by Brad Zupp
[ 16 ] Instantly Remember Travel Directions to the Locals’ Favorite Places
ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS is a great way to meet interesting people and discover the wonderful places locals know. Remembering those directions, though, can be tricky. After the second or third turn, our eyes glaze over. While we can usually rely on our smartphones or GPS devices, why not have the ability to recall directions as a “just in case”?
THE TECHNIQUE The Directions System
Instantly memorizing the name of a recommended place and the directions to get there doesn’t take special effort. You will change the information into creative mental images and connect them together using the Story Method. First, you need a few pre-pictured images for directions—this is your personal Directions System. Here are some suggestions for converting these images:
•Left = sounds like “lift” or “heft,” so picture lifting weights or barbells.
•Right = sounds like “fight,” so imagine punching or boxing gloves. “Bite” is also a great image.
•North = alphabet word “nachos,” or think of north meaning cold and icy.
•South = alphabet word “strawberry,” or think of south meaning warmth and sunshine.
•East = alphabet word “egg.”
•West = alphabet word “watermelon.”
I often use left and right in practice, so be sure you have solid images for them.
HOW TO DO IT
While on vacation, you ask a local for a recommendation for a great restaurant. She says, “Try Dizzy Cow. Turn right at Lake Street, go two blocks to Broadway, and turn left. It’s four blocks down on your right.”
1Change the name of the place into an image. Use your imagination and make it as silly as possible to make it memorable.
2Convert the directions into images. Associate each image with the street name. Use Alphabet Images to convert the first letter of each street into an image if you can’t quickly picture the street name. Don’t be afraid to ask the person giving the directions to slow down or repeat them if you need time.
3Connect each step together in a story chain or movie. Here’s an example:
Picture a dizzy cow bumping into tables at the restaurant.
“Right at Lake Street.”
Imagine finding boxing gloves (right = “fight”) in a lake. Put them on your hands and wear them, dripping as you go.
“Go two blocks to Broadway and turn left.”
Left (“lift”) plus Broadway (picture an exaggerated, very broad street. Think of getting to that corner, bending down, and lifting the wide street).
“Four blocks down on your right.”
In the Simple System four is the image of a stool. Picture sitting on a stool throwing punches (right = “fight”) at the dizzy cow.
The effort you put into trying the technique will enable your natural memory to kick in and help. You may find yourself relying on a combination of the method—“Yes, it’s right here, I remember the boxing gloves!”—and natural memory: “I don’t remember exactly what the images were, but I remember it’s a left here and four blocks down,” because you are so focused you just . . . remember!
Practice with directions to your favorite restaurant, converting them into mental images as you go. You’ll be ready the next time you’re directed to a great place on vacation.
[ 17 ] Remember Your PINs
WE REMEMBER OUR primary ATM card personal identification number (PIN) because we use it often, but can you remember all your other PINs? How can remembering a four-digit number be so difficult? By creating a story about each debit or credit card, you can make remembering all the PINs easy. Never be stumped on the phone when asked by customer service what your security code is or be embarrassed at the store when you’re asked to enter your PIN.
THE TECHNIQUE The Rhyme Time Number System
The Rhyme Time Number System, or simply Rhyme Time, converts numbers into images based on what each number rhymes with. Then you can easily create a fun story that includes the idea or image of each credit card or company that requires a PIN.
Personal identification numbers are usually short: Most are four to six digits, which is perfect for the Rhyme Time Number System. The key is to take the simple rhyming words and create silly stories—which are the kind that are memorable.
HOW TO DO IT
1Gather your ATM and credit cards and the PIN associated with each. You may have to call your credit card company and ask them to issue you a new PIN if you don’t have the information on hand.
2For the numbers 0 to 9, think of a word that rhymes with the number and create an image of that word in your mind. Here’s an example, which you can customize using words and images that work for you. Remember, all you’re doing is rhyming the number with another word you can easily imagine.
Number Rhyme
0 Hero (picture your favorite superhero)
1 Run or Fun (favorite activity or sport)
2 Chew (favorite food) or Shoe
3 Tree
4 Door
5 Hive (bees)
6 Sticks or Ticks
7 Heaven or Elven
8 Bait (worm) or Date (favorite romantic person)
9 Tine (fork) or Sign (stop, yield, etc.)
3Picture your bank or financial institution. Use the colors of their logo or the physical location of the branch. Make this image interesting and exaggerated or you’ll be unable to start a memorable story. Use this image as the first link in your story chain.
4The second link is the image associated with the first digit of the PIN. Connect the two together using plenty of CAST (Color, Action, Size, and Texture) details to make it interesting and memorable.
5Continue translating each digit into an image and link it with a story.
6Review the whole story, adding as much detail as possible. Here’s an example:
Hometown Bank ATM: 5048
I picture my favorite teller at Hometown Bank on her way to work. Unfortunately, she is being pursued by bees (5). Luckily, her hero (0) Money Man swoops in wearing his suit made of dollar bills and helps her through the door (4) of the bank. She is so grateful she gives him some valuable worms (8) from the vault at the bank where they are stored.
7Test yourself after 30 minutes and again tomorrow to cement the story and the numbers into your mind.
[ 18 ] Remember Credit Card Numbers with the Major System
A FEW TECHNIQUES ago you learned how to remember a nine-digit passport number. The same technique can be used for credit card numbers. If you need to remember many numbers, however, there is a better system than the Simple System and the MOST Method. Here, you’ll learn the Major System, which is what most memory athletes use to remember long random numbers in minutes.
This robust system takes some extra work upfront but makes for quicker memorization going forward. Look it over and consider if the effort is worth the time involved to make the system your own. For most people, one of the other number systems is better.
THE TECHNIQUE The Major System
Don’t get overwhelmed by this explanation—it’s much easier to try than to read! The Major System is a mnemonic system first credited to Pierre Hérigone in the early 1600s. In it, each number is represented by one or more consonants. These are then used in combination with vowels (as well as y, w, and h) to create words that can be used to remember numbers. Confused yet? Hang in there—it’s easy once you get started.
My version of the system is slightly different from others’ and I’ve also simplified it for this book. Don’t get stuck. Read through this once first to understand it, keeping in mind that this is a much bigger system than 99 percent of the readers of this book will ever need!
THE MODIFIED MAJOR SYSTEM EXPLAINED
Number Letter/Sound How to Remember
0 z z for zero
1 t (can also use d) t and d have one downstroke
2 n n has two downstrokes
3 m m has three downstrokes
4 r Four
ends in r
5 l L is the roman numeral for 50
6 “sh” or “ch” sound Shucks and church each has six letters
7 k or hard c sound k looks like two 7s lying on their sides
8 f or ph (like phone) A cursive f has two loops and looks like an 8; ph = f sound
9 9p or bP p and b look like 9s flipped
IMAGES
Number Images Number Images
0 zoo 7 hack (ax)
1 hat 8 hoof
2 hen 9 hop (rabbit) or pie
3 ham 10 t+z = toes
4 hair 11 t+t/d = toad
5 eel 23 n+m = Nome (Alaska) or gnome (note that pronunciation is important, not spelling!)
6 shoe or ash 24 n+r = Nero or winery
The best use of the Major System is remembering long numbers (or a lot of numbers in general). Since it’s a two-digit system, instead of a single-digit system like the other ways of remembering numbers you’ve seen so far, it is quicker and more versatile. Overall, though, the method remains the same.
HOW TO DO IT
1Familiarize yourself with the Major System, or realize it’s more than you need and use one of the other number systems you’ve learned.
2Translate each pair of numbers (or single digits) on your credit card into a suitable image.
3Link each image together into a story.
4Add the expiration date using the Month Memorization System and a number system of your choice.
5Add to the story with the three- or four-digit security number.
6Review a few times, adding details.
7Test yourself after an hour. Translate the story back into numbers and look at your credit card to verify. Fix any problems by adding more CAST (Color, Action, Size, and Texture) details to your story.
Here’s an example:
Mastercard
5105223577532190
Expiration November 2025
Security Code 769
51= l+t = light(bulb)
05 = eel
22 = n+n = nun
35 = m+l = mail
77 = c+k = cake
53 = l+m = lamb
21 = n+t = nut (I picture a squirrel)
90 = p/b + z = bees
November = Turkey
2025 = n+l = nail
769 = 7,6 = c+sh = cash + 9 = pie = money pie
Story: I imagine using my credit card to buy a light bulb . . . which doesn’t work. Shaking it, I notice there is an eel inside. A nun offers to return it for me (by mail) and gives me a cake before she leaves for the post office.
Continue the story yourself or go try it with your credit card.
This system takes some upfront effort, but it’s worth it if you frequently need to recall your credit card number or other numbers. Try it with one credit card as a test of how far you’ve come.
[ 19 ] Remember What Your Family Says
KIDS OF A certain age can talk a lot. So can spouses, friends, siblings, and parents. How can we possibly remember all the things they say? If we frequently forget what they tell us, we’re perceived as having bad memories at best and being unappreciative or uncaring at worst. Even though we call this “forgetting,” the problem usually isn’t with our memory; the problem is with our focus. We are sabotaging our natural memory ability because we aren’t focusing on getting the information. If we don’t get the information, we can’t remember it later. But you can fix this now and improve your relationships.
THE TECHNIQUE What’s Next, Um, and How Methods
There are three methods to help your mind pay attention when someone is talking to you:
1The What’s Next Method trains your mind to listen better by trying to guess what the speaker will say next.
2The Um Method makes a game of counting the filler words that are used, like “um,” “ahh,” “well,” and “like.”
3The How Method helps you focus by asking yourself, “How will I remember this tomorrow?”
HOW TO DO IT
Before you use a method to remember what someone is saying to you, follow these three general steps.
1Make sure you have plenty of quality personal time: your commute, daily walk, exercise time, or the shower. You can space out, let your mind wander, or ponder your own ideas during those times. Your time with your family or friends is not the time to be scatterbrained.
2If you need a minute to finish a thought or commit something to memory, ask for it. Then stop worrying about whatever is on your mind and focus on the other person.
3Don’t worry about what you will say next, the story you want to tell, or adding your own two cents. Just listen.
THE WHAT’S NEXT METHOD
1As you are listening, ask yourself (not out loud) what the person might say next or what might happen next in their story. It could be guessing which words they’ll use or the bigger picture of how the story ends. This sharpens your natural ability to listen by making a game out of paying attention.
2Be careful not to get lost in your own version of their story. Allow yourself to be surprised if it isn’t as you expected or proud that you guessed correctly.
THE UM METHOD
1Listen carefully for the filler words we all use: “um,” “ahh,” “well,” and “like.”
2Keep a rough count of each use without letting it interfere with listening to the story or keeping you from the discussion. (Don’t be rude and point out people’s filler words or their frequency.)
THE HOW METHOD
1As someone is telling you something important (to them), ask yourself, “How will I remember this tomorrow?”
2You can also ask yourself how you’d tell the story to someone else. This will help you pay better attention.
As with any activity, the more you practice, the better you’ll get. These methods are a great start, but you may find that after a while you don’t need them. You’ll improve your ability to listen and your natural memory will take over to better recall what people say to you.
[ 20 ] Remember People’s Details
I ONCE ASKED a friend of mine why she thought her restaurant was so successful. She remarked that she listened to every customer and tried to remember what was going on in their lives. When they returned, she was able to recall what they had mentioned, asking how their mom was, if they had found their kitten, or another personal detail. People flocked to the restaurant because they felt cared about. You can show the people in your life how much you care by remembering more details about them and what they are doing.
THE TECHNIQUE The CARE Method
The CARE Method is an easy and effective way to remember details people mention about their lives. This method demonstrates how to be an effective, world-class, gold-medal listener. Each step helps your natural memory lock on to important things the person is saying, making them easy to recall later.
This process starts with a conversation, so you’ll ask a question about the person based on what you know about them. Here are some examples:
•“What’s new in your life?”
•“What have you been doing for fun lately?”
•“What have you been up to?”
•“How was your week/weekend/day/summer?”
•“Do you have any good books/movies/music/restaurants you’d recommend?”
As they answer, you will CARE: 1) Commit, 2) Pay Attention, 3) Repeat, and 4) Envision.
HOW TO DO IT
1COMMIT. Sometimes we don’t bring our full attention to a conversation because we’re thinking about what we will say next or we’re just distracted. We may perceive the person as unimportant to us. From now on, though, the first step in any conversation is to commit to being the best listener ever. Go for the gold medal in listening!
2PAY ATTENTION. Listen not only to the words they are saying but to the emotions or thoughts behind the words. Ask yourself, “How do they feel about what they’re saying?” or “Is there anything they’re leaving out?” or another question that helps you pay attention. Let go of any des
ire to share comments or your own story. Focus completely on what the other person is saying.
3REPEAT. Remember taking notes in school, picking out a few important words or phrases and adding them to your notebook so that later you can remember the rest of what the teacher said? This is similar.
Listen for the essentials in the story and repeat them when it is appropriate. “ . . . and then my dog got sick and I had to take her to the vet.” Repeat: “Oh no, your dog got sick?” Repetition tells your mind that the information is important. It will automatically move that topic up a level of importance so you have a better chance of remembering it.
4ENVISION. Take the words or phrases from above and translate them into exaggerated pictures. Picture her dog being sick. Even if you’ve never seen the dog, you can picture one and imagine her holding it with concern—adding emotion to the mental image will also help it stick in your mind.
“Well, my son got his blue belt in karate, so we went to that last week.” Repeat and envision: “Wow, a blue belt?” Picture a blue karate belt, but remember to exaggerate: Imagine all the kids in the karate class using the brand-new blue belt as a jump rope.
With only a little practice this method will become second nature. By following the CARE steps, you will start to remember more of what people tell you. When you speak with them next, your mind will automatically recall the mental images you supplied it with so you can ask, “Last time we spoke you mentioned your dog had been sick. How is she?” or “Hey, how’s your son’s karate going?” You’ll show you care by remembering more details of people’s lives.
[ 21 ] Remember Birthdays
YOU MIGHT THINK that with social media these days it’s no longer important to remember birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates. Wrong! Knowing someone’s birthday before you’re reminded or see it posted online makes them feel special. And what happens when they either aren’t on social media or don’t include their birthday in their profile? Remembering dates will show others how important they are to you. It will also make you look brilliant!