Recently, I decided to try something new and I was asking the lady a few questions about it. She started to laugh nervously and said, “You know, I’ve learnt all this information so many times before and it just won’t stick. Why can’t I remember it?”
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Memory’s a wild thing and unique to us all. The way in which we retain information comes from a combination of factors such as genetics, brain structure, mental health, lifestyle, enough sleep, etc, and of course the strategies we use to remember things.​
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Being a woman of a certain age can have additional stressful moments with memory, as I’ve experienced. However, I’ve always found my ‘go to’ way of remembering comes from a place of believing I’m going to teach someone else the same subject. When you learn with the intention of teaching, you’re engaging with the material more deeply. You’re not just passively consuming data.

Sometimes it will mean chunking the material to make it easier to consume. By doing this, it can help you reveal the gaps in your knowledge whilst solidify what you’ve learned. When you have to teach someone else, you can’t just skim the surface; you need to grasp the underlying principles to explain them effectively. ​
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I also use acronyms and mnemonics. If I can make a word out of the key words about the subject, it makes it easier for me to recall the information about it.

And sometimes it’s a visual thing. They say a picture can paint a thousand words and I think it’s true. I often get asked how I remember people’s names on a workshop and it’s because I’ve repeated their names straight away and then visualized them in that place in the room.​
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And finally, the reason I chose this quote by Cesare Pavese, is because when I’m helping others to remember information I try to make it a ‘want to’ activity rather than a ‘have to’. If people enjoy the learning process, they’re much more likely to engage with the subject matter. ​
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So they’re a few of my techniques, I’d love you to share yours….​