Memory Improvement Programmes
How to Improve Your Memory
I want to spend some time discussing why a finely tuned memory is a must in the business world and can be regarded as one of the key skills needed to get ahead.
This article will also cover how memory works and, perhaps, most importantly what we can all do to improve it.
Why is memory so important in the office environment? Surely everyone has had the experience of forgetting something crucial at and important moment. Perhaps you’ve forgotten some important sales figures in a team meeting or some information in a presentation. I think this has happened to everyone. The feeling we get when this happens is one of panic as we frantically search our memories for the information we seek. However, the harder we search, the more illusive the information becomes.
So first things first. How does memory work?
This is a complicated subject and I shall do my best to put forward a practical illustration. The aspect of memory that I want to discuss today is the storage of information. For example, it may be your sales figures, the names of the capital cities or some crucial information about your business or competitors. Information is frequently stored in the brain through association.
So for instance, when asked what the capital of France is, we can instantly say Paris. There is a paired association between France and Paris. They are linked in our brains and there is a clear pathway between the two.
The question then, is how this pathway was formed.
At first there is no association between the two. They are two separate elements.
The first time we hear that Paris is the capital of France, a faint association or link is created between the two.
If we are presented with this information again, or repeat the association ourselves, the link is strengthened.
If this repetition continues, then the link will grow and strengthen; getting stronger and stronger.
The stronger the link becomes the easier the information is to recall.
This is why when asked what our own names are we can instantly recall it. We have heard our own names and repeated this answer question so often, that there is a strong association or link.
When asked on material we know less well it can take longer to recall because the link is not quite so strong. For instance, it may take longer to answer the question “What is the capital of Iceland”; unless, of course you live there!
It may take a few seconds to recall the required information.
This process also works in reverse. If you don’t repeat the information regularly, then it can begin to fade in the mind. The link or association weakens. The pairing fades. It can often fade altogether.
That is why, we often no longer remember material that we once knew at school. We don’t encounter a lot of this knowledge in our everyday lives. Without this repetition, the link dissolves.
Repetition is therefore the key to memory. Information that you wish to retain you will have to repeat. Fortunately, the stronger the association is, the less often you have to repeat it, to keep it that way.
The next question is how often you have to repeat the paired association to keep it strong.
Leave it too long between repetitions and you might have forgotten it and the link may never have a chance to strengthen. Repeat it too often and you may waste time, repeating something you already know.
Fortunately, there is computer software (Spaced Repetition Software) out there to help you. It calculates the precise time you should repeat the association to keep the link strong. I’ve included a list of these free programmes on my site below. I’ve learned a huge amounts of facts and figures in this way. It really is the most efficient way to learn material.
Never forget a key bit of information again, never have that sense of panic because you can’t recall the answer to something you know you know. The best thing is that all this material is free. I hope you find it useful in helping to progress your career.
Good luck!
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The website dedicated to employee development and career progression.
Additional Information
- Memory Increase Tips | Tips for Memory Increase | Memory Increase Technique | Memory Improvement Tips
- Improve Your Memory – Boost Memory – Memory Improvement Tips | Health Supplements and Natural Remedies
- Memory improvement techniques: learn how to flex those mental muscles! « Health Articles Library
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Hi – I want to say thanks for an interesting post about a subject I have had an interest in for a long time now. I have been lurking and reading the comments avidly so just wanted to express my gratitude for providing me with some very good reading material. I look forward to more, and taking a more active part in the discussions here, whilst picking up some knowledge too!!