SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE MEMORY SKILLS

by Terry L. Sumerlin

When a friend sat down for his haircut, I asked if he wanted the top as short as usual. He said that he did, and then asked if I remembered the way all of my customers want their haircut.

"I try to remember," I replied. "Just don't ask me what I had for breakfast."

"That's okay," he said. "You don't make your living by remembering what you had for breakfast."

Long ago, J.B. taught me that almost every customer has one or two things that are especially important to him about his haircut. "If you remember those things," he said, "he's usually happy with his haircut and will keep coming to you."

As I said, J.B. taught me that. Life has taught me a corollary principle that was confirmed by my customer: We have a better chance of remembering something if it's important to us.

Because we need to remember things that are important, we can decrease the possibility of forgetting if we have a plan -- some techniques. Here are some that have worked for me:

Develop an I-have-a-good-memory attitude. Aside from any medical causes to the contrary, we do have good memories. We come equipped with them. Then we foul them up with negative attitudes or by not paying attention. A German proverb says, "A poor memory has its roots in poor attention."

As an illustration of the preceding observations, consider how long most of us remember the slightest injustices. It's important to us as to how others treat us. Because it's important, we pay attention to every interaction. Generally, if we forget mistreatment, it's not because we tell ourselves we won't remember. It's the result of deliberate effort. Oh yes, we have amazing memories when we want to use them.

Sometimes it helps overall retention if we have selective memory. Unless there is some specific purpose for remembering what we had for breakfast, we need to free our minds for remembering more important things. Trivia, unless one plans to go on a game show, need not be remembered and should not cause concern when we forget. By not burdening our minds with such, we tend to remember important things better and many trivial things without the effort.

For those important things we need to remember, as we said, we must pay attention. Then, use imagination and creativity. If it's a name that's involved, be sure you heard it correctly. Repeat it in the conversation. Then associate it with a picture. If the person's name is Carpenter, see him/her building a house. Pictures stay with us longer than words.

If we have an important appointment or commitment, one way to remember it (in the absence of a PDA) is by placing one's watch on the opposite wrist. Or by placing the car keys in a different pocket or compartment of the purse from where they are normally kept. Anything out of the ordinary will jog the memory.

One additional memory technique we need to consider is to use pen and paper. Anxious minds forget! Don't try to remember too many lists for too long. For many years I kept a 3x5 card with me at all times, just for such lists. Now I use a PDA for such lists. It clears the mind to work on and remember more important matters.

BARBER-OSOPHY: The best skills won't work if we won't.

© 2004 American City Business Journals Inc.