We all can benefit from an increased memory and be able to learn faster. According to the acclaimed Brain Coach Jim Kwik, there are ten steps to improve your memory. These steps, or memory hacks, help you in many ways from giving better speeches to increasing your general recall. They are based on an Ancient Greek technique utilizing “place holding” visualization of where things are located. Like when we say in the first place and in the second place.

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How It Works

Kwik highlights that information combined with emotion leads to long-term memory. By using stories to increase mental fitness helps to increase our creativity, focus, and imagination. In order to illustrate how this works, Jim’s video on the London Real Show highlights the ten steps to improve your memory in the list below. But in order to memorize and internalize the list, it is helpful to make up a story that is easy for you to remember using the phrases on the list to form a word association. The video gives an example.

The Ten Steps to Improve Your Memory

1. Eat good brain food – Your brain needs the right fuel to function optimally, for example, blueberries, avocados, walnuts, turmeric. What is good for your mood is usually good for your mind.

2. Kill automatic negative thoughts (ANTS) – Replace them with positive thoughts, and use your imagination for a positive outcome

3. Exercise – The body needs to move and to be active to increase circulation

4. Brain nutrition – The brain needs vitamins and nutrients like B12, DHA, Gingko Biloba, Omega 3

5. Positive peer group – You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with; be mindful of your company; who you spend time with is who you become

6. Clean environment – Your brain likes clean space for clarity and calm

7. Sleep – Deep sleep helps to: consolidate short and long term memory, to clean out brain plaque, and encourage the dream state which is the key to creativity

8. Brain protection – Prevention from injuries and electromagnetic fields (e.g., keep your phone away from your head)

9. New learnings – Creating new brain cells neurogenesis and new connections neuroplasticity keep your brain young and supple. Learning new things include dancing – one of the best things to improve your memory.

10. Stress management – being able to reduce stress relieves your brain; do things you enjoy that are healthy for your body and brain like taking walks, deep breathing, reading a fun book, playing with your children or pets.

Summary

By taking the time to rate how well we are doing in each of these steps we can be more likely to evaluate progress. Start slowly with one step at a time and incrementally increase until all ten steps come naturally to you.

“First you create your habits, then your habits create you.”

-Jim Kwik

Which of these tips do you identify with the most? Are there any tips you would add to the list. Please share in the comments. For more Mindset tips, check out the 7 Entrepreneur Mindset Traps and Tips How to Avoid Them – Super Charge Your Self Talk Roadmap.