5 Tips to Sharpen Your Memory

Sharpen Your Memory

Want to improve your memory? Learn from Ron White, a two-time U.S. Memory Champion who has trained business professionals on how to improve their mental capacity, leading them to higher income.

Spend just 10 minutes a day for 30 days training your mind to access and retrieve information just like your computer. Here are five tips to get you started:

1. Sleep is critical for your memory. When I competed in the World Memory Championships in 2009, I was incredibly sleep-deprived. The event was in London and I was fighting jet lag in a serious way. I can memorize a deck of cards in about one minute and 30 seconds fairly routinely. However, at the event that measured how many cards you can recall in an hour, I didn’t get a single pack. I was so tired. I got very little sleep and made a series of mistakes that cost me any decent score at all. Sleep, sleep and sleep!

2. Good nutrition and exercise are keys to a top-performing memory. There are specific foods that will help your memory, such as spinach and blueberries because of their antioxidants. Omega-3 fish oil pills are also helpful.

3. Trust your memory. One of the best tips I received from World Memory Champion Ben Pridmore was to trust my memory. I would tell him that I could memorize a deck of cards in about two minutes and I wanted to get faster. His advice to me was to trust my memory more. He said, “Go faster and just trust that your memory will remember it.”

4. Stop negative self-talk. I hear so many people say, “I am terrible with names,” “I am a bad test taker,” “My memory is terrible.” Stop that! What you tell yourself about your memory will make a difference. Instead say, “I find it easy to remember names and faces,” “I have a good memory,” “I am a good test taker.” Yes, I know, it sounds as corny as all get out—but it works. Are you more concerned about sounding corny or getting results?

5. Learn the memory method of loci, also known as the journey method. My memory system Memory in a Month, available at the SUCCESS Store, explains this in a very straightforward way. [You can also try memory expert Jim Kwik’s method to add some muscle to your mind.]

My goal, with these memory training tips, is for you to see dramatic improvement in your memory power and, in turn, I know it will impact your self-confidence and every area of your life.

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Jessica Krampe is the digital managing editor for SUCCESS.com. A graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism, Jessica has worked for news, entertainment, business and lifestyle publications. Outside of the daily grind, she enjoys happy hours, live music and traveling.

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