight? What skill worth having leaps into existence in a flash? None do. And if any ever penetrate this instant gratification psychology … it's really only a very few. If there are examples of instant gratification, well … One exception is the Magnetic Memory Method, a rare memory skill you can learn fast and experience quick victories with … But these happen so fast only because the Magnetic Memory Method harnesses the power of information you ALREADY know. And even then, let's face it: You'll still need to practice a bit before you really hit your stride. So settle in and make sure you're trained up: Go ahead and click that big blue image and take my free course. I'm confident you won't regret spending the time. 2. Practice Long Form Learning Now that you've admitted that you've got the instant gratification sickness, it's time to combat it. How? First, know your MMM Learning Hierarchy. You'll discover what this is in a new book I'm releasing soon. For notification, please keep your eyes open for an announcement soon. Once you've got that covered, learn how to memorize a textbook properly and read books in a traditional manner for good measure. Watch long videos and take notes. Listen to podcasts and audiobooks without 2x-ing the content. Stop training your brain to consume everything faster. 3. Balance Input With Output Consuming information is important. It's how we learn. The problem is … Few people balance their consumption with production. As a result, they never really learn anything. If you want to learn … REALLY learn … Then you'll need to process that information through multiple channels. The Professors Who Forced Me To Balance Input With Output Back during my M.A. and Ph.D. years, I completed a lot of directed reading courses instead of taking seminars. These directed readings were a great alternative to attending class and watching the other students pretend they read the books and articles. Plus, I got to have the professors I studied under for some precious one-on-one discussion of learning topics at levels deeper than seminars allow. The catch? Two of my directed reading professors DEMANDED summaries of everything on the reading lists. And not just one or two fruity little paragraphs … They wanted two to three pages! Well, let me tell you … It Was The Most Worthy Work In The World! By keeping good notes and processing the information through writing summaries … … Followed by verbal discussions in meetings … I remember so much more from those books than any other. And because I used the textbook memorization technique I linked you to above for some of these books … I had a ton of Magnetic fun too. The Shocking Truth About Instant Gratification Here's the truth: When you stop letting instant gratification corrode your ability to learn and remember … You'll find that all learning becomes much more gratifying. Having a plan for building and enjoying discipline in your life helps too: Once you have discipline on your side … The gratification you need comes … Instantly! So the true path to instant gratification requires just a simple shift in perspective. Just like when you Mindshift your perspective about memory techniques and the use of a Memory Palace. The shift in perspective creates an instant victory that makes all learning thereafter much more gratifying. It truly is that simple. And if you'd like to experience true instant gratification that lasts forever, make sure you're subscribed to this website so I can show you just how gratifying using your memory can be. Next time … something different. The post 3 Powerful Ways To Destroy The Cancer Of Instant Gratification appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.