“One little, two little, three little Indians” is a rhyme that we use to teach children to count. The tune is a catchy one and has survived many generations. We learn many things through catchy phrases and remember products for their catchy jingles.
Learning is an ongoing process so I want to share a few steps for memory enhancement.
1- Repetition works for all ages. Reading something over and over again helps the mind recall the information at a later date.
2- Write things down. Names, addresses and phone numbers are more likely to be remembered if we write them down. Now-a-days, we type a number in our smart phone and don’t recall it because we have not physically encountered those numbers.
3- Put things in the same place and it’s easier to find them. Years ago I got used to hooking my keys on the edge of my purse. It has kept my keys available 24/7. Put a bowl on your dresser for the things that come out of your pocket.
4- Watch yourself do things. When you unplug the coffee pot, watch yourself unplug it and clean around the coffee pot. Chances are that you will remember that later. I laid my cell phone on the file cabinet at work yesterday and as I reached for it in the car, I instantly recalled where I had left it. I went back inside the office to retrieve it.
5- Have a place for everything and put things away immediately. We tend to toss our jacket as we come into the door, but it is just as easy to toss it on a hook if available. When I purchase something new, I already have in my mind where it will go and how I can use it. Whenever you use something put it back. In the office, I try to encourage helpers to put rubber stamps, scissors, and labels back so they are easily available for the next person to use.
6- Talk with someone about a topic you need to remember. Tell someone about your upcoming schedule and chances are you won’t miss an appointment. Study with a friend and chances are you’ll remember more because of a conversation or practice session.
7- Watch people around you at work or while shopping to learn by seeing. We learn vicariously by watching others succeed or fail. I learned to put my grocery bags in a container in my car where they are accessible. It is a habit my husband has encouraged. He puts them back in the car after we empty them each week. It’s become a small, but helpful habit. They are easy to grab and use when I go into a store.
8- Create a filing system for paperwork. I have a folder that I throw mail and receipts into. I empty my purse receipts in there each night. On the weekend, usually Sunday, I enter all of the expenses and staple things together in my “monthly” folder for future use. Tax receipts from donations immediately go into a file marked “taxes” for the next year. Makes life easier and I am not hunting for taxes the following year.
9- Keep all your passwords together in a book, in an app, or on a list for future reference. Even the best memories can forget these things.
10- We were all taught to take notes in school, but I have seen so many people forget that there was a value in this. People once had telephones at home, where a pad of paper was located. Now many people have only cell phones, but we don’t have a place to jot things down. Someone recently asked me to text them information since they had no way of taking notes. (That is more and more common.)
In a culture that tries to use less paper for recycling purposes, we are creating another problem; namely, forgetting more.
Don’t forget though to “Delight in Living”.