Write is Not Cheating

Geniuses do it, star students do it and the most effective business executives can be almost obsessive about it. Even in the age of computers, old-fashioned note-taking is just as useful as ever.

Jotting things down in a notepad may seem counter- productive if you are trying to boost your memory, but it’s actually complementary to it. The chances are that you already take notes, just not in any organised or systematic way. For this reason, many of us find writing a useful technique in itself. Equally, there are many types of information which you might need to retrieve in the future, but are not so vital to everyday life that you would want to spend the time and effort memorising them.

Here’s an idea for you…

Keep a notepad with you at all times; you never know when you might need to jot down important information. A small pad that fits easily into a pocket is best. Most of the time, for most people, paper is still better than electronic organisers, as it’s quicker to use, and you don’t need to be so worried about it being stolen. Important long-term notes can then be transferred to a digital storage medium later.

Writing up your notes a day or week later will give you a vital review of the information, helping to consolidate it into your long-term memory. At this point you can choose whether to physically write them up using pen and paper, or whether to transfer them onto a computer.

“The palest ink is better than the best memory”

Chinese proverb

By making notes of things to follow up in future, we free up a lot of mental space, allowing us to concentrate better. Similarly, taking notes can be essential in writing to-do lists. Students, in particular, need to take notes in lectures and classes. Even if they have well-trained memories, most will not want or be able to memorise things fast. After your classes, use the left margin to jot down the information in quick form, using key words. Then use the bottom margin to summarise the whole page in a couple of sentences.

By taking notes you don’t lose information, or end up working on things only to realise you’ve repeated something you’ve already worked on. It makes you smarter, and more efficient.

Make a Mental Memory Vault for Passwords

Here’s how to do it in the most secure way; use this technique and within thirty minutes you’ll have memorised all your computer passwords.

You’ll also have tightened up their security, making it less likely that a hacker or identity fraudster could gain access to your accounts.

In order to memorise your passwords we’re going to use the technique of remembering a list of eleven items. There are two version of this

•     The sound systems (which uses images of things which sound like each number)
•     The appearance system (which uses images of things look like each number)

Here’s an idea for you…

There are two golden rules when choosing passwords:-

1. Make them unconnected to you (don’t use your pet’s name or mother’s maiden name). Most hackers are successful simply through assuming your password is something personally related to you. Most people only use something personal to them in order to make it easier to remember, but by using the techniques here that won’t apply to you.
2. Don’t make them just letters, add in at least one number. This adds complexity, making your password harder to hack. To make this memorable, use the same number as its position in your list of eleven. For example, if your password was ‘randomword’, and  it was the third in your list, you would make the third in your list, you would make it ‘randoworld03’

“The big lie of computer security is that security is that security improves by imposing complex passwords on users. In real life, people write down anything they can’t remember”

Jakob Nielsen, computer security expert

Once you’ve worked out your list, take a break for ten minutes and then test yourself. Then take another break for an hour and test yourself again. This will give you an excellent shot at getting those passwords into your long-term memory.