Using a technique to help us learn something we want to remember is another way we can make the most of our memory. Internal memory techniques have been around for centuries, so long in fact that one researcher was prompted to call memory improvement "one of the world's oldest professions." The ancient Greeks wrote extensively about the use of internal memory techniques, many of which are the same methods employed today. Performers who demonstrate feats of memory use such techniques to wow audiences with their skill.

Why, then, have so many people found these techniques frustrating and, quite frankly, more of a hindrance than a help? Actually, the problem is not with the techniques themselves, but rather with the way in which they have been taught. Memory improvement experts in the past have offered memory systems that are difficult to learn and burdensome to use. Methods such as the peg or loci technique are great for people who want "super" memories.
However, they really aren't that helpful for the average person. Most of us don't have hours to spend learning a complex internal memory system before we can use it. And let's be honest: Are you really that concerned with remembering absolutely everything?
Probably not, if you're like me and most people I know. You'd just like to remember better.

If you've" struggled with memory improvement in the past, you will be relieved that the approach to internal memory techniques taught recently is quite different. A good program should not be about a special ploy for memory improvement. And keep in mind that there is no one best way to make more of your memory.

Do we need internal memory techniques to improve our memory? Not necessarily. You can improve your memory by being attentive to information you need to remember, by identifying and coping effectively with things in your daily life that limit your memory potential, and by practicing good organizational habits. However, it is often advisable to memory students to make at least one internal memory technique part of their memory fitness routine, since there are circumstances where they are useful. For example, you may need to remember something "by head," such as a license plate number, a cell phone number, or a PIN number.


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