When someone wonders if I remember such-and-such an event or so-and-so, if the answer is “no” one of my favorite responses is to smile and acknowledge that no, I don't. Then I explain that I have a brilliant memory - it's just awfully short.
The truth is, memory is the key to many things. If we don't remember things, we are hopelessly lost and are placed in a confinement of sorts. However, for anyone reading this column, there are some things you can do effective immediately that will improve your memory substantially. Douglas Hermann, Ph.D., in his book, Super Memory, points out that practice alone can improve "global" memory and substantially boost retrieval ability in certain areas of life. He says when you practice specific memory tasks, you can produce spectacular results.
Dr. Hermann says that most people who attempt to learn a long string of numbers which are read to them normally will remember about seven of the numbers correctly. However, he says that after practicing for several months, many people can remember forty, fifty, sixty or even as many as eighty numbers in a string. The only problem is that it does require some work and a commitment to the objective.
Dr. Hermann points out that most people normally can recall about a third of what they know. However, after a month of daily practicing to recall specific bits of information, they can dramatically improve, whether it's remembering a geographical location, an historical fact, or a personal event which took place many years earlier. This proves that if we do have a "poor memory," it's probably caused by an untrained or lazy memory. Work on that memory. You'll have more fun, be more effective, more productive, and happier in the process, which means I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP - with a much-improved memory!
Zig Ziglar is known as America’s Motivator. He authored 33 books and produced numerous training programs. He will be remembered as a man who lived out his faith daily.