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How to Use Advanced Learning Strategies to Learn Faster, Remember More and Be More Productive

Remember that time we talked about the differences between short-term and long-term memory? Sure, you don’t. We had to check too! And we wrote that article!

“Unlimited Memory” is written by someone who remembers not only last month’s summary, but also about 10,000 digits of π!

Here are his ways to achieve this.

Who Should Read “Unlimited Memory”? And Why?

Whether it’s because of tomorrow’s exam or because of your wife’s anniversary, memory is a tool you must sharpen at least once in a while. “Unlimited Memory” may be one of the best tools out there to do this.

Read it especially if you have problems remembering other people’s names or if you are constantly forgetting one or two items on your spouse’s shopping list.

About Kevin Horsley

Kevin Horsley is an International Grandmaster of Memory, and a two-time Memory World Record holder. He is also a professional speaker and learning assistant.

Horsley has authored four bestselling titles. You can find out more about him at: http://www.supermemory.co.za/

“Unlimited Memory Summary”

Your memory’s been failing you lately? Or – worse – ever since you can remember?

In “Unlimited Memory,” Kevin Horsley says that it’s basically your fault. For now, see it this way!

If, say, you want to become a great athlete, you start training daily. If you want to become a rich person, you start finding ways to become richer. And even if you want to find yourself a nice home, you spent years searching it or, better yet, learning to love it.

Then how is it that you expect to have a great memory – just like that?

It’s not God-given. You need to obtain it.

Start by learning how to concentrate. Yes, that means stop checking your mail on your phone while reading this summary!

How did we know you’re doing that?

Because everybody does it! Whether it’s Facebook or Twitter – distraction is a serious, serious problem of the 21^st century.

Horsley’s way to tackle it?

The PIC method.

It stands for purpose, interest and curiosity. And it means that you can’t concentrate on anything unless you have given yourself a purpose to be interested and curious about it.

Whether it’s because of your grit, your brand, or your winning strategy – purpose-driven activities are the only ones which make sense. So, don’t start learning French just for the sake of it! Start learning it because you want to read Victor Hugo as he was originally written!

That’s the only way to stop defocusing and find your element.

But, there’s still some way to go from being focused to actually remembering stuff. As always – a little creativity helps. It’s time for our next method.

The SEE method.

The SEE method makes you remember better, by actively engaging the full potential of your brain. The three letters stand for senses, exaggeration, and energize. And it’s the process by which you’ll be remembering things from now on.

Firstly, include as many of your senses as you can. Smell, sight, sound, taste – anything will do. Secondly, exaggerate in the face of logic! After all, you’re more likely to remember a giant rainbow-colored rabbit with earrings than an ordinary bunny. Finally, energize: instead of imagining him on a meadow, make the giant rabbit run a horse race!

Now, there’s an image you won’t forget anytime soon!

But, still, it’s just an image! What about a list of things or a speech? It has to be a bit more complicated than that!

Well, only a bit! You can still use your giant rabbit, but now you should place him somewhere! You see, evolution is hardwired into your brain.  And ancient men were particularly good at remembering routes. They had no choice, in fact. Use this to your benefit!

Here’s how it goes:

If you, say, have to remember a list, in your imagination, place each of the items on the list (transformed through the magic of the SEE method) in different rooms of your home. And pick them up one by one.

Horsley remembered 10,000 digits of π by using this method. Surely, you can remember the eight items your wife told you to buy this morning, right?

Key Lessons from “Unlimited Memory”

1.      Stop Multitasking and Start Focusing
2.      Use Few Simple Methods to Remember Things
3.      Repetition is the Mother of Studying

Stop Multitasking and Start Focusing

It’s likely that in some not too distant future, humans will evolve to be able to multitask. But, for now, multitasking does you no good. In fact, according to neuroscientists, multitasking both slows your brain by 50 percent and increases the chances of a mistake by at least as much.

And the culprit?

Facebook. Twitter. Instagram.

So, it’s not that you’re not remembering. You’re just not concentrated enough to first learn the things in order to remember them.

Use Few Simple Methods to Remember Things

“Unlimited Memory” is filled with many useful acronyms. How can it not be? It’s a book about memory and acronyms are great mnemonics. Here are the three most interesting ones. You should use to remember things better:

• PIC. Purpose, interest, and curiosity. In order to be interested and curious about something, first attach some purpose to it. Then, you’ll be able to remember it.
• SEE. Senses, exaggerate, energize. If you want to imprint something deep inside your brain, then remember it in 3D (include all of your senses), exaggerate its portrait, and put it into action.
• CCCC. Concentrate, create, connect, continue. This is especially good for remembering names. Create something out of It SEE-style, then connect it to a person-specific quality, and then use it continually. For example, you can easily remember this author’s name (Horsley) if you are creative with it and connect it to the author’s whitish hair (a white-maned horse fighting Bruce Lee?).

Repetition is the Mother of Studying

No need to delve into this further! Unless you’re the Rain Man, even if you’re capable of remembering everything, you’re bound to forget all of it in 2 years max unless you repeat it. After all, it’s not like you remember anything – anything – from high school!

Like this summary? We’d Like to invite you to download our free 12 min app, for more amazing summaries and audiobooks.

“Unlimited Memory” Quotes

Our Critical Review

As you would expect, “Unlimited Memory” is a book filled with practical advice. So, no theory here, and no complicated factsheets. Many of the strategies actually work: we tried most of them. And when they result in something as essential as memory boosting, you’ve got to give the author more than a credit. Highly recommended.

Emir Zecovic

Emir is the Head of Marketing at 12min. In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.