My experience as a Senior Career Strategist over the past 15 years has provided me with extensive experience interviewing thousands of job candidates and coaching hundreds of individuals. I have observed that there is a significant difference in how successful individuals perform compared to those who are not successful in terms of their ability to manage information effectively. While many people believe that success is due to having a high IQ or being extremely intelligent, I believe that success is significantly influenced by an individual’s ability to process information in a much more effective manner, a skill that can be strengthened through strategic memory improvement techniques.
While many people believe that memory is an innate gift, I firmly believe that memory is a skill that can be developed. Many of these skills that are discussed below are not merely useful for students taking exams; they are valuable professional development tools that enable individuals to master complex information, deliver accurate presentations, and build a reputation as knowledgeable and dependable.
Why Do We Forget?
Understand How Your Memory Works
It is essential to develop a basic understanding of how memory works prior to developing strategies for improving memory. Forgetting is not a malfunction of your brain; it is a function of your brain designed to allow you to conserve energy and be able to prioritize and make decisions.
The Forgetting Curve
Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus demonstrated that we tend to lose about 50 percent of what we learn in the first hour, approximately 70 percent in the first day, and nearly all of what we learn in the first month unless we reinforce that information through some form of review. This explains why cramming for an exam is an ineffective strategy for retaining information in the long run.
Filtering Information Based Upon Importance
Your brain always filters information to determine whether the information is important to you and/or whether you will use it frequently. If the information does not appear to be relevant to you or you do not anticipate needing to reference it regularly, your brain will eliminate it to save space for the things that you need to know.
Strategic Memory Methods
To tell your brain that something is important, you need to take action to prevent the information from fading away. Below are 25 evidence-based memory methods for developing effective memory.
Core Principles of High-Performance Memory
Principle #1: Spaced Repetition (The Anti-Cramming Engine)
Spaced repetition is the most effective principle for achieving long-term retention of information.
Applying Spaced Repetition:
Rather than studying for several hours straight, apply the spaced repetition method by dividing your study sessions into several shorter sessions:
- First Session: Initial Learning
- Second Session: 24 hours after the first session
- Third Session: Three Days After the Second Session
- Fourth Session: Seven Days After the Third Session
Use an app such as Anki or Brainscape to help you schedule future study sessions.
Why Spaced Repetition Is Effective:
The spaced repetition method helps you learn faster and retain information longer by reinforcing your memory of a particular piece of information at increasingly longer intervals. This is similar to the approach used when professionals receive certification and require continuing education credits to maintain their licensure.
Principle #2: Creating a Memory Palace (Like Sherlock Holmes)
Creating a memory palace is another advanced method for creating a memory, and is commonly employed by memory champions. A memory palace uses your superior spatial memory to associate information with a particular location.
Applying the Memory Palace Method:
Picture a place that you know very well (for example, it could be your childhood home or school). Now, think of a big object in each place that represents the information or data that you wish to remember. For example, a large banana hanging from the ceiling in the living room could represent that you want to purchase bananas at the grocery store.
Why the Memory Palace Method Is Effective:
The memory palace method provides a powerful tool for remembering the flow of a speech or presentation, remembering the names of clients, or remembering long lists of key points without referencing a notebook. This method can convey a sense of confidence and preparation.
Principle #3: Teaching It to Someone Else
Teaching others is a powerful way to ensure that you truly understand the material that you are attempting to learn. Teaching others causes you to mentally organize the information in a logical and sequential manner, and it also allows you to identify areas of confusion or missing information.
Applying the Method of Teaching Others:
Explain the information to someone else (even a recorder). Listen to the recording during your commute or other times when you are not busy.
Why Teaching Others Is Effective:
Teaching others is the ultimate test of your level of mastery of a subject, and it is the foundation of clear communication, which is essential for leaders and for building relationships with clients.
Principle #4: The 20-20-20 Rule for Names
The 20-20-20 rule for names is a useful hack for remembering names when attending professional conferences or networking events.
Applying the 20-20-20 Rule:
When you meet someone new, say their name immediately (e.g., “nice to meet you, Sarah”). Repeat their name 20 seconds later in conversation, and again 20 minutes later.
Why the 20-20-20 Rule Is Effective:
Using this simple three-step process can boost name recall by 300 percent, which can result in a significant positive impression in business settings.
Principle #5: Chewing Gum While Learning
Research indicates that chewing gum can increase your heart rate (which sends more oxygen to the brain) and create a state-dependent memory.
Applying the Method of Chewing Gum:
Chew the same flavor of gum when you are learning and again when you are recalling the information. The flavor of the gum can stimulate the same mental state that was present when you initially learned the information.
Why Chewing Gum Is Effective:
Using gum is a subtle method of creating a consistent and focused environment for learning and recalling challenging information.
Principle #6: The Roman Room Method
The Roman Room Method is a classic method for remembering the content of a speech or presentation.
Applying the Roman Room Method:
Identify the key points of your speech or presentation, and associate them with specific objects or features in a room that you know well. Mentally walk through the room to recall the key points of your speech or presentation.
Why the Roman Room Method Is Effective:
Using this method frees you from needing to rely on your notes or slides, which can cause you to come across as unnatural and less confident in your delivery of a speech or presentation.
Principle #7: Sleep On It (Literally)
Sleep is essential for memory consolidation. During deep sleep, your brain actually replays and strengthens the things you’ve learned, which is a pretty and very useful little hack.
Applying the Principle of Sleeping On It:
Review all the important information and data before you go to sleep. Take a 90-minute nap (to get through an entire REM cycle) to help you recover and consolidate your memories.
Why Sleeping On It Is Effective:
If you sacrifice sleep to spend more time studying or preparing for an event, you are actually impairing your judgment and recall capabilities, which are necessary for performing at your best as a professional.
Principle #8: The Story Method
Information is remembered better in a story format than in a factoid format.
Applying the Story Method:
Develop a strange and vivid narrative for the information that you need to remember. The more bizarre the story, the more likely you are to remember it.
Why the Story Method Is Effective:
This method is excellent for remembering processes or sequences of events (such as the history of a project or the timeline of a company) as well as the key points of a presentation.
Principle #9: Changing Where You Study
Changing your study location stimulates more than one cue for retrieving the information.
Applying the Method of Studying in Different Locations:
Study at different locations (such as your desk, coffee shop, a library, or a park).
Why Changing Where You Study Is Effective:
Studying in different environments prevents context-dependent memory and ensures that you can retrieve the information regardless of where you are.
Principle #10: The Feynman Technique
This technique tests true understanding by requiring you to simplify complex information.
Applying the Feynman Technique:
Explain the information to a person as if you were explaining it to a fresh beginner who knows nothing. Identifying the areas where you struggle to explain the information clearly will help you identify areas that you need to review.
Why the Feynman Technique Is Effective:
This is the basis for effective communication, which is essential for leaders and for building relationships with clients.
Principle #11: Using All of Your Senses
Learning information with multiple senses creates a richer and more enduring memory.
Applying the Method of Using All of Your Senses:
Associate information with a smell (peppermint oil), a texture (stress ball), or a sound (white noise).
Why Using All of Your Senses Is Effective:
Associating information with a smell, texture, or sound creates a unique memory tag that can assist you in recalling the information quickly and accurately.
Principle #12: The Peg System
This system develops a durable “memory filing cabinet” for organized lists.
Applying the Peg System:
Learn a standard set of number-shape pegs (e.g., Candle = 1, Swan = 2, etc.) and visually associate each item on your list with a peg.
Why the Peg System Is Effective:
This system is ideal for remembering a list of priorities, a procedure (step-by-step), or the primary points of a long sequence of events.
Principle #13: Exercising Prior to Studying
Exercise can prepare your brain for increased neuroplasticity.
Applying the Method of Exercising Prior to Studying:
Engage in 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise before your next study session. Cardiovascular exercise increases BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) in the brain, which acts as a fertilizer for the brain.
Why Exercising Prior to Studying Is Effective:
Cardiovascular exercise creates a routine that enhances your physical and cognitive resiliency, with effects on your focus lasting for up to two hours after exercising.
Principle #14: The Keyword Method
This is the best method for acquiring new technical language, jargon, or foreign words.
Applying the Keyword Method:
For every new word you discover, think of any other word that sounds like it or sounds similar to it. Develop a visual image associating the keyword with the definition of the word (e.g., French “pomme” [apple] sounds like “pompom” → image of an apple wearing pompoms).
Why the Keyword Method Is Effective:
This method enables you to acquire the specialized language of your profession more rapidly and with less effort.
Principle #15: Bizarre Imagery
Unusual imagery is more likely to capture attention and be retained.
Applying the Method of Bizarre Imagery:
To remember a task like buying milk, picture a gallon of milk singing opera in your refrigerator. The crazier the image, the better it will stick in your mind.
Why Bizarre Imagery Is Effective:
This is a perfect way to develop and establish a reliable anchor for one-time events or information/data.
Principle #16: The Chunking Method
The brain is able to process groups of 3-4 units of information more efficiently.
Applying the Method of Chunking:
Break long lists of information, numbers, or processes into smaller groups of 3-4 units (e.g., phone number: 555-867-5309).
Why Chunking Is Effective:
Chunking is an excellent method for organizing information like formulas, project codes, or procedures into more manageable portions.
Principle #17: Acrostics and Acronyms
Acrostics and acronyms provide an easy-to-remember shortcut for remembering lists or procedures.
Applying the Acrostic/Acronym Method:
Develop a sentence or acronym for a list or procedure where the first letter of each word represents the first letter of an item on your list (e.g., Never Eat Soggy Waffles for compass directions).
Why Acrostics and Acronyms Are Effective:
These are excellent ways to quickly and effectively remember the fundamental elements of a framework or the sequence of actions required to complete a process.
Principle #18: The Leitner System
This is a structured method of reviewing flashcards that is designed to maximize the effectiveness of spaced repetition.
Applying the Leitner System:
Organize your flashcards into separate boxes or containers based on how well you have mastered the information. As you correctly answer a card, place it in a container for less frequent review; incorrectly answered cards are placed in a container for review every day.
Why the Leitner System Is Effective:
The Leitner System is an effective means of automating the review process to ensure that you are spending your time reviewing the information that you have found to be most difficult to retain.
Principle #19: Exposure to Cold
Short exposure to cold can enhance focus and memory.
Applying the Method of Cold Exposure:
Take a 30-second cold shower (cold water blasting the face) prior to a critical thinking or memory-related task to increase norepinephrine and enhance your ability to focus and retain information.
Why Cold Exposure Is Effective:
Cold exposure is a rapid bio-hack that can provide immediate enhancements to your mental clarity and alertness.
Principle #20: The Method of Loci
This is the original method that is used today as the Memory Palace method, except that instead of using a single location, you use a journey.
Applying the Method of Loci:
Choose a journey (such as your drive to work) and mentally associate memories at various landmarks along the journey. Mentally recreate the journey to recall the memories.
Why the Method of Loci Is Effective:
This method enables you to expand your memory capabilities using a linear spatial map to remember information that would otherwise be too lengthy for the Memory Palace method.
Principle #21: The Position of Your Body During Sleep
New research states that your body position during sleep may likely impact how your memory processes.
Applying the Method of Body Position During Sleep:
Research suggests that sleeping on your right side may be beneficial for declarative memory (recalling facts and events), while sleeping on your left side may be beneficial for procedural memory (performing skills and habits).
Why the Method of Body Position During Sleep Is Effective:
Understanding that the position of your body during sleep can affect memory processing is an additional aspect of optimizing your recovery and consolidation phases.
Principle #22: The Production Effect
Reading out loud or writing down what you have read will create a longer-lasting memory trace compared to silently reading.
To Apply:
- Read through the important points out loud.
- Verbally explain concepts to yourself.
Why It Is Strategic:
Involves more motor and auditory neural pathways when you verbally articulate information, creating a stronger memory trace. Practice in preparation for clearly articulating the ideas you want to express.
Principle #23: Blue Light before Recall
A short exposure to blue light can make individuals feel more alert and improve working memory.
To Apply:
Step outside for 2 minutes prior to a task that requires the ability to quickly recall information, and allow your eyes to adjust to natural daylight.
Why It Is Strategic:
Using the same method as using a caffeine or energy drink, this is a simple and natural, non-stimulant-based method to prepare your brain to be focused and ready for information retrieval.
Principle #24: The Baker-Baker Paradox
This concept shows us how the context we associate with a piece of information has a significant impact on our remembering it.
To Apply:
You would be more likely to remember that John Smith is a baker than you would be to remember that John Smith’s last name is Baker. Remember the meaningful relationship between the words used to describe the information.
Why It Is Strategic:
Forcing you to go from simply recognizing a piece of information at a surface level to deeply associating the information with a specific meaning, and therefore understanding and retaining the information long after the initial encounter.
Principle #25: The Testing Effect (Active Recall)
This is so important that it warrants repetition as its own point. Reading passively is an ineffective use of your time.
To Apply:
Self-testing and active recall (the act of recalling something from memory) should comprise approximately 80% of the time spent studying or preparing for a test.
Why It Is Strategic:
Simulates the feeling of having to answer a question immediately in an interview, client meeting, or while giving a presentation, providing the opportunity to develop the confidence to retrieve memories under pressure. Additionally, develops the memory itself.
“Blank” Due To Stress:
- Skip And Return: Move on to another question. By answering other questions, you may be able to “unstick” a memory.
- Environment Recall: Imagine the location you were when you first heard or learned about the information.
- Elimination: Even incorrect responses provide cues that can help trigger the proper path to the memory.
- Breathing: Takes the edge off your amygdala and provides oxygen to your prefrontal cortex (responsible for retrieving memories).
Conclusion
Your memory is a muscle that can be developed through consistent, strategic training. These methods are not merely interesting academic examples; these are the techniques employed by elite memory athletes, elite performers, and intelligent professionals. Begin incorporating Spaced Repetition, Active Recall (The Testing Effect), and the Feynman Technique into your preparation for all of the tasks that require the most concentration and attention.
Your goal is not simply to memorize facts; you are developing a faster, more flexible, and more impressive professional mind.
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