Most of us wish for a better memory at one point or another; how many times have you lost your car keys or forgotten where you put your favorite sweater? The good news is, there are three simple steps you can execute to ensure a better memory for years to come.

1) Associate. There are several techniques that can be used to associate something you need to remember with something you already know: first letter cueing, acronyms, acrostics, popular sayings etc. This is known as mnemonics, named after Mnemosyne, the Greek goddess of memory. An example of a mnemonic is the use of the acronym HOMES to remember the Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. An example of an acrostic would be EGBDF-Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge. This represents the notes on the lines of the treble clef.

2) Visualize. Visualizing is the ability to see a picture in the mind’s eye, and to see it quite clearly, with color, shape and form. Visualization is important in using the various mnemonic skills, so it is something that should be practiced often. You can practice by visualizing something different every day. Make a list of simple things, like a can of soup, a puppy, a cherry pie, etc. It really doesn’t matter what the item is, as long as you try to make them as real and vivid in your mind as you can. Visualizing will help you to become a better observer; which in turn will help you pay attention.

3) Pay attention. This is probably the most important thing you can do to improve your memory. Paying attention involves deciding which things are worth remembering and which can be discarded and forgotten. Lack of attention is also a major reason most people forget a name when first introduced – they are so busy looking at the other person, making initial judgments and thinking of something to say, they never really hear the name at all. For most people, paying attention is a conscious effort, not a reflex. You will have to work at it in the same way you can learn to improve anything else.

Are you starting to see how these three steps all work together to help improve your memory? It will take some time and effort to perfect these techniques. Practice every day and come up with some of your own acronyms and sayings for things you need to remember.