Do you wish your memory was better? Do you have trouble remembering details, such as people’s names, appointments, or steps in a work process?

It’s a good thing you tuned in to this post because today I’ll explain how stories can be used as a powerful way to improve your memory.

Why does the “story method” work?

Because it’s easy, it’s fun, and it gives you permission to be outrageous!

A story linked to something we want to remember engages our auditory system, our visual system AND our kinesthetic system (especially if it’s funny, ridiculous, or bizarre).

In fact, the more outrageous, funny, and bizarre you make the story about the things you want to remember, or the circumstances around those things, the easier they will be to remember!

So, why not give it a try next time you have something important to remember.

List the facts and link them together in a wild and crazy story that engages your senses.

Here’s a fantastic example from MindTools.com (link: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTIM_01.htm) to remember this list of counties in the South of England: Avon, Dorset, Somerset, Cornwall, Wiltshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, and Surrey….Do we have permission to use this? – won’t the link send them off to a competitor website

An AVON lady is walking up a path towards a strange house. She is hot and sweating slightly in the heat of high SUMMER (Somerset). Beside the path someone has planted giant CORN in a WALL (Cornwall), but it’s beginning to WILT (Wiltshire) in the heat. She knocks on the DOoR (Dorset), which is opened by the DEVil (Devon).

In the background she can see a kitchen in which a servant is smearing honey on a HAM (Hampshire), making it GLOSsy (Gloucestershire) and gleam in bright sunlight streaming in through a window. Panicked by seeing the Devil, the Avon lady screams ‘SoRRY’ (Surrey), and dashes back down the path.

I am not sure this story is a good example does it come from Mind Tools?

That’ll stick with you, right?  What are some of YOUR favourite memory techniques?

For more information on how learning NLP can dramatically improve your life, professional pursuits, and relationships, read our groundbreaking FREE ebook, “A Resourceful Life: How NLP Can Improve Your Seven Life Streams“.

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Roger Terry

Director of Training and Coaching at Evolution Training Ltd
Roger Terry is one of the world’s leading experts on applying NLP to drive excellence both professionally and personally. Roger leads seminars and consults with companies all over the world, including in the UK, USA, Europe and Middle East. He is the author of several books, including The Hidden Art of Interviewing, NLP and Qualitative Research, NLP for Teachers and The NLP Toolkit.