Thursday, June 22, 2017
How to Remember Everything Without Being Hard Working
Are you overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge that you are expected to remember every day? The Digital Age can leave us feeling like we are in a constant state of information overload. We have so many things competing for our attention, that it can be hard to stay focused. Your memory is one of the first things to suffer in the communications bombardment. Luckily, there are a few strategies that you can adopt to improve your memory without having to turn into a supercomputer.
Hack your brain’s storage system by understanding the basics of memory
Our brains have an incredible capacity for storing data. If we defined the limits of our minds in technological terms, we can store about 2.5 million gigabytes of information in our heads.[1] If this is true, then why do so many of us routinely forget why we walked into a room or what we had for breakfast? We can store loads of information, but if we want to improve our memory we have to maximize our brain’s filing system.
Short-Term Memory
If you’ve ever had to recall items that you need to pick up from the store without writing them out, you’ve likely forgotten a few things on your mental list. This is because your brain routed your shopping list to your short-term memory. The short-term memory can hold seven to nine items for a period of about thirty seconds.[2]
Long-term Memory
Your brain can hang on to some memories for an extended period of time. Not all long-term memories are created equally – some last for several hours or days, and you carry others with you for a lifetime. The clarity of the memory depends on your level of alertness at the time in which your brain was encoding the event.[3]
Working Memory
If your brain stored everything you ever saw or heard with equal importance, it would have lots of information clogging its filing system. The memory that you use to process and reflect on your world is your working memory.[4] Your brain is like a giant hard-drive, and your working memory consists of the files open on your desktop. Just like the files on your computer, items in your long-term memory can change when we access them through our working memory.
4 Useful Memory Boosting Techniques to Try
As busy and productive people, we are constantly working to improve our recall and get things to move into our long-term memory so that we can easily retrieve them. Here are some excellent ways to help your brain encode information.
Give Up All-Nighters and Rely on Spaced Repetition
When we need to memorize large quantities of information before an exam or presentation, it can be tempting to review all of it in a cram session. This technique is ineffective for two reasons. If you want to remember more, you need to give your brain time to process, and since your brain doesn’t assign equal importance to all data, you won’t be effective by treating all your information the same way.
When you space out your study intervals over several days or weeks, you can commit more information to memory with fewer repetitions.[5]
You can use flashcards to take advantage of spaced repetition. Quiz yourself, and separate cards into piles related to how well you know the material. If you know the information well, you’ll need to review that card less frequently. You’ll have to look at cards with challenging concepts more often. Ultimately, you’ll spend more time reviewing challenging cards and less time on ones that you know.[6]
Understand That You Can Memorize Different Information in Concentration Mode and Diffused Mode
When we store information in concentration mode (sometimes known as focus mode), we set the stage for expanding our knowledge.[7] In concentration mode, you build a memory framework by actively working to make sense of concepts.
You can’t stay in that state of intense concentration forever, but that doesn’t mean that you have to stop learning. In diffused mode, your brain continues to take in information in a casual manner. If you are trying to figure out a novel solution to a research question, you’ll begin your work in concentration mode, but you’ll likely come up with your answer in diffused mode.
For example, when you begin to study a foreign langue, you’ll have to spend time learning the grammatical structures and vocabulary in concentration mode. You may repeat phrases out loud or rewrite sentences and constructions until you have developed a framework for your understanding.
If you are immersed in the language, you’ll continue to take in information and build connections in diffused mode. Eventually, you will not only be able to understand and reply to people using phrases you memorized, but you’ll learn how to string together new phrases.
Use the Chunking Technique to Make Concepts Meaningful
Using this technique allows you to commit many items to memory by assigning them to meaningful groups.[8] You can establish chunks of information by creating mnemonic devices such as acronyms or phrases.
It is much easier to recall the time periods in Greek history (Neolithic Period, Bronze Age, Dark Age, Archaic Period, Classical Period, Hellenistic Period) by remembering a simple phrase such as “Never Be Discouraged About Calling Home.” In this case, the first letter of each word corresponds to the first letter of a time period. Schoolchildren are commonly taught the acronym, “ROY G. BIV,” to help them remember the colors of the rainbow.
This brain hack works because you can assign meaning to things for which you may not have a strong sensory memory or emotional connection. By associating terms to the preexisting framework of your own language, you make it much easier to recall these items later.
Access Digital Mind to Enhance Your Memory Capacity
The Digital Age has inundated us with information, but it has also offered us tools for coping with this influx of data. Apps which allow you to make notes, such as Evernote can help you connect ideas and improve recall.
You may be thinking, “I could use a sticky note or an old-fashioned planner for that.” You certainly could, but in Evernote, you can add tags to your notes to help you track down the thing that you want to remember.[9] When you add multiple tags to your note, you build connections and increase the likelihood that you will be able to recover the information you want. No more misplaced sticky notes for you!
Evernote is just one example in a sea of productivity apps that can improve your memory. Flashcard apps can allow you to take the concept of spaced repetition into the digital sphere. Dropbox and cloud servers make it possible for you to capture information in one place and access it later in another location. Each time we retrieve the information, we increase the likelihood of it becoming part of our long-term memory.
You don’t need a photographic memory
It would be nice if we could look at something once and remember it, but only a small percentage of us have brains that work like that.[10] That’s no reason to despair, though. By using memory techniques and tools, you can unlock your own potential and harness your brain’s power.
Reference
| [1] | ^ | Synap: 10 Surprising Facts About Your Memory |
| [2] | ^ | Simply Psychology: Short Term Memory |
| [3] | ^ | VeryWell: What is Long-Term Memory |
| [4] | ^ | Examined Existence: Difference Between Short-Term, Long-Term, and Working Memory |
| [5] | ^ | College Info Geek: How to Remember More of What you Learn with Spaced Repetition |
| [6] | ^ | The Guardian: Spaced Repetition: A Hack to Make Your Brain Store Information |
| [7] | ^ | Examined Existence: Focused Mode Versus Diffused Mode of Thinking: Why You Need Both |
| [8] | ^ | Lifehacker: Improve Your Memory With the Chunking Technique |
| [9] | ^ | Mirasee: Using Evernote to Expand Your Brain’s Memory Capacity |
| [10] | ^ | Scientific American: Is there such a thing as a photographic memory? And, if so can it be learned? |
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Tattoos by Mentat Gamze Mentat Gamze is a tattoo artist from...
Tattoos by Mentat Gamze
Mentat Gamze is a tattoo artist from Istanbul, Turkey. He creates detailed black line images with a splash of red color. The red color is symbolic.
I was so happy to do what I like. I wanted to reflect this on my work and I honoured this change with the red dot. I like black tattooes and I didn’t want to involve colors thats why a bright red dot was the best choice to catch a contrast with a pitchblack tattoo. It also created a contradiction to burdensome times in my past and It was to symbolise hope and courage. Bored Panda
See more great tattoo art on Cross Connect Magazine.
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Posted by Lisa.
Tattoos by Mentat Gamze Mentat Gamze is a tattoo artist from... crss
Tattoos by Mentat Gamze
Mentat Gamze is a tattoo artist from Istanbul, Turkey. He creates detailed black line images with a splash of red color. The red color is symbolic.
I was so happy to do what I like. I wanted to reflect this on my work and I honoured this change with the red dot. I like black tattooes and I didn’t want to involve colors thats why a bright red dot was the best choice to catch a contrast with a pitchblack tattoo. It also created a contradiction to burdensome times in my past and It was to symbolise hope and courage. Bored Panda
See more great tattoo art on Cross Connect Magazine.
Find hope and courage in art - follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Posted by Lisa.
crssReading 200 Books a Year Is Possible If You Master These Two Skills
Some of the most influential people in the world have said that reading is the key to knowledge, expanding your mind and understanding and gaining true success. But as an average Joe, how many books can we conceivably read? You might get through a few books a year if your attention span lasts that long, or more if you’re really an avid reader.
But what if I told you that it’s possible to read 200 books a year? And in doing so opening your mind and creating a better path to success?
Why Do We Find it So Hard to Read Quickly?
So now you’re probably thinking 200 books a year is a ridiculous feat and in no way, shape or form do you have that kind of time!
According to the maths, it will take 417 hours to read 200 books when reading at 400 wpm [1]. If you think you don’t have 417 hours to spare then consider that the average person spends 2250 hours a year watching TV and checking social media combined. So when you think of it like that, you realize a bit of prioritizing can make it possible.
But reading at 400 wpm is a considerable speed and many of us aren’t used to reading at that kind of pace. When it comes to reading for pleasure, taking your time can be relaxing but if you’re wanting to read for self-growth and expanding your mind, the more books the better.
So why do we find it hard to speed read? The answer is most likely because we unconsciously use vocalisation while we read which will slow down our speed to about 200 wpm. And our fear of missing out makes us read everything which doesn’t benefit us much actually.
Stop Vocalisation: Just Read with Your Eyes
Why do we vocalize? When we learn to read we are taught to read out loud and this habit stays with us although we internalize the narration instead. In other words, we imagine speaking the words.
This means our talking speed is also our reading speed so how can we stop this habit?
It’s all about understanding that the words aren’t important but rather the ideas, concepts and information behind them. We do actually do this for a number of words, for example when we see the date 1981 we may not vocalize the words nineteen-eighty-one in our head but by just looking at the year we understand its concept.
There are several ways to minimise vocalization:
- Force Yourself to Read Faster. When you speed up your reading you naturally take in the concepts behind the words rather than thinking about every word. With a bit of practice your brain can eliminate the need to vocalize the words and you gradually get better at it.
- Guide Your Eyes With Your Fingers. It seems like a child-like thing to do but guiding your eyes through each sentence with your fingers is a good speed-reading technique. It minimizes vocalization and allows you to focus on groups of words rather than individual ones. It stops you from fixating and naturally speeds you up.
- Listen to Music. This only works if you listen to neutral music that doesn’t elicit memories or has a strong beat. Listening to music while you read helps you concentrate and eliminates the habit of vocalization.
Overcome the Fear of Missing out and You’ll Gain More
Another habit that slows down our reading is the concept of missing out. Our brain tends to believe that if we don’t read every word then we may miss out on understanding an important part of the chapter or story. However, this is rarely the case.
The importance is more in understanding the concept and we can do this without absorbing every word and sentence. Of course, this mainly applies to a book where we’re obtaining information.
- Get Over the Fear. It really is about getting over the fear that not taking in every word is going to hinder your understanding. Let go of this need.
- It’s About Getting The Main Concept. If you believe you’ve understood the main concept without reading every word or every chapter then you probably have. Trust yourself more and remember that you can always go back later on.
Speeding up our reading doesn’t have to mean cutting down on the quality of our reading. Understanding these two key skills will help you towards reading much quicker and therefore exposing yourself to more information. Reading 200 books a year is possible so why not try it out and challenge yourself? Try these techniques and get speed reading.
Reference
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90% of People Chase for What Others Want, but Not What They Really Want
What do you think the main purposes in life are? Some people would say that the main goal is to have a happy family, while others may say a successful career. Some people may prioritize traveling and seeing the world, while others want to spend as much time as possible with their friends.
In reality the main purposes are different for everyone, but sadly lots of people are heavily influenced by other people. This can mean that they have the wrong purpose for their life as instead of following something that they feel passionately about, they are following something someone else feels passionately about.
One of the main problems with this is that most people who are easily influenced don’t realize how easily they can be influenced! They think that they are following their own goals, and they don’t realize that they are actually prioritizing the approval of others above their own dreams.
Ask yourself these questions; do you think that your purpose in life is great? Do you think you would still do it if others disapproved?
Our Purpose of Life Is Often Subtly Influenced by People Around Us
Do you ever find that you are agreeing with people, even though in your head you don’t actually agree with what they are saying? This can indicate that you value the opinions of others over your own opinions.
When this happens you are not expressing your personality; you are shoving it down and trying to disguise it with a new personality that isn’t really you. This is okay on a low level; humans are social creatures and so it is normal to want to get along with your peers. However it shouldn’t be affecting your life in a major way – and it definitely shouldn’t be affecting big choices such as career moves and your life purpose.
Remember that there is nothing wrong with having a different opinion to other people. Just because you disagree, it doesn’t mean that you are wrong! It may not be easy to express your feelings, but it is important if you want to live a happy and genuine life.
How to Find Your Real Purpose of Life
While others can still provide a positive influence in your life, it is important to make sure that no-one is influencing how you think completely. If you feel like you are easily influenced by others, try these tips to solve the problem.
Imagine this: All your loved ones disappear, and no one will comment on what you do. Will you still go for what you’re doing now?
Imagine a world where you can do exactly what you want without jugdgment. Your family and friends won’t comment on your choices, and you will never know if they approve or disapprove of your decisions. Would you still be living the life that you are living right now? What you still be making the same decisions, or would you be a totally different person?
If you imagine a totally different life, start making moves to change your current life. It may seem scary, but try and be grateful that you realized at an age when you can still change your life.
Communicate with yourself more. You shouldn’t just seek advice
Try to be very aware of your feelings so that you are less likely to just agree with other people. Think about what you care about and what bothers you, and make sure that you can articulate your feelings so that you know what to say if the subject comes up.
Practise saying “no” every day
Lots of people who are easily influenced struggle to say no, as they perceive that the other person will be upset or offended. In reality you should avoid people who get offended by your differing opinion, as it means that they don’t really like you for who you are – they just want you to act like a reflection of themselves, which is cruel and narcissistic.
Practise saying no in the mirror every day, as this will help to build up your confidence and it will make it easier for you to stand your ground in the future.
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The Lost Art of Serious Relationships: It's Too Easy to Meet New People in Today's World
Let’s face it, the dating world today isn’t what it used to be. With all of the social networking and online dating sites out there, finding a partner has become too easy. So instead of taking the time to really get to know somebody, everyone is too busy expecting the next, better option to come along. It’s part of the instant gratification culture – put in little to no effort and the perfect partner will just fall into your lap.
Dating apps give us the illusion of choice.
You probably have more access to dating websites and apps than social networking sites. In fact, the last relationship advice you received was probably to open an account with an online dating site. When you wake up in the morning, you check your calendar, check your messages, and check your dating account.
This easy access to potential romantic partners is a problem. Why? Because it gives you the illusion of choice. How many potential dating matches do you see in a day, or even in an hour? Hundreds! And how easy is it to swipe right on by their picture and keep looking for another, better option?
Finding a significant other is not supposed to be easy.
Too many times I hear people criticize potential romantic partners that they’ve found on a dating app. “He has no motivation.” “I don’t like her personality.” “He seems too immature.” You can’t decide these things about somebody you have never met.
Take this relationship advice: you will never find someone who is a 100% match for you. That person doesn’t exist and finding them is not what falling in love and having a long-term relationship is about. It’s about finding somebody who is not exactly like you, loving them anyway, and learning to grow with them. Finding a life partner is not supposed to be a simple task; it takes effort and dedication.
You cannot just be yourself.
Being confident in who you are and what you want in life is a good thing. Deciding that everything about you is enough for a relationship and that you don’t need to change for everything to go well is not a good thing. The worst relationship advice you could ever listen to is to “just be yourself”.
It’s true to a certain degree that you should just be who you are with no dishonesty and pretending. Too often, however, people think this relationship advice means they never have to change and that simply isn’t true.
It takes compromise.
Long term relationships are all about change. You can’t expect to be with somebody for the rest of your life and that neither one of you will ever change. Each person in a relationship has to put in some effort. Effort to get to know each other, effort to understand each other’s likes and dislikes, and effort to make compromises.
Unwillingness to compromise means you won’t find a lifelong partner. If you want to share your life with another person, you have to be ready and willing to accept change. Making a lifelong commitment to another person isn’t about giving up when things seem difficult or when you have to change something about yourself. It isn’t taking a chance on the next best person to come across your computer or phone screen, either.
You don’t have to lower your standards.
Accepting this relationship advice doesn’t mean you have to lower your standards. It just means you have to be open to making changes in life and adapting to the wants and needs of another person. Because in a relationship, it’s about the happiness of two people.
Compromise, change, and adaptation means giving up that weekend spa getaway to go see the movie they’re really excited about. It means picking up the shoes they forgot to put away for the millionth time because they’re really exhausted from work. It means staying in for the night when your partner is sick.
You do these things because you are concerned for the happiness, well-being, and growth of your partner. And they do the same for you.
Don’t be tricked by the seemingly endless supply of available partners. Finding and keeping a serious relationship isn’t as easy as scrolling through a list of pictures. It takes much more effort than that.
Featured photo credit: Burst via pexels.com
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How to Win More by Giving up for the Right Reason
One of the core practices in Buddhism is non attachment. Buddhists believe that forming emotional attachments to things, will inevitably lead to suffering. Whilst this notion has been taken to extremes, with people not forming attachments to anything, abandoning all possessions and forsaking friendship. I believe that non attachment can be beneficial in certain ways, especially when it is applied to our ideas and goals.
It is perfectly natural to cling to our ideas. To want to work day and night to see them through. This is commendable. However, it could be said, that in some contexts, the idea of never giving up on something, no matter the costs, is well…inefficient.[1]
Instead of seeing it as giving up, see it as retreating.
What is Steve Jobs famous for?
I’d bet almost all of you answered “The founder and late CEO of Apple”. I’d again bet that none of you said, the founder of NeXt.[2] This was a company similar to apple that Jobs Founded during the few years he left Apple.
The reason for this is that the company was ultimately a failure, and was later brought up by Apple once Steve Jobs returned to the company. Though Jobs spent time, energy (and $7 million) on the company, he gave it up as it was not a success. He didn’t spend years after, losing his money and the rest of his credibility on NeXt as it sank, and Apple rose in strength and influence.
Walt Disney once founded Laugh-O-Gram, an animation studio he hoped would be the launching ground for his ideas.[3] Laugh-O-Gram soon went bankrupt and crashed, undeterred, he founded another studio. Walt Disney Studios. You’ve probably seen some of their work.
What these stories teach us, is that, ultimately not all ideas are created equally. NeXt wasn’t the next Apple, and Jobs came to know this. For whatever reason Laugh-O-Gram, didn’t have that magic X factor that Walt Disney Studios came to have, and again, Walt Disney came to know this.
Of course, it’s good to be passionate about our ideas, but that passion can leave us blind to real faults. If we take a step back at our ideas and look at them objectively, we may see things that should be changed or perhaps the idea could be abandoned entirely in favor of a better one to come along.
Ultimately, if instead of seeing our ideas as things to fight for whatever the cost, but investments of time, effort, and money. We may come to see our ideas and projects differently.
In military history, there are countless stories of armies retreating from battles in order to win more important, larger battles. There are also stories (think Napoleon’s catastrophic invasion of Russia) of armies heading into battles or campaigns which ended in disaster (Napoleon never recovered from the loss). Its the same thing.
It’s difficult to let go because we fear that we waste the effort we’ve spent.
We like to think that our value of things such as projects or goals comes from our wish to see them through, or perhaps a prediction of their later worth. However our ultimate attachment actually comes from a complex web of emotional attachments created not by our views of its worth, but the time and effort already put into it.
In many ways, one of the most powerful aspects of our attachment to things is based on fear of our loss of that thing, as much as our liking or enjoyment of it. This false attachment based on loss is the sunk cost fallacy.[4]
How many times have you heard of a gambler putting everything they have into a bet, for that gamble to work out and they win big and are forever successful…Maybe that has only happened a few times. There are countless stories of gamblers putting everything into a bet, ending in them losing everything. Or if they win with the first bet, they lose it all in the second. Once again, the gambler’s commitment to win whatever the cost, is the sunk cost fallacy in point of fact.
It’s the same thing. If you put a significant amount of money into something, only for it to end in failure, that money is gone forever. That loss is greater still when you see time and effort spend on something as currency too.
Who else is supportive?
When you consider the sunk cost fallacy, its easy to see why you might be biased, why your thinking is too subjectively bent towards an idea. In this way, getting the thoughts of others can be a better idea. There is no point asking friends, because as friends they are almost honor bound to tell you its a good idea and act supportive. But ask yourself how many people are clearly and visibly supportive and enthusiastic about your project or goal.
If there are many people, then, well you may be onto a winner. But if there are few, or even nobody, then ask yourself why that is, you might think its because they don’t care. But this isn’t the case. The biggest reason they may not be super supportive as they don’t want to see you fail and are trying to hint that what you are working on, may not be worth your time.
Letting go of what doesn’t serve you returns to you your best feature, your unique selling point.
When you put all your effort into something, there is always a risk of losing your most important feature. You risk losing that one thing that is the secret behind all your successes. If you quit something and that thing is truly returned to you and is ready to work for you again.
But what is it?
Well, the secret behind all your successes is yourself. If you put everything in an ultimately bad idea then you aren’t working with your best, but are working with the sunk cost fallacy. By quitting and working on something else, you gain all your passion and ability back.
It is difficult to consider quitting. I know that this is hard to hear. Again, only you should take the leap in giving up on something. If you are truly passionate about something, and others support you and think it a good idea. If you are happiest thinking about it and enjoy working on it, then fight for it with all its worth. If no part of you accepts this article and thinks I’m right in any way, then please, don’t pay attention to me.
I don’t know you, I don’t know your goals or ambitions. If I knew what you were working on its possible I’d think it a great idea.
But if somewhere this article connects, and deep down quitting seems like a good idea. Then maybe it is. Sometimes, giving up on one thing can lead to success in another.
Featured photo credit: Stocksnap via stocksnap.io
Reference
| [1] | ^ | 99U: The Merits of Giving Up on Your Ideas |
| [2] | ^ | Web Archive: Apple Computer, Inc. Finalizes Acquisition of NeXT Software Inc. |
| [3] | ^ | Wanderlust Worker: 12 Famous People Who Failed Before Succeeding |
| [4] | ^ | You Are Not Smart: The Sunk Cost Fallacy))
For example: have you ever played a video game for a while, rebooted it up one day only to discover that the save file has been corrupted. Our frustration here doesn’t come from our the way it’ll take much longer to see how the game’s story progresses, or even the fact that we have to re-play it again, instead our frustration comes from the time we have spent on the game to amount to nothing. The pain and frustration we feel when we lose out, is the same reason why Buddhists avoid forming attachments at all, as they feel this suffering is inevitable. But this isn’t necessarily the case. When the sunk cost fallacy is applied to our goals and projects, its easy to see how we can become attached to things that deep down we know might not work. Again, we don’t stick with them because we know their worth, we stick with them as we can’t bear to see the loss of it, or specifically we can’t bear to see the time spent on it amount to nothing. In the end, only you will know if or when to give up on something, but here is a short list of things to think about when in consideration.How excited are you about it?It could be a good idea to deeply examine how exactly you feel about your idea, project, or even current job that you may give up on. Does thinking about it stress you out? When you talk about it does you mood deflate and you try to change the subject, speaking enthusiastically about other things? If its causing you stress and unhappiness, then perhaps its a good idea to truly consider how much it is worth to you. No idea is worth you health and happiness. Plus, if you decide to stick with it, this unhappiness is only going to grow and expand, as deep down you know the thing you are spending your time on isn’t right for you “What if?”By now you’re probably thinking or saying those immortal words. “What if this idea proves to be a great success” “What if I am losing out massively?” We can never be sure of the answer to these questions, that’s why they are so powerful. But one thing we can be sure about, is that it is impossible to know the future. “What if my book idea is the next bestseller?” “What if its the next Harry Potter?” Consider how truly realistic this is. There are many successful and published writers who only earn a decent living from their books. Every failed book ever written was written by someone who fought hard for it and didn’t give up on it. What if they spent that time on a better book? What if that better book was successful? They never found this out as they spent all their time and effort on a bad idea. Can quitting leave you financially better off?This is best explained with a gambling metaphor.((Oprah: Know When to Fold ‘Em |
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