by Brad Zupp
Add details, then pretend to call the White House on your phone’s keypad to solidify the movie in your mind.
[ 70 ] Keep Track of What You’ve Assigned and When It’s Due
AN OUTSTANDING TEAM is essential for success in business. Managing a team well takes many skills, among them being able to keep track of who is doing what work and the deadlines associated with it. Remembering your own work plus that of others is added strain on your mind. Memory hacks can help make the process easier and less stressful.
THE TECHNIQUE The Mega Method
There are two small but powerful methods I often use independently. When they are combined, they create the Mega Method. The first method is Mind Mapping. It allows for a visual reference to how much is assigned to each person or team. A version of the Chain Method is the second way to remember what has been assigned and the associated deadlines.
Starting with the Mind Map is often enough to visualize and remember the details. When there are several deadlines or other parts, I add the Chain Method. When combined, this Mega Method makes it easy to remember what each person or team is doing.
HOW TO DO IT
MIND MAPPING
1Use a piece of paper (not a computer) to Mind Map each team member’s responsibilities. Start with the name of the person in the center of the page.
2Write the biggest or most important assignment in large letters using red ink with a thick circle around it. Add lines branching away with details like the deadlines, resources, and any other important details using different colored inks. Surround each with different shapes.
3Continue with other tasks using different-size writing, colors, and thinner lines.
4Look at the masterpiece you’ve created (don’t worry if it’s gorgeous or ugly—both are memorable), and then close your eyes. Test yourself to remember the layout, colors, lines, and shapes. Repeat until you have a mental image of the important details.
5If the situation is complex, continue to the Chain Method to remember everything.
THE CHAIN METHOD
1Start with the image of the person as your anchor.
2Convert the first item to remember (like the project name or the first assignment) into an image.
3Connect that detail to the anchor image of the person.
4Convert other details (deadlines, resources) into images and attach them to the previous image like links in a chain.
5Use a chain for each important assignment.
6Then, to remember the many assignment chains for each person, make the anchor image itself into a memorable movie. Here’s an example:
Brad has a book to write, a presentation to customize, and a student to coach. Create an anchor image of Brad doing all three things so you can follow each chain. See Brad frantically typing on his laptop held in one hand and writing on a projector screen with the other hand while blowing a whistle to motivate the student in front of him. In this way you can review what you’ve assigned to Brad by imagining his face, and the image of him working on all three tasks will pop into your mind.
7Follow each mental chain: The laptop is held by Cupid (February) who is playfully tapping Brad with two baseball bats (1,1) signifying that the book deadline is February 11. The presentation screen marches away wearing two huge boots (March 2) as Brad tries to write on it, showing the deadline for the presentation is March 2.
[ 71 ] Advanced: Project Management
THIS IS AN advanced brain hack that takes some effort. If you are involved in project management and want to excel or impress, however, you’ll find this very useful. There is a lot to be said for the ability to hold a huge amount of material in your mind—like all the details of a complex project. It gives you a grasp on the structure, the potential issues and bottlenecks, and absolutely stuns other people.
THE TECHNIQUE Per Project Memory Palaces
This technique takes about 10 to 20 minutes of upfront effort and then another 20 to 50 minutes to commit the project to memory. One of the biggest complaints from people exposed to memory hacks is, “That’s harder than just doing it ‘normally’!” If by “normally” people mean “easily forgetting, making excuses, and apologizing,” I completely agree. Yes, this memory hack takes upfront effort, but it’s easy. It’s just different. And to many people, different feels uncomfortable. But you’re reading this for a reason, so give it a try.
If you haven’t read the hack for managing others here, please do so now. You can use that slightly simpler technique for smaller projects. For larger or more complex ones, however, try this method.
HOW TO DO IT
1Create a Memory Palace for the project with enough locations to fit all the steps of the project.
2Identify the major milestones or tasks of the project, convert them to images, and connect each to a Memory Palace location.
3Add important details for each milestone or task by using the Chain Method at each location. This is great for remembering names or deadlines.
4Visualize the entire project by mentally walking the Memory Palace. “Check off” completed items by destroying the images. For example, I have mentally thrown paint all over a location and its details, covered things in mud, or knocked things over so it’s clear that items are no longer needed.
There is confidence in knowing the project. Being able to access information at any time is a huge advantage, whether you’re commuting, brushing your teeth in the morning, or taking a client to lunch. Relying more and more on your memory helps in so many ways—and impresses people so much! You owe it to yourself to make the effort.
[ 72 ] Advanced: Remember Your Entire Calendar
IMAGINE HAVING YOUR entire calendar in your mind. Think of how you’d stand out from the crowd. To be able to schedule appointments, meetings, sales calls, or any other task without consulting a phone or calendar makes you look superhuman. This is a major undertaking, but with this system, it is within your ability. Many people also use the “light” version to remember their most important meetings.
THE TECHNIQUE Person, Action, Object
To make remembering your entire calendar possible, you must have a system you know by heart. Every month has a unique, memorable image, preferably a person, and every date has an image, preferably an action or object. You imagine the month, then the date, and connect this story with the image of the activity for that time slot. It’s creating a movie in your mind: This character does this action (or uses this object) in conjunction with this activity or person. In practice, it’s very easy and effective—once you learn your system.
When everyone has access to our calendars on smart devices, many people question the need to make such an effort. But even if you don’t rely on your memory fully, making the attempt to remember your calendar helps keep your mind sharp, makes you pay attention to your schedule, and can have a profound impact on how people perceive you.
HOW TO DO IT
1Go back to the Month Memorization System hack here and do or repeat the activity. Commit what you come up with to memory.
2Create your date system using one of the number systems described in this book. The Major System works best here.
3Create your time-of-day system. I prefer Rhyme Time. Keep in mind these number images must be different from your date images to avoid confusion. Use context to remember whether your appointment is a.m. or p.m.: If you have a meeting at “3,” you will know it’s 3 p.m. instead of 3 a.m.
4Review your system several times. You should easily be able to create mental images for month, date, and time.
5Start using your system. Create the month, date, and time images, and then connect them to an image for the event. Add details and make it exaggerated.
6Use a backup system like a written or digital calendar. There will be times when you’re sleepy, under the weather, or stressed and recall may be difficult.
7Review your backup calendar at the beginning of every week (or day) to refresh your mental images.
8To delete or change a
scheduled event, picture yourself literally erasing the image on one date or time. You can also imagine it damaged in some way to remind yourself it is not happening the way you originally saw it, before you re-create it vividly on a different date and time. Here’s an example:
If your original image is Santa Claus (December) hopping (9th) into your doctor’s office (for your annual physical), but you reschedule it to the 8th (Santa’s spare reindeer is actually an octopus holding the doctor’s office building in its tentacles), change the original schedule’s images to hopping toward the doctor’s office, which has burned down. Then be sure the new image for the 8th is extra vivid.
The more you use the system, the easier it will be to naturally remember your schedule. Eventually you’ll start to be able to visualize your calendar mentally—with or without the system. In practice, I mostly use the light version of this system: I remember the current week, foregoing the month image. I turn my important events for the week into images using just date and events, as I can usually remember the times, and only focus on the upcoming week. I use the full system to remember my travel and speaking engagements for three months out.
[ 73 ] Manage Information Overload
JUST WHEN YOU think you have a handle on emails, phone calls, and deadlines, another item comes in. You can’t deal with it right then, but you must remember to take care of it later. There’s a memory hack for this that takes little time to set up and will quickly become second nature. Use it to make a mental note to deal with items that need to be addressed while you’re busy with another task. I always recommend using your memory as your primary tool for remembering, but consider also writing notes as you develop this skill or for mission-critical items.
THE TECHNIQUE Your Workplace Memory Palace
Once again, the Memory Palace comes to the rescue. You will quickly create a Memory Palace out of your workspace with three or four obvious locations. When an item crosses your mind that you can’t stop to deal with, you will convert it to an exaggerated image and connect it to one of the locations. When you have moments to pause throughout the day, you can scan your workspace Memory Palace to see what is stored in each location. The images will serve as cues to remind you what needs to be done.
HOW TO DO IT
1Look around your work area, specifically the area in front of you to your left. Notice an obvious feature there like something on the wall or in the corner. Note that an empty open area is not an effective location; there must be a specific item to which you can mentally attach information. Choose an item that you don’t use often in your workday, so don’t select your computer, monitor, or phone. That will be your primary location for your new Memory Palace.
2Choose a second location or main item to the right of the first one. Designate that location number two. Add at least one more on the right side but still in front of you. That’s location number three. Review from left to right by focusing on the item and counting them mentally: one, two, three.
3When you’re on a conference call and an email comes in that you’ll need to remember to handle later, quickly convert the subject, a detail, or the sender’s name into an image. Connect that image in a zany way to the first location of your Memory Palace. Quickly make the connection as bizarre as possible so it’s memorable. For example, you’re on a conference call and you see an email from your client named Charles. Imagine several chairs (my mental image for anyone named Charles) stacked on the plant on the edge of your desk.
4Start the habit of glancing at all three of your locations several times a day when you have a second. Ask yourself what you see there. Take action on the items. Mentally erase them when you’ve completed an item. You can imagine yourself erasing them like you would a white board, or change the image to signify its completion by cutting it in half or otherwise destroying it.
This technique’s power comes from purposefully drawing your attention to whatever you need to remember later so your natural memory can do its job (remember the first essential memory step: focus). Converting the information to an image and attaching it to the location in a creative way reinforces mental attention, plus provides an anchor to review if the memory doesn’t pop up on its own.
[ 74 ] Win More Clients and Referrals
I WAS A top-producing real estate agent in Arizona for nearly five years and saw firsthand the importance of a good memory. Remembering well was essential to impressing people and winning referrals from satisfied clients. It’s the same in any competitive business or sales environment. And let’s face it—every business and sales environment is competitive.
By committing to remembering well and using the tools in this book, you too can be more confident, better serve your clients, and win more referrals.
THE TECHNIQUE Apply the Techniques
Think of this hack as your final exam. There are many paths to being impressive in business, but memory is one of the easiest, especially with what you’ve already accomplished reading this book. Apply what you’ve learned so far to your career. Combine all the strategies and tips in this book. People will think you’re superhuman.
HOW TO DO IT
1Know the current inventory, pricing, and details. Being a walking encyclopedia of your company’s products is much more impressive than saying, “I’d be happy to look that up for you!” All it takes is a daily look at inventory, improved focus, and translating numbers into memorable images. Know the details—including pricing—of your products better than anyone else. Use the memory hacks you’ve learned to simplify a process that others may find daunting or difficult.
2Know names. Imagine meeting someone at a business mixer and then remembering their name when running into them a few days later at the store. Impressive! You can improve your face recognition and memory for names by reviewing the appropriate hacks in this book. The key is to make the effort. Like many things in life, the more we practice, the better we get.
3Review to remember. My amazing real estate trainer talked about filling out tomorrow’s to-do list before leaving the office at the end of the day. I suggest taking this one step further and reviewing what happens each day before you leave the office. Who did you meet? What did they look like and what were their names? Review each current prospect or client: Did you promise to do something for someone? Finally, what do you need to commit to memory about the day? Taking 5 to 10 minutes to review the day’s activities tells your mind not to discard them later when you’re asleep. Instead your mind will prioritize storing those details long-term.
Most businesspeople or salespeople are very similar. They have the same access to information, decent people skills, are organized, and are committed to helping people. What makes you stand out? If you improve your memory people will see you as more “with it,” smarter, and better informed than everyone else. Working with you instead of your competition will be the obvious choice.
[ 75 ] Stay Sharp at Work at Any Age
IT’S NATURAL FOR our minds and bodies to change as we age. Many people find themselves slowing down mentally and physically. But we’re also more experienced. We can use that experience to motivate ourselves to spend time on our physical and mental fitness to stay sharp as we get older.
The first step is to embrace the effort that it takes. When we’re younger, we may be more enthusiastic because we’re doing many activities for the first time. We focus better because we’re both younger and more interested in new, exciting opportunities. Break what I think of as the “aging habit” and commit to a better memory at any age.
THE TECHNIQUE Make the Effort
Let’s put on our grown-up shoes and get to work. You’re already strengthening your memory by reading this book. The first action step in the following section takes it to the next level, but even before that one of the best ways to stay sharp at work is to improve your physical fitness. If you’re willing to take care of your body, your mind will improve as well. The benefits of cardiovascular fitness are tremendous for both the body and mind. (Always c
onsult a physician for a plan that works best for you.) Get a plan and work it!
HOW TO DO IT
1Pick one section of this book and commit to learning, practicing, and using the memory hack. Master it and prove to yourself its effectiveness. Once you master it, pick another and repeat. Resist the common temptation to merely read the book and hope your mind changes by “reading osmosis.” We’re old enough to know that effort and practice is required for change. Benefit from that wisdom. The more effort you put into remembering, the better your mind will be. Keep in mind the adage “use it or lose it.” Be willing to go through the short-term discomfort of learning a new way of using your mind in exchange for the long-term success it brings.
2Identify why you are forgetful at work (which may be different from forgetfulness at home). Which of the three essential memory steps (FAR) do you struggle with most? 1) Focus on the information, 2) Arrange the material in the mind, or 3) Retrieve it when you need it? Find the appropriate solutions in this book and use them to address the problem area.
3Improve your mental focus. Revisit the 1-2-3 Method and practice this method every day.
4Don’t be afraid to use notes, your smart device, or your computer as a memory aid. At the same time, stop relying on it. Rely on your mind and use the rest as a backup.
5Ask yourself, “How am I going to remember that?” Taking one second to draw your attention to the situation with this question solves many absentmindedness issues.
6Learn a foreign language in your spare time. This is a great way to keep your mind sharp, and your work life will reap the rewards of your efforts.
Mastering Memory
Many of the techniques and methods in the book seem strange the first time they are encountered. Convert information to a picture? Link it with the plant in the corner of my desk? Come on—will doing this truly improve my memory? Yes, absolutely! But you have to practice the techniques for them to work.