Forgetting is something that happens to everyone, and it’s frustrating when we can’t remember important information. Whether it’s a new person’s name or a due date for a project, forgetting can make us feel incompetent and unprofessional. But the good news is that there are memorization tricks that can help us remember things that matter. In this article, we’ll discuss 15 memorization tricks that work.

Before diving into the tricks, it’s helpful to understand why we forget. In 1885, Hermann Ebbinghaus put forth the theory of the “Forgetting Curve,” which shows that after a day of memorizing something, we remember about 30% of it. This is because when we initially learn something, our mind transfers it into the short-term memory chamber. Our brain doesn’t know what’s important and what can be discarded, so it waits for a signal to recognize important information and move it into the long-term memory chamber. Repetition is one signal that can change the shape of the forgetting curve.

Now, let’s look at the memorization tricks that work:

1. Say it 3 times: Make a habit of saying something three times as soon as you hear it. This will help you retain that information longer in your brain.

2. Link it to an established long-term memory: If you already have something in your long-term memory that you can link your new piece of information to, it’ll help you remember better. For instance, people set their 4-digit pin codes for their birthdates (or their spouse’s) all the time.

3. Type away: Use technology to your advantage by typing notes on your phone that you’d revisit before sleeping. A lot of times, the act of typing the notes will help you retain that memory.

4. Spaced repetition: Revise a piece of information after a certain amount of time to help your mind remember it better. Revisit an important memorization task 24-36 hours after learning it, and you should see 90% retention rates.

5. Grasp the concept: Memorize the concept, not just the words. This is particularly useful when trying to understand the mechanics of a company or business.

6. Interleaved practice: If you mix up what you’re trying to memorize, you’ll see better results. Try learning two different things at once, which is called interleaved practice.

7. Use storytelling: Create a story in your head that would help you remember what you want to memorize. Stories captivate us like nothing else and can help us remember important details.

8. Record your audio: Audio record yourself on the phone and listen to it on repeat. This is especially useful for auditory learners.

9. Create parts: Break numbers or other pieces of information into parts. For instance, breaking a long number into three parts like 583-957-304 is easier to remember.

10. Draw it out: Use drawings or diagrams to help you remember things. Visual representations can often help cement things into our minds.

11. Use an acronym: Create an acronym for the information you want to memorize. It’s easier to remember a short acronym than a long phrase.

12. Rhyme it: Use rhyming words to help you remember information. For instance, if you want to remember a shopping list, you could rhyme the items with a phrase.

13. Chunk it: Break down information into smaller chunks to make it easier to remember. For instance, instead of memorizing a large list of items, break them down into categories.

14. Use colors: Highlight or color-code important information to help your brain recognize what’s important.

15. Connect it to emotions: If something has a strong emotional connection, we’re more likely to remember it. Connect the information you want to remember to a strong emotion or memory.

In conclusion, forgetting is a common problem, but there are memorization tricks that can help us remember important information. By carefully choosing the techniques that work best for us, we can improve our ability to retain and remember details. Whether we’re remembering names, due dates, requirements or locations, these memorization tricks can help us overcome the struggle that is real.