How to improve your memory in 10 days

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Ever feel like you’ve got so many things to juggle, all at the same time…that your brain is becoming completely overloaded? Or do you find yourself struggling to remember where you left your keys while people’s names fly out of your mind in seconds? What you need is some brain training, says memory expert Jim Kwik.

DAY 1: Learn Faster

Put the acronym FASTER into action. It stands for...

?Forget: The key to learning is to remove the things that are distracting you.

So forget what you already know, what’s not urgent and what you see as your limitations.

?Active: Learning is not a ­spectator sport – try to be more active in your learning.

Find a learning buddy and keep each other on your toes.

Or before you start a learning session, take a moment to recap what you learned last time.

?State: Your state of being is influenced by your thoughts and your body.

So try changing your posture or the depth of your breathing. And make a conscious decision to be joyful or curious.

?Teach: If you want to deepen your learning, approach it with the intention of teaching what you learn to someone else.

?Enter: If it’s not on your calendar, there’s a good chance it’s not getting done. So enter a block of time each day to invest in brain training, even if that’s only 10 minutes.

?Review: You will retain ­information better if you go over what you’ve learned. So get in the habit of doing a quick review at the end of each learning session.

DAY 2: Kill Your Ants

Identify the voices in your head that focus on what you can’t do – those automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) – and start talking back to them. When you find yourself thinking, “I always mess up this sort of thing”, counter it with, “Just because I haven’t always been good at this in the past doesn’t mean I can’t be great at it now”.

DAY 3: Question Your Questions

Reflect on the power of dominant questions – those negative things you ask yourself subconsciously each day. Identify the questions and think about how you can change them to change your behaviour. So instead of asking yourself, “Why can I never do this?”, make the question more positive and empowering. For example, “How can I use this information?” or “How can I make this better?”.

DAY 4: What Is Your Dream?

Take a moment to write down the disadvantages of not training your brain. For example: “I will continue to doubt myself.” Next, write down the advantages you will have when your brain is trained, such as, “I’ll be able to learn with confidence” or “I’ll get a great job”. See it, feel it, believe in it and then work for it. Visualise that celebratory champagne moment.

Also read: Exercises to do in every decade of your life

DAY 5: Consider Your Purpose

What is your purpose? What do you want to share with the world? This is what should motivate you. Remember who’s counting on you to be limitless in your thinking. It could be your family, friends or colleagues. And think about how your brain training will improve their lives. Now you’ve found your purpose.

DAY 6: Start A Healthy Habit

Create a healthy habit that will lead you to success. It could be something like exercising every day or quitting snacking. And break it down into small, simple steps. Remember, if you’re persistent you can achieve it. And if you’re consistent you can keep it.

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