What if I told you I can show you how to improve focus and concentration in less than five minutes a day?

Would you believe me?

If you’ve just said…

I’m not sure…

In fact… I’m downright skeptical!

Good answer.

Skepticism is good.

In fact, as you’re about to learn, it’s one of the best tools for creating lasting focus and concentration.

You can use the tool of skepticism (and others I’ll share on this page) to create laser-sharp awareness that not only helps you understand information better…

It also makes you feel fantastic!

The best part?

Everything you do to improve concentration and focus also improves your memory.

And that’s exactly what the Magnetic Memory Method mission is all about:

Showing you how focus, concentration and memory are all sides of the same dice.

Are you ready?

Great! Then let’s get the focus and concentration party started with my favorite ways to improve concentration and focus.

 

1. Learn How To Improve Focus And Concentration By Resting More

 

Didn’t think I would start off with a wildcard, did you?

But it’s true.

According to Alex Soojung-Kim Pang in his book Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less, many people throughout history who displayed mounds of focus and concentration…

Took a lot of rest.

Charles Dickens, for example, wrote tons of books but spent huge chunks of his day walking.

And as Palle Yourgrau shows in A World Without Time: The Forgotten Legacy of Gödel and Einstein, part of Einstein’s success secret involved ample amounts of walking…

Just not walking alone. It’s actually hard to tell who was smarter: Einstein or Gödel.

Personally, I wouldn’t want to make any bets myself, but we know for a fact that both these men had these things in common:

1. They took lots of rest.

2. They walked a lot.

3. They were geniuses who changed the world.

 

The Two Secrets Of How Walking Increases Focus And Concentration…

 

According to Pang and the mountains of cool research he cites, walking isn’t restful because it’s not working.

Rather, walking lets the mind wander.

But wait a second!

Isn’t mind wandering the opposite of focus and concentration?

Not necessarily.

In fact, when you let your mind wander, your brain chemistry changes.

Yes, we’re talking about “drugs,” specifically dopamine.

And from a scientific perspective, it’s important to understand that most people get their best ideas when their dopamine levels are high.

These are, ironically, when we are the most distracted.

For example, you are most distracted and experiencing high levels of dopamine when you are dreaming, running, driving, walking, or, the most classic example of them all, taking a hot shower.

Why do we get more ideas when engaging in activities like these?

It’s not just the dopamine.

It’s also that we’re disengaged. Speaking of which, I’d like you to be engaged, so let me ask you this:

For more information about this topic, please read Rest for more on the science of mind wandering.

Oh, and believe it or not, I didn’t just read this cool book and pass it on to you without trying the suggestions out for myself.

More on my results in a future blog post. For now, it appears that Pang practices what he preaches too. Just check out his blog.

In sum:

Walking works. Especially when you combine it with Digital Fasting, my own personal cure for Digital Amnesia.

 

2. Remove Distractions And Read From Real Books

 

I don’t know about you, but I once had a love/hate relationship with Kindle.

It got so bad we ultimately broke up. I haven’t read a full book on Kindle for more than three years now.

The last time I tried, I gave up 1/4 of the way through and ordered the same book in print.

Why?

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older.

But I believe it’s partly because I never had a proper Kindle device.

I always used the Kindle app on an iPhone.

And that meant it was crushingly easy to open up a browser – or use the app itself – to fact check things.

Every disruption led to less U.S.S.R.

No, not the former Soviet Union!

 

I’m talking about Uninterrupted Silent Sustained Reading.

You see, physical books are like focus and concentration “engines.”

If you can just get comfortable with them and stay the course…

They pull you along page by page, increasing your commitment to paying attention…

Indeed, increasing your attention span itself (which in no way resembles the sharpness and clarity of a twitchy little goldfish).

The trick is in carving out time to read.

How to do that?

It’s easy:

Put the spotlight on all the things you do that are NOT reading.

Then ask yourself…

Do I want to improve my focus and concentration (and memory)?

Or do I prefer to sit on the couch and watch Netflix?

Or have a thousand tabs open or drown myself with music as my friend Joanna Jast talked about when she shared her tips on improving focus.

Increasing Focus And Concentration Requires This Secret Ingredient

In other words, the experts on these matters are talking about prioritizing.

Whether you prioritize with a calendar, a mind map, or even a Memory Palace to memorize your to-do list, this is how to get reading done:

1. Eliminate things that are not reading from your schedule. Things you really need not do.

2. Schedule time for reading. Even if it’s just 5 minutes a day, it’s a start that will do wonders.

(One neat book that takes just 5 minutes a day you can sink your teeth into is Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle. Highly recommended, especially if you want to memorize books.)

3. Bonus: Schedule time for reading books about how to improve your focus and concentration. Or how about a set of books on how to improve focus at work?

Yeah, that sounds good. Maybe books like Rest by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang.

If you’d like other reading suggestions, check out why I make revisiting at least one book I’ve read before part of my Re-Reading Strategy.

 

3. Gamble Your Time With Focusing and Concentrating On Zilch

 

There’s a long history of scientific research showing a paradox stranger than what we just learned about mind-wandering…

It’s that meditation improves memory!

That’s right.

Sitting down and staring at the wall can and will improve your memory. Walking meditation will help too.

You don’t have to work hard at it.

You don’t have to do it for hours on end.

You just have to sit down and breathe.

And you really can start with just 5 minutes a day.

Here’s all the best research on meditation and memory I’ve got for you so far.

Now it’s time to take you deeper into my own meditation practice specifically for focus and concentration.

Again, calibrating your attention to laser-sharp levels of focus connect with memory in multiple ways.

Here’s a shocking fact:

These connections are not always simple to explain.

However, they are easy to spot once you start feeling them. And all the more so when you have a flexible memory method.

 

How You Will Notice This Special Technique Is Improving Your Focus And Concentration

 

Here are a list of some things you’ll notice when you start meditating:

1. Less mental chatter.

When the boardroom in your head settles down, your focus and concentration must improve.

Why?

Because you won’t get caught up in so much of what Gary Weber calls “blah blah blah.”

Please don’t expect it to disappear completely.

It seems possible that it can, but in my experience with what Jeffrey Martin calls Persistent Non-Symbolic Experience (PNSE)…

Complete silence in your head is not necessarily a desirable outcome.

(Kind of like how photographic memory is not really the blessing people think it is. As Jill Price’s story illustrates in that blog post, that kind of memory is much less a path to focusing help when you need to concentrate and can disrupt your life and sanity.)

2. The world seems more vivid.

Imagine if colors that used to be so boring you didn’t notice them now jump out at you.

Do you think that would sharpen your concentration?

It certainly did for me.

For example, after learning the Wim Hof Method and experiencing a breakthrough in my meditation practice, I remember heading to the gym one morning…

All of a sudden I noticed a traffic sign on a street corner in Berlin that I must have seen hundreds, if not thousands of times before.

Suddenly the sign itself and its faded green color leapt out at me.

I noticed every crack in its paint.

The rusted iron holding it in the air was suddenly so beautiful and precious.

I felt immersed in each and every detail.

And yet for some reason, although it must have been in my field of vision many times before…

Something so extraordinary had been completely invisible.

Of course, the goal when learning how to focus your mind is not to become autistic or continually overwhelmed by every little detail.

And that’s not at all what happened to me.

But this experience transfers directly to paying attention to what I’m reading in books.

I’m aware of both the characteristics of the page and the information at the same time.

And I’m aware of using memory techniques to remember dates and names and facts…

All without skipping a beat because meditation has helped me keep my brain focused on information. All while my awareness of the beauty of the material world feels blissful.

(Okay, I’m human too and sometimes slip from this bliss, but thanks to regular practice, it snaps back in place mighty fast.)

Would you like to know how to train your brain to stay focused?

In a word:

Meditate.

3. Feel Less Bothered By Worldly Events You Cannot Control

You know how it is, right?

You’re humming along. Everything’s great. Your mood couldn’t be better…

Then…

Bam!

Something happens that completely ruins everything.

All of a sudden you feel horrible, hate everything and it seems like the end of the world.

Believe me, I’ve been there.

But it happens less and less.

And the more I focus on how to increase focus and attention span (and memory) through meditation, the more I can let go.

There’s a cool quote in The Fire of Self-Knowledge by James Swartz on why this might take place:

“To clean the mind, an inquirer needs to abandon gratuitous activities, dedicate essential desire-prompted activities to the field of life and take the results as a gift.”

To be fair, Swartz says in this commentary on Shankaracharya’s Atma Bodha that meditation should not be your only strategy.

Far from it!

But when you meditate, you’ll find you can let go of one of the most gratuitous activities of all:

Grumbling at things you cannot change.

And because everything is so much more vibrant, you’ll see the results of actions you take as a gift, no matter what form the results take.

 

How To Bring Rest, Reading and Meditation Together
For A Focus And Concentration Triple-Whammy

 

Could I take another few moments of your time and share my own daily ritual?

I promise that it will help you, even if only to give you some ideas to play around with for your personal development.

Assuming you’re cool with that, here’s basically how I suggest anyone can improve their focus and concentration while developing their memory skills:

1. Remove all devices from the room where you sleep.

If you struggle at first, learn savasana. That’s a fancy yoga-word for lying still without moving.

I wrote a whole book about it called The Ultimate Sleep Remedy, but seriously, just lay without moving and train yourself to be comfortable with it.

I wander my Memory Palaces as I lay there and focus on breathing and some of the other things I’m going to share with you in this list.

2. Read physical books and use memory techniques (like the Magnetic Memory Method) to remember the information.

I’ve suggested a few books already, and here’s one I’m actively memorizing from at the moment.

At the end of Evolving Beyond Thought, Gary Weber has included something extraordinary:

The best “self-inquiry” phrases from the Ribhu Gita.

Remember when I was talking about skepticism at the top of this page? What a powerful tool it can be for improving your focus and concentration?

Well, now you’ve hit pay dirt.

So far I’ve memorized the Sanskrit for:

How do my thoughts behave? Are they useful?

Just how unreal are my thoughts?

(I recited a bit on a recent podcast all about binaural beats and memory, which may or may not help with the focus and concentration issue.)

Why does this skepticism help improve my focus and concentration while enhancing my memory?

The answer is simple:

When I catch the boardroom in my mind running along, I remember to ask in BOTH Sanskrit and English these skeptical questions.

I’m exercising my memory while correcting course back to focus and concentration!

Because the answer is usually, “No! These thoughts are impeding my concentration!”

And when I realize that, thanks to meditation, I can let them go.

Even better:

Sometimes, thanks to persistent skepticism, I get the opposite the answer to the question. Sometimes I get to say, “Yes! These thoughts are useful!”

In fact, sometimes my thoughts are especially beneficial, such as when I’m thinking about how to teach you memory skills and better mental habits.

And how “unreal” are they?

Well, they are never unreal when people like Robert Martínez emails to say:

Dear Anthony,

Just to let you know that I’m really happy as I used my first Memory Palace to memorise 41 criteria for a teacher assessment scheme I work with and it took me only 1.5 hours to encode.

I then asked one of my colleagues to test me by asking me random criteria e.g. what’s 5d, 4m, etc. and it was exciting!

I was able to decode all the information and my colleague was really impressed. I told her about the MMM too. Anyways, I just wanted to share my excitement with you!

Bye for now,

Robert

Of course, I don’t let it get to my ego (much).

I just teach more.

And learn more, so I have more to teach.

Just like I recommend you do.

Because here’s the thing:

At the end of the day, you are in control of how you improve your focus and concentration.

There are lots of ways to get there, but all of them involve changing your perception of the world.

And resting, reading and meditation are the finest ways I know of making that happen while improving your memory.

The Truth About Perception According To Oliver Sacks

And you don’t have to take my word for it. Just listen to Oliver Sacks laying down the truth:

“Every act of perception is to some degree an act of creation, and every act of memory is to some degree an act of imagination.”

When you follow the three suggestions in this post, you’ll find that you use perception to create better habits.

And that leads to better thoughts.

Thoughts that shape better behaviors.

Rest or do whatever healthy things switch your dopamine on to improve your focus and concentration.

Read real books and memorize the materials.

Then meditate. Wander a Memory Palace while you’re at it.

I have more steps you can follow related to the journaling elements and language learning if you want to really go for gold.

Do these things and the improvement of your focus and concentration will happen practically on autopilot.

The post How to Improve Focus And Concentration Using 3 Memory Boosting Habits appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Are you looking for the perfect memorization technique?

And getting frustrated?

Well, don’t blame yourself. Because it is frustrating, isn’t it?

I mean… everywhere you go people are using different terminology.

Linking…

P.A.O. …

Mind Palace…

Roman Room…

Journey Method…

Mnemonic Peg System…

How Real Are The Promises Of Memorization Techniques
For Students And Mature Learners?

 

I mean, lets face it:

All those terms sometimes make the whole memory improvement world feel a bit like a hoax.

After all, even if science backs up memory improvement techniques 100%…

Why the heck can’t people get their terms straight!?!

Well, let’s get the painful truth about the world of memorization techniques out of the way:

Whether you want to know how to memorize a speech fast or are desperate for memorization techniques for studying…

You’re going to come across a lot of different terms.

That’s just the way the world of memory improvement. It has been since humans started developing memorization techniques to help them survive.

And it’s getting more complex!

But in reality, a lot of those techniques are essentially the same. 

Each and every one has a location-based element in one way or another.

That means that all memorization techniques are spatial.

And as Thales, the first person in the West to be considered a philosopher and scientist in the same body, said:

Megiston topos hapanta gar chorei

(Space is ultimate for it contains all things)

That’s the very cool thing about the discoveries here at the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast.

Once you understand this and practice with memorization techniques from this basis, your results will accelerate.

And the complexity eases down, even if there will still be ins and outs to consider.

And if you’re interested in more about the history of where mnemonics come from to help humans deal with complexity and how they used space to do it, please check out Lynne Kelly’s The Memory Code.

Just as we do here on this blog nearly every week, Lynne’s book will show you exactly how learning these techniques will help you deal with extreme complexity in modern life.

My course which you can subscribe to at the bottom of this post will take you through everything too. It’s free.

For now, let’s persist and do our best to get past all the confusing terminology.

Let’s talk instead about the…

 

5 Little-Known Benefits Of Using The Best
Memorization Technique Of Them All

 

Ultimately, what will help most people is the Magnetic Memory Palace.

At the end of this post, you’ll get an opportunity to learn how to create one of these for free, along with the best terminology we’ve got.

No more “method of loci” or other confusing terms. Again, the truth is that the linking method and the peg method and the Roman Room, the Major System and all the rest…

You can use them all at the same time in a Magnetic Memory Palace.

And if you know the benefits of learning to do so…

Any overwhelm you face will be easy to handle.

Plus, you can experience these 5 benefits, starting with…

 

1. Use Fast Memorization Techniques To Make Learning Fun!

 

I get email every day from people who find learning a real challenge.

Some of them are struggling to learn and remember very boring topics.

That’s a real problem too because when you’re bored…

Your progress slows to a crawl.

Yet, when you have the right memorization technique for the job, things not only get faster…

The memorization techniques for studying you use make everything more interesting.

And more fun.

The Best Memorization Techniques Rapidly Increase Focus And Concentration

 

Especially when you know how to to improve focus and concentration with a memorization technique like the Magnetic Memory Palace.

Of course, it helps too if you know about motivation in learn, such as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Basically, you just have to make sure that you’re always dangling a carrot in front of you instead of threatening yourself with a stick.

Don’t believe me? Self punishment is a real issue when it comes to memory. Please avoid it at all costs.

 

2. Memorization Techniques For Exams Reduce Stress

 

Imagine walking into an exam that you know you will pass with 100% certainty.

It’s totally possible if you have the right memory techniques on your side.

And in this episode about Giordano Bruno, Scott Gosnell talks about how you can create a Memory Palace out of the examination room itself.

The stress reduction isn’t just about memorization techniques for college students either.

Many adults face certification exams at different points in their career.

And when you’re working full time, the stress on your memory can be huge. (And if you suffer Manic Depression like I did during university, these memory improvement tips for the Manic Depressive University Student will be especially helpful.)

For that reason, it totally makes sense to have the best memorization technique on the planet ready to go.

 

3. Using Effective Memorization Techniques
Create Long-Term Brain Health

 

Use it or lose it.

We hear the phrase all the time.

But how many of us actively complete brain exercises? (No, not the Cogmed variety, but real brain exercises.)

And more than just real brain fitness. Do you do it…

Consistently?

Whether you’re getting a brain workout from visual memorization techniques or memorization techniques for actors (because remembering cool lines from movies helps), regularity matters.

Or as one of the supporters of the Magnetic Memory Method once said (Howdy, Alex!):

Use the right memorization technique for the job or go H.O.M.E.

The acronym stands for:

Huge

Outcomes

Means

Exercising

And let me tell you, if you want to know how to remember things you read or learn a new language, you’ll want to get started right away.

After all, the more you learn, the more you can learn.

And if you, like me, want to be sharper as a whistle in your old age, the time to start using the best memorization techniques on the planet is not now…

It’s right now.

 

4. The Right Memorization Technique Can Help You
Scratch That Language Off Your Bucket List

 

Sure, memory exercises are fun. They can perhaps even stave off Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

But knowing another language can also help. There’s even proof that bilingualism is a brain and memory health strategy.

Not only is language learning an ongoing source of mental fitness, but you get the benefits of more socialization.

You can literally meet more people and get to know them more deeply.

This exposure to people enriches the brain with chemicals.

The other cool thing about the Memory Palace technique I suggest you learn and use involves the organized approach you can take.

I realize this is going to sound counterintuitive, but here’s the thing:

Language learning experts and polyglots like my friend Olly Richards are right.

They advise that you always learn words in phrases. Or at least think intelligently about the question, single words or full sentences?

 

Why Memorizing Words Is A Skill Instead Of Phrases Matters

 

But from the perspective of mnemonics – and especially the Magnetic Memory Method – this is right only after you know how to memorize individual words.

If you can’t do that, then memorizing entire phrases will be too complicated (at first).

You’ll be trying to build the house of your fluency from the roof down. You need to build up your memory skills from the foundations instead.

This fact is why my international bestselling course is called How to Learn and Memorize the Vocabulary of Any Language.

Not “the phrases” of any language.

Start with the foundations of individual words and you will quickly learn to memorize entire phrases.

Not only that, but you’ll learn to memorize any grammar rules you wish, including conjugation rules.

But you need a memory method willing to tell the truth.

And that truth involves mastering the basics first before going for gold.

Once that’s established, you really can experience massive boosts in fluency and learn entire phrases on demand.

If you’re skeptic, that’s a good thing. I’ve got two more resources for you:

First: Here are 15 Reasons Why Learning A Language Is Good For Your Brain.

Second: Here’s a live stream replay where you can watch me memorizing Chinese song lyrics in real time in front of an audience:

 

Anyone can do this and I would love if I could inspire you in this way, so give it a view. And please subscribe to my YouTube channel while you’re there if you’d like to join me on a future live stream.

I really put my butt on the line to demonstrate for you exactly how these techniques work. And as you’ll see – I felt VERY good when I pulled off the challenge.

Wouldn’t you like to feel good like that too?

 

5. The Right Memorization Technique For The Job Eliminates Fear

 

Let’s face it:

Students suffer from examination phobia.

Language learners quake in their boots when they get the chance to speak with a native.

Doctors make mistakes with patient names that kill.

And so on.

The reality is that no one has to suffer from the fears of making mistakes.

Yes, sometimes they happen. That’s just part of reality.

But the benefits of good memory with the right memorization technique can reduce mistakes dramatically.

Especially when people use their knowledge to remember to sleep, eat well and keep hydrated.

Memory techniques really are about more than just learning faster.

They’re about improving every aspect of your life and creating balance.

Integration.

Wholeness.

And ultimately, competence and control over your destiny.

 

How To Deal With The Global Abundance Of Memorization Techniques

 

Yes, there are a lot of terms out there as more and more people teach their favorite memorization technique.

But try not to get lost in the terminology.

Just find memory training and memory improvement courses you resonate with and trust.

Give those memory experts your attention.

Follow the instructions and recommendations.

Experiment.

You’ll be amazed by the memory improvement you experience.

Better:

You’ll be thrilled by the additional benefits using memory techniques brings.

Are you ready to be thrilled? Let me know in the discussion area below and then grab the Magnetic Memory Method Improvement Kit to get started today!

The post Memorization Technique Secrets: 5 Rarely Known Benefits Of Mnemonics appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

You’re probably sick to death with the adult coloring books craze, right?

I was too. Until I realized one thing.

Adult Coloring Books Are A Great Way To Practice Memory Improvement!

 

But before we get into the magic of that …

There are a few huge problems people who use the Magnetic Memory Method and other mnemonics face.

1. Not enough time.

2. Not enough creativity.

3. Not enough relaxation.

Let’s deal with each of these in order and see how adult coloring books can help.

 

How To Wrestle Time Into Submission
And Win Every Time

 

The problem of time is easily solved.

Stop telling yourself you don’t have enough time!

That’s the first step and an important one.

The more you tell yourself that time is running out, moving too fast and not on your side, the more you’re pushing it away.

Please understand one thing:

Time is your servant, and you are its master. You just have to take the reigns and maintain control.

How? Well, as I talked about in Mandarin Chinese Mnemonics and Morning Memory Secrets, you need to let go out of the concept of discipline.

Seriously. People constantly tell me I’m such a disciplined person, but the truth is that I’m not any more or less disciplined than your average Manic Depressive alcoholic heroin-addict gutted with debt living in the gutter.

The difference is that I use rituals and systems. And I do so in a way that minimizes the need to be disciplined. Such as not acting like a person who already has a memory implant.

 

Can You Use My Daily Productivity Systems?

 

Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t believe you can carbon copy what another person does, which is why when it comes to mnemonics, memory improvement and creating your first rock-solid Memory Palace I teach you the Magnetic Memory Method. It’s a method that teaches you how to create your own system of Memory Palaces.

The same thing goes for learning how to control your time.

You’re never going to reproduce what anyone else does. But you can emulate their methods to create your own system. If adult coloring books become part of that, awesome.

But it all begins with saying “Yes!” to making a change and replacing discipline with systems.

Once you’ve got that under control, create an If-this-then-that sequence.

How To Fire Off The Perfect Time Control Sequence

 

Rules, as Tony Buzan said at a recent training I attended, set you free. Poets have known this for years. When Shakespeare submitted himself to the rules of the sonnet, for example, he managed to write X NUMBER of the most beautiful poems history has ever seen. That’s not to mention the glorious theatre he produced following other rules and guidelines at the level of dramatic structure and the sentence.

When it comes right down to it, constraints are not restrictive. They’re productive.

So my method is to chain together a number of “ifs” and then tie those to follow-up sequences to ensure that I’m living the life of my dreams. (Crazy, but yes, playing with adult coloring books while using memory techniques is part of my dream lifestyle.)

My “If-This-Then-That” Revealed …

 

Here’s a sample morning ritual sequence:

If I get up in the morning (which I always do), I meditate for 9 minutes.

If I meditate for 9 minutes, then I start the day off on solid footing with The Freedom Journal.

If I write in The Freedom Journal, then I study Chinese and learn 3 new words.

If I study Chinese and learn 3 new words, I write a minimum of 1000 words on a new book project.

If I write, I eat breakfast.

If I eat breakfast, then I memorized some playing cards.

If I memorize some playing cards, then the computer goes on.

 

Does It Always Work Out That Way?

 

Close, but not always exactly. For example, sometimes I eat before I meditate. Other times, I write before I study Chinese.

The actual elements of the chain are interchangeable except for the last one.

It’s the last one that matters the most because the computer is the great destroyer.

Why? Because …

 

We All Have Limited Discipline

 

Once the machine goes on, emails blast into my eyes. Friends and family Skype text me. Uploads fail. Shiny new objects glitter and grab my attention.

That’s why the important things must get done first.

 

Why I Grab Adult Coloring Books
Last Thing In The Day

 

The evening ritual unpacks and reinforces a lot of what the morning ritual established and follows the same pattern.

Although I’ve painted a picture of constant interruptions while the machine is on, I’m still quite productive. I make videos, write email, work on editing books and do all kinds of things during the day.

But everything proceeds towards a final computer curfew. That curfew rule states that the computer should go off at 9 p.m., but can stay on until 10 p.m. at the latest. I leave that window open because I’m a Realist and know that sometimes I’ll need the slack.

Plus, being draconian with the rules often just paves the path for breaking them. As I once heard it put, all too often, it is the law that creates the crime. States of exception are necessary and trying to fight against them often only makes them the norm.

Overall, the chain unfolds in a new equation. Instead of an “if this then that” pattern, it’s more like a “when this then that” sequence.

 

The “When-This-Then-That” Variation

 

For example:

When the computer goes off at nine, then I read.

When I finish reading, I use one of my adult coloring books to color and practice Magnetic Memory Method Recall Rehearsal.

When I practice recalling words in one of my adult coloring books, I recall the words I memorized earlier in the day first.

When I practice these words, I always try and jot them out in the form of a sentence. I don’t worry too much about accuracy. I focus on the practice of doing. Fearlessly and for fun.

And guess what? It truly is fun, and you get to sleep a lot better knowing that you’ve covered your primary goals for the day.

 

Why You Need More Creativity
And How To Ethically Steal It

 

That covers time. It’s a simple affair to get it under control and direct its power at your goals instead of being its slave. That only leads to dissatisfaction. Worse, not having time under your control builds up guilty feelings that destroy self-confidence. It’s a devil’s circle that only gets worse and worse as time goes on.

Creativity is the next issue you need to tackle. Fortunately, it’s even easier to control than time. You just need to make the time for exploring it.

Why do you need creativity?

First, if you’re going to use memory techniques, it’s essential because all Mnemonics rely on the ability to associate information you already know with information you don’t know. I like to think about it like magnetizing one thing so that it sticks to another.

It’s kind of like rubbing a balloon against your shirt and then letting the balloon hug up against the wall. It completely defies gravity, and it only takes a second to make the magic happen.

 

Creativity Solves Problems

 

You also need creativity to solve problems in the world, which is perhaps why adult coloring books seem like a weird way to get more of your creative faculties.

But when you’re completing a design in one of your adult coloring books and revisiting a Memory Palace journey using the Magnetic Memory Method, you’re not just exercising your memory. You’re developing your creativity and even your critical thinking abilities.

This growth occurs because you’re matching Memory Palace locations with images and playing a fun game of comparisons. Plus, you’re using rules in much the same way that Shakespeare used constraints to write amazing plays and sonnets.

And when you think about it, adult coloring books are an easy way to submit to the constraint of rules too. After all, you’re looking at a series of pre-designed lines and simply filling them in. This “submission” to formal constraints provided by others leaves your mind free to wander.

Why Information Is Like A Balloon
And Your Memory Is Like A Wall

 

And when it comes to using adult coloring books, you free yourself to yet another level of constraints.

I’m talking about the friendly and helpful rules of the Magnetic Memory Method.

As you know, the MMM allows you to create your own systems of powerful Memory Palaces you can use to quickly learn, memorize and recall anything you wish. And that’s just the beginning of the brain exercises I share.

And units of information really are just like balloons that you can rub and stick to the walls of your Memory Palaces.

Yes, sometimes you have to go back and rub a bit more static into them, but that’s a minor issue. It’s just like going to the gym to pump a bit more muscle into your arms. Do it right and it’s so good for you. Kind of like when you use The Freedom Journal for language learning and memory improvement.

As for adult coloring books, they’re kind of like the weights in your gym of effortless learning. Just get in bed, pop one onto your lap and let the creativity begin to flow.

 

Say Goodbye To Stress

 

As far as I’m concerned, we as adults succumb to stress because we’ve left childhood behind. Adult coloring books are a great way to get the stress-free wonder of childhood back, even if just for 10-15 minutes at a time. Add in the Magnetic Memory Method Recall Rehearsal process and you’ll be sailing along.

To make it even more powerful, meditate first and throw in some breathing and muscle relaxation exercises. The more I practice these, the more profound my experience of commanding time and enhanced creativity grows. All from spending just a bit of time every day with adult coloring books.

And this is coming from a long-haired Heavy Metal bassist who previously wouldn’t have been caught dead doing sissy creativity exercises!

In sum, if I can take these steps to learn more, remember more, experience higher levels of creativity and enjoy much more relaxation in my life, anyone can. And the benefits reach out into so many areas of life, you just can’t imagine how profoundly happy you can become.

My recommendation:

Get yourself some adult coloring books. There are oodles out there to choose from and I’d be delighted if you’d add Creativity Kickstarter: The Magnetic Memory Method Coloring Book to your collection. If you do, there’s a special link inside where you can get a video that shows you more about how to connect the process of coloring in adult coloring books to memory improvement.

No matter which of the many adult coloring books you choose, don’t turn your nose up at this unusual, but amazing activity. Hardly a day passes when someone doesn’t email to tell me how impressed they’ve been by one of the kids they’ve heard on the Magnetic Memory Method podcast. If you haven’t heard Alicia or Imogen talk about their experience, check out:

Tap The Mind Of A 10-Year Old Memory Palace Master

Memory Improvement Techniques For Kids

You can also tune into How To Teach Your Kids Memory Techniques in case you’re not already sharing these skills with the young people in your life. And why not spend some time coloring with them too in one of your adult coloring books while teaching them about memory? Helping young people learn and remember information with greater ease is one of the best things you can do for the world.

Why?

Because the more you learn, the more you can learn.

And the more you know, the more information you have to associate with, creating growth spurts in your smarts that lead to spontaneous eruptions of knowledge that truly can take you from wherever you are now to genius levels of intelligence.

Yes, all by adding adult coloring books to your current learning and memory practice.

And if you want to add more ideas to the pile, check out Jesse Villalobos’ Magnetic Memory Method Review.  We talk about turning your mind into a kind of coloring book.

It won’t look exactly like this though…

Sound like fun? Great! Send me a pic of yourself doing some coloring or one of your completed designs. I’d love to see it, just like some of the images I’ve already received from people who have been using Creativity Kickstarter that have been featured on this page.

The post Adult Coloring Books For Memory Improvement appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.

Do you hate that slump you get after flying?

How about that dumpy feeling that comes when winter takes hold? Not the greatest of friends, is it?

But just stop and ask yourself …

What If Suffering Like This Could Be Reduced Or Eliminated?

In my brief experience with an amazing new invention, I believe that it can. It’s called Human Charger and this is my story using it.

As a Canadian currently living in Germany, I’ve spent more than a few days in the miserable dark. Winter temperatures rarely stand a chance, but gray days take a lot out of me, especially since I have Bipolar Disorder.

But no matter where a person lives or what conditions they might face, there are solutions to the winter blahs.

And if you’re a frequent flyer, the very same solution applies to jet lag too. All you need is light.

As always, the science is divided. In general, light is essential to the creation of Vitamin D, though it’s not entirely clear that Vitamin D plays the role we think it does. Nonetheless, light definitely affects mood and energy. And since it takes a feeling of well-being to tolerate long, dark winters, arguably, more exposure to light will ease that burden.

 

The 3 Best Ways To Get More Healing Light

 

I’ve tried a number of ways to get more sun during the winter in Berlin.

Travel is the simplest: Pick a sunny place and go. Travel is great because you not only get more light, but you can challenge your mind by learning a language and enjoying the culture. In addition to getting more “happy rays,” here are another 15 Reasons Why Learning A Foreign Language Is Good For Your Brain.

Definitely chase the sun if you can. I’ve enjoyed warmer temperatures, boosts in fluency and warm sun in places like Greece, Spain and most recently in China where I shot a video course and did some research on the great mnemonist Matteo Ricci.

While at home, my trainer Lars Rosenbaum at Ignite Fit recommended one 15-minute session per week in what he called the “assi-toaster.” That’s a Denglish (German/English) word that combines asocial with toaster to joke about the anti-social activity of laying in a tanning bed.

I’ve found that he’s right. That small blast of light once a week helps keep the blues away. It’s not enough to create much of a tan, but a sufficient amount for creating the desired effect.

 

Just Like Storing The Sun In Your Pocket?

 

Even before the package arrived, I was skeptical. After all, the idea of shooting light into your ears sounds a bit fantastical. I also worried about burning holes in my eardrum or developing tinnitus.

Not only that, but I had no upcoming trips with flights long enough to merit trying the Human Charger. So I let one of the most miraculous technologies I would ever use just sit there.

Then Jari got in touch to ask if I’d given the Human Charger a try. I told him that I had no reason to do so but might the following year. He suggested giving it a try, citing its use for dealing with Seasonal Effective Disorder (SAD). My interest peaked and so I finally opened the package and gave it a try.

It’s simple to use. About the size of an iPod, it comes with two earbuds that you pop into your ears before switching it on. It makes a beep and soon after you feel warmth inside your head.

 

Eureka … It Works!

 

After the session, I immediately felt different. I felt better. And of course I figured it was probably a placebo. Nonetheless, I stuck with the device and still use it every day during my meditation sessions.

The device is set at 100% power when you get it for a 12 minute session. That felt too much for me so I reduced it to 75% for 9 minutes.

The 9 minutes matches almost exactly how long I like to meditate and gives my meditations a frame without having to set an alarm. It’s also pleasant to meditate with the warmth in my head, something definitely worth experiencing.

I also enjoy using Humancharger when completing The Freedom Journal, which is another great Memory Improvement Tool.

 

Imagine Flying Halfway Around The World
Without A Shred Of Jet Lag

 

For me, the real test would be an international flight. So when I finally went to China, I followed the instructions precisely and flew with anticipation of a jet lag free experience.

To my pleasant surprise, I got it. More precisely, I felt like my body wanted to go into jet lag, but it couldn’t. There was just a whisper of that holiday-destroying condition that didn’t disrupt a thing.

I wasn’t the only one surprised either. People kept asking me why I was so chipper, which gave me the opportunity to share the good news about the Human Charger.

Like others, I too felt skeptical.

Nonetheless, both during and after my visit to China, the post-flight experiences created amazement in myself and others as I strutted around with my usual impenetrable energy.

 

The Best Meditation Hardware On The Market

 

With respect to overall well-being, the best part of using the Human Charger apart from solving jet lag is the experience of using it during meditation. Many people use apps to help keep them focused as they practice and I’ve certainly tested my share.

At the same time, I’ve always felt that using sound-based apps weakens the mental effects one is trying to create. After all, shouldn’t we work to meditate unassisted by anything? Isn’t that where the real power of creating concentration at will lies?

I still think so, but the Human Charger is different because it’s not software. It enables light to reach a place inside your body light normally doesn’t get to go. There are no sounds, no fantastic strobe effects, nothing more than a steady blast of exposure as if your ears had opened up and let the sun in.

The reason the Human Charger adds so much to meditation is not only that the device adds a time frame to the experience.

It also creates a physical sensation that you can focus on. I find kinesthetics more beneficial than sound during a meditation because touch is always happening anyway. Your body touches the floor and itself. You can create physical effects with your breath and the temperature can be noted and focused upon.

Warmth in the ears then becomes another tool of physical immersion that further cements you in the moment. Computer-generated sounds, on the other hand, usually have a transportive effect, immersing you in the technology rather than the world as it is unfolding around you.

Yes, you can argue that the technology is part if the unfolding world around you – but you know what I mean! …

 

But … Does It Help With Memory?

 

That’s obviously the most important question, right? We’re here for astonishing memory tricks, after all.

The answer is simple:

Any time you can remove suffering from the equation, you help your memory. Simply having the ability to pay attention better already gives you an advantage. And when using mnemonics, having a clear head and energy makes the entire process much easier.

Along with meditation, the Human Charger is a Light Saber that cuts through the darkness and gives your imagination a boost so that you can better learn, memorize and recall anything. Check out the Human Charger for yourself today.

About This Episode Of The Podcast

 

When you download this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, you’ll hear an interview with one of the Human Charger’s founders, Timo Ahopelto of Lifeline Ventures.

Timo has worked in several industries, ranging from biotech to apps, digital media and process technology. He earned his entrepreneur MBA from CRF Health, a software and services company that he co-founded, developed into a global market leader and successfully exited in 2015. Timo spends his free time with family, ice hockey, iron and in Lapland skiing-hikes.

Timo is also an author. He published his first book in 2013 (in Finnish). The books is called “Sand Hill Road” and is an action-packed report based loosely on the true story of two Finnish entrepreneurs who moved to Silicon Valley to make their mark.

My favorite parts of the interview involve our discussion about Zen Robotics, the fact that jet lag is not classified as a disease in the US and the ways that startups now have the ability to give medical technology to regular people instead of locking it up in medical buildings.

Be sure to look up Timo on Twitter and let him know what you think about his work in technology and medicine!

Further Resources

Human Brain Reacts to Transcranial Extraocular Light (Scientific Paper)

The post How To Beat Jet Lag And The Winter Blahs appeared first on Magnetic Memory Method - How to Memorize With A Memory Palace.