1-Sentence-Summary: Unlimited Memory explores the most effective ways to retain information and improve memory skills by teaching its readers some key aspects about the brain and explaining advanced learning strategies in an easy-to-follow manner.
Read in: 4 minutes
Favorite quote from the author:
Many of us face trouble retaining information. Whether we’re studying in school, trying to acquire a new skill, or simply expanding our knowledge, learning faster could help everyone live a better life. When we feel like we understand something, the thirst for information grows even more. Eventually, the people who have the largest knowledge base and sets of skills end up becoming the most successful.
Where am I going with this? Learning is an essential aspect of life. Without it, we can’t grow. And because we grow and mature every day, learning is a never-ending process. Therefore, knowing the secrets behind an elevated memory and finding out how to retain information more easily is a must in today’s world. For this reason, Unlimited Memory by Kevin Horsley delves into some of the most efficient tips and tricks on how to advance your learning and get the most out of your studying time.
Here are my three favorite lessons from the book:
- Multitasking is a myth, so try focusing on one task at a time instead.
- Be creative when it comes to remembering things using association or playing around with words.
- Altering numbers into letters or familiar sounds can help us improve our memory.
Now that we’ve debunked three of the most interesting lessons from the book, let’s explore them in detail one by one!
Lesson 1: Instead of trying to get more things done at once, focus on getting them done one by one.
We’ve all been in a situation where we try to get things done faster by piling up tasks, but end up spending more time in the process and becoming frustrated in the end. Perhaps you’re trying to get something done at work while answering emails, or texts while driving, to save some time. Well, studies suggest that multitasking can slow you down by 50%, and increases the chance of you making a mistake in the process by the same percentage.
Therefore, a good starting point for your brain to become more productive is to stop multitasking. When targeting your attention on one thing at a time, your brain gets to direct all its resources on that particular thing and prioritize it, which in turn will make you remember it and understand it better. Another thing you can do to keep your mind focused is to quiet the mind chatter. How? By finding a purpose or a specific objective.
When your efforts are targeted towards a specific goal, your brain focuses on that particular thing until it gets done. However, to target your undivided attention to a plan, you must feel motivated about it. To be successful in this approach, you must set a clear goal that you truly understand and know that you can achieve. It helps to ask yourself questions like: “How is this helping me in my future endeavors?” or “How can I use this information later on in my life?”.
Lesson 2: Enhance your retention rate by remembering words and phrases creatively.
Sometimes we read and read pages, only to realize that we ended up remembering nothing. Whether you find your mind wandering around in the process, or you get easily distracted, it’s time to apply the first lesson and enhance your concentration. Now, let’s focus on improving your retention. You can try improving your memory by bringing it to life.
One way to do so is by associating words and phrases with things you already know well. Another trick is to break down words into smaller chunks and make them sound like something funny or remind you of something absurd. The author suggests this is a good way to remember capitals and foreign words, or names. Moreover, learn to use imagination. We are visual creatures, so picturing something can help us learn faster.
Personally, I find this trick quite useful, as It has always worked for me. For example, if your aim is to remember a chemical process, try to picture the way it’s happening step by step, the way it looks like, or even how it smells like. Information sticks better if you involve your senses. And with a bit of imagination, your speed of retention can increase significantly.
Lesson 3: To improve retention, transform numbers into letters, and letters into words.
There are many tricks you can try to use to improve your retention. However, the author suggests using one in particular: transforming numbers into letters and sounds. Of course, this practice is only useful if you try to remember historical dates or values, but that type of information makes up a large part of what we usually study or try to remember! Now, let’s work with an example to understand this concept better. Take number 9, and flip it horizontally. It looks like a p or a b, right? Now take number 6.
This one can be transformed into the sounds “sh” because they sound alike. Now, let’s say you have these given characteristics for these numbers, and you’re trying to remember the year 1969 when a human foot stepped on the moon for the first time. With your newly created value system, 969 could sound like the word BiSHoP. Does it make sense? I hope so! Remembering information is all about creating a system that works for you.
If you find that linking data to things you already know helps, such as associating an event from 1969, like the year your relative was born, with man’s first contact with the moon, then do that. If you like to transform numbers into letters and form words, that works just fine. Another trick you can use is to link information to places or fixed items, such as the wall, your watch, etc. As you create a sequence with those items and look at each other, you’ll remember those bits of information. This trick is particularly helpful during public speeches.
Unlimited Memory Review
Unlimited Memory helps you create a memory system that works in your favor. Reading this book will make you understand how your brain works when trying to retain information, and how to make it remember things more easily using a few effective tips-and-tricks. By implementing a series of key practices, such as transforming numbers into letters and sounds, linking information with fixed places, or associating dates with information you already know, you can tap into your highest potential when it comes to your brain’s retention capacity.
Who would I recommend the Unlimited Memory summary to?
The 20-year-old student who wants to study better at university, the 35-year-old public figure who is trying to improve their public speaking skills by remembering speeches and names better, or the 50-year-old who is trying to preserve and even improve their memory skills.
Last Updated on May 19, 2023
