Anthony Metivier's Blog

If you’re seeking memory training because of forgetfulness, mental fog, or information overload, you’re not alone.

In fact, I’ve been on both sides.

I’ve been so frustrated with my memory that I nearly dropped out of grad school.

And so successful I came in second in a memory competition against one of the best mental athletes in the world.

My range of experiences means good news for you.

With the right daily drills and proven exercises, you can dramatically improve your recall, focus, and clarity.

In this guide, you’ll discover 7 memory training techniques I’ve personally used to:

Complete a PhD using mnemonic strategiesDeliver a TEDx Talk seen by millionsLearn multiple languages with confidence

Each routine is practical, research-backed and useable starting today.

Whether you want to remember names, prepare for exams, or simply keep your mind sharp as you age, these drills work.

Let’s dive in.

https://youtu.be/DU4VznNm1z4

Proof that Memory Training Works

As we go through the list of memory techniques you can start practicing with today, keep in mind that there’s no particular order of importance.

They all matter and each one is well-worth spending time learning.

But you might like to have some assurance that scientists have actually studied these memory tools.

In addition to reading my full profile of the state of memory science, you’ll be delighted to know that many of my memory champion friends have participated in memory studies.

For example, Katie Kermode recently posted on LinkedIn about her participation in this University of Cambridge Study.

This study follows many others, including a major analysis of how proper memory training leads to superior memory skills.

I’ll share a few more scientific references as we go, but for now, keep in mind that we are talking about training.

This means that your time does need to be spent on learning and applying the various memory techniques we’re about to explore together.

But every moment will be worth it once you see the results of better memory flowing into your life.

The Core Memory Training Techniques & Drills I RecommendOne: Mnemonic Linking

Mnemonic linking is where most people start training their memory.

What is linking?

It’s a simple technique where you assign vivid, strange or emotional associations between information you already know and new data you want to retain.

To keep things simple, let’s say you need to remember a list of words like “apple,” “book” and “dog.”

To use the linking technique, you simply mentally link the apple with something related to apples that is specifically familiar to you. I would personally forge a link with an Apple computer.

For the next word in the list, I would imagine the Apple computer interacting with a specific book. Since the final word is “dog,” that book could be the Bible in the jaws of a specific dog.

The key is to make every association specific. So in this case, the list will be easiest to remember if there’s a kind of mnemonic story playing out:

“An Apple computer flies down from the sky to try and wrestle the family Bible from the jaw of Superman’s dog.”

Silly, right?

Yes, and that’s what makes it so memorable.

In case you’re interested, one of the reasons why so many people start with linking isn’t because it’s the best place to start.

It’s largely because that’s where the dominant memory improvement authors like Harry Lorayne and Tony Buzan talked about starting. They were largely repeating the instructions given by Bruno Furst in his correspondence memory courses.

Linking is definitely worth learning. I use it frequently and found it especially helpful for learning the articles and other aspects of learning German.

Two: Peg Systems

Peg systems are the foundation of how I learned to memorize playing cards.

Please be aware that memory teachers use the general term “peg” in quite a variety of ways.

I generally call it the pegword method and separate pegs into at least four different kinds of mnemonic images:

Number RhymesNumber objects (or number shapes)Major SystemPAO System

To give you an example of the simplest peg system, here’s how the number rhyme technique works through the association of rhymed images:

1 = sun2 = shoe3 = bee4 = door5 = hive6 = sticks7 = heaven8 = gate9 = wine10 = hen

As a fun exercise that will itself give your brain a workout, I suggest you draw your first number-rhyme list.

Here’s my own hand drawn list:

Once you’re set up with these rhymes (or variations of your own choosing), associating information using this technique will be a breeze.

To give you an example, let’s refer back to our previous list.

Using number rhyme pegs, you could imagine the apple growing as large and as bright as the sun. The book could be shaped like a shoe, and smell just as bad. And the dog could be chasing bees.

The advantage to number rhymes is that you not only remember the items. You also remember the numbered order of each item in the list.

Another advantage when you develop your skills will all four peg systems is that you have pre-learned mental associations.

You don’t have to invent new links on the fly. You have mental “pegs” to hang new information on.

Please train with all of these peg systems in the bulleted list above because having multiple tactics offers tremendous flexibility when you want to remember things quickly.

Three: Keyword Mnemonics

When preparing for my TEDx Talk, I didn’t memorize every word.

Instead, I pulled out only the most important words. This is generally the best approach to memorizing a speech.

By compressing the speech into a smaller set of memory triggers laid out along a Memory Palace journey, I was able to convey the main points without having to memorize the entire speech verbatim.

As a result, you can memorize two or three words and still recall entire sentences.

For example, my TEDx begins with the line, “How would you like to completely silence your mind?”

The images are simple Howie Mandel with a stick of wood hitting a like button on a YouTube video. Since I know the topic of my talk, I didn’t need to encode the rest of the phrase.

Verbatim Memorization By Making Every Word a Keyword

Now, if you’ve seen my TEDx Talk, you might have noticed that I recite a few quotes and Sanskrit phrases.

This is verbatim memorization, but it’s essentially the same process.

Instead of extracting keywords, every word is memorized as if it were a keyword. To practice this, I suggest you complete my tutorial on how to commit poetry to memory.

As an additional resource, please consult my detailed tutorial on how to memorize a paragraph.

Four: Alphanumeric Mnemonics

I mentioned the Major System above.

Let’s dig deeper into how this technique works so you can easily remember important phone numbers, credit cards, historical dates and even matters related to programming on demand.

What is it?

The Major System is called an “alphanumeric” technique because it helps you transform numbers into consonant sounds.

You then turn these into memorable words by inserting vowels between the consonants.

The Major System is a foundational technique and merely learning to use it will provide you with outstanding memory training.

Here’s the exact alphanumeric pattern I’ve used for decades:

The Major System

Once you’ve committed this set of associations to memory, here’s how it works:

If you have to memorize the number 34, you note that 3 = M and 4 = R.

You then insert a vowel and come up with a word like “mare” or a person like “Mary.”

Personally, I use “mare” as my word for 34, but make it more specific by thinking of a specific horse: the one pictured on the cover of Piers Anthony’s Xanth novel, Nightmare.

Although this technique is primarily used for remembering numbers, you can actually use it to remember many other things.

For example, often when I learn new words in different languages, I observe the consonants and work out what numbers they would be in the Major System.

This makes it fast and easy to come up with associations.

For example, in German, “blacksmith” is der Schmeid.

In the major, the “sch” sound can be represented by 6, which also covers J sounds. D is linked with 1.

61 makes words like “Jedi” and Judd. So I can imagine the actor Judd Nelson “smushing” his Jedi uniform into a suitcase shaped like an E.

Although that’s not 100% direct, it doesn’t have to be. With a small amount of spaced repetition, the target information will enter long-term memory.

A Brief History of Alphanumeric Mnemonics

Although it can be a bit tough to learn in the beginning, rest assured that people have been using mnemonic tools like the Major System for thousands of years.

For more background, check out Lynne Kelly’s The Memory Code.

In my own research, I’ve found the katapayadi system, which goes back to at least 869 CE.

I find the length of time this particular type of tool for establishing memories has been around inspiring. Hopefully it will continue to survive for both practical uses and fun projects like memorizing pi.

Five: The First Letter Mnemonic Technique

This next technique is great for training with poetry, song lyrics and quotes.

To use it, all you do is take the first letter of each word and write it on a piece of paper.

Here’s what I mean using the opening of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 59:

“If there be nothing new, but that which is hath been before…”

Once you’ve written out the letters, you look at the list and practice recalling all the words in full.

It is literally an exercise in mentally filling in the blanks.

As a learning technique, this approach is related to the Cloze test.

In this laboratory study of using what the scientists called the “first Initial mnemonic,” students who used it as part of their studies showed significantly better recall.

Although I would never use this approach to memorize something mission critical like a speech, it is a good training exercise. I use it a couple of times a year just for practice.

Six: Story-Telling For Better Memory

I mentioned the power of crafting mnemonic stories above. Let’s go deeper.

As we know from the story of Simonides of Ceos, the brain loves stories because it finds them instantly memorable.

That’s one reason why the Renaissance memory master Robert Fludd talked about using theatre plays in your associations.

I personally use this approach often, and have a full Story Method tutorial that will help you use it in a highly targeted way for both training your memory and as a learning tool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhN0r...

Seven: The Memory Palace Technique (The Gold Standard)

The Memory Palace technique changed my life.

Also known as the method of loci, it’s powerful because it lets you use one of our most powerful types of memory and mental faculties:

Spatial memory.

In other words, you place associations paired with your target information along a familiar route or location in your imagination.

Then, using spaced repetition and one of the association techniques discussed above, you revisit the images you placed along the journey. Soon, you’ll have the information you want to remember in long-term memory.

That’s exactly what I did to memorize my TEDx Talk using keywords after making a quick sketch of a familiar location:

And like all memory techniques, the Memory Palace has been thoroughly vetted by researchers.

According to a Nature article prepared by Eleanor Maguire and her team, anyone can reshape their brain’s networks by using this technique.

As the scientist’s revealed when sharing the brain scans of memory champions who use the technique, their success in remembering vast amounts of information quickly came from using this spatial memory technique.

The researchers then put non-memory athletes through a memory training program and observed how their brains changed with exercise.

The more the newcomers practiced the memory training techniques, the more their brain activity started to resemble the brains of memory athletes.

That means you can expect similar memory boosts, even if you’re a beginner with this particular mnemonic device.

Beyond Training with Techniques: Daily Memory Exercises

Developing stronger memory skills is generally best approached using the techniques I just shared with you.

However, there are other smaller actions you can take to create remarkable results over time.

Here are some recommended daily memory-boosting exercises I personally use and recommend:

One: Brain Games and Puzzles

You can stimulate multiple aspects of your cognition by playing a variety of brain games.

In addition to the classics like Sudoko and matching games, you can get involved with my Memory Detective game. We usually play a round every Halloween in the Magnetic Memory Method community.

Two: Regular Mindfulness and Meditation

Even just ten minutes a day of sitting meditation can improve your focus and working memory.

As this study shows, less is definitely more.

Not only did they find that brand-new meditators enjoyed better memory. They also experience mood boosts and greater levels of emotional regulation.

Three: Physical Exercise for Brain Health

Although I don’t always feel like it, I work hard to get myself to the gym three times a week. Or I will do a calisthenic routine at home.

I also take walks almost every day, including walking backwards. As this study showed, even just imagining that you’re walking backwards produced a memory boosting effect.

Personally, I prefer the real thing, even though it gets strange glances when I do it at the local outdoor gym.

Four: Learn Something New Every Day

Whether it’s studying a new language, a musical instrument or practicing a hobby like writing, continually learning new topics and skills keeps your brain engaged.

It also helps with neuroplastic change, literally rewiring your brain for better processing speed and memory.

You might also consider exploring a variety of ways to learn. If you typically take notes in a top-down fashion, for example, you can spend a few months on Tony-Buzan style mind mapping for a change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Over the years, I’ve received dozens of questions about various memory activities.

Here are answers to some of the most useful.

Does memory training really work?

The nuanced answers is that any memory exercise you engage in will work relative to the effort you put into it and the level of challenge.

Often people complain that a mental training routine isn’t producing results, but they are not actually challenging themselves in any meaningful way.

For example, in my critical analysis of crossword puzzles as a memory activity, you’ll find research showing that many people weaken themselves by looking at the answers.

So if you’re following a routine that lets you cheat in any shape or form, then no, it’s not likely to work.

The flip side of the coin is that you don’t want to engage in activities that are so challenging you simply feel frustrated.

So I encourage you to find activities that are challenging, but not to the point of constant failure.

How long does it take to see results?

If you choose a memory training exercise like the first letter mnemonic we discussed above, you could feel the results instantly.

But generally, there’s no magic number.

The point of memory training is similar to physical training. You want an ongoing balance of new exploration and maintenance of existing skills.

Are brain training apps the same as using memory techniques?

Not at all.

This is because the point of memory training is ultimately to have sharper recall in situations where you can’t reach for a device and use a search engine.

As I discussed in my post on cognitive training myths, you want some alignment between your specific memory improvement goal and the improvement activities you choose.

So if you truly want to improve your memory, think about exactly what that means. As I discuss in my tutorial on how to increase memory power, you need to start by defining your memory improvement goal.

Then select the activities most likely to get you there. Chances are, it won’t involve an app.

Can memory training help me pass exams?

Absolutely. People who regularly train their memory skills will gain an advantage.

But let’s be clear:

There’s a difference between daily training trills and sitting down to commit testable information to memory.

Just because you’ve sharpened your memory doesn’t mean you’ll memorize test answers.

For that, make sure you consider the techniques for studying I used when completing my PhD more comprehensively.

Memorization was a substantial part of my process, but not the only activity I engaged in by far.

Will memory training help reduce the impact of aging?

Almost certainly.

But you definitely want to discuss any issues you’re experiencing with a doctor.

As you do, please take inspiration from some of the greatest memory instructors who ever lived.

Harry Lorayne wrote many fantastic books on his way to the ripe age of 96 years.

He provided complete proof of concept and shared his best memory training processes in a book called Ageless Memory.

Likewise, Tony Buzan remained sharp during his twilight years. I re-read The Memory Book frequently to continually take inspiration from how he combined memory training with physical activity and diet.

What is the best memory training technique for beginners?

I suggest starting with number rhymes and applying them to simple lists.

It’s quick to setup and wonderfully effective.

Once you have the system setup, the only remaining task is to select various words with which to practice on a daily basis.

Fortunately, that’s as simple as picking up a dictionary or visiting a website that will suggest words for you.

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need a “Photographic Memory”

Many people ask me to teach them to have a photographic memory.

I always turn them down because most of what we need to memorize is in language, not pictures.

Plus, photographic memory is widely considered to be pseudoscience.

Ultimately, if you want a trained memory, or even just to learn faster, every technique you’ve discovered on this page is very learnable.

If you’d like more help, especially with turning these exercises into long term results, sign up for my free course now:

It gives you the ultimate memory improvement exercise by focusing on spatial memory through four free videos and three powerful worksheets.

You’ll learn how to:

Lock information into long-term memoryRecall faster with less effortTransform more of your studies and work life into effective brain workouts

And if you’d like more information on additional mnemonic tools, this list of memory techniques goes deeper still into the many mnemonic activities you can explore.

The important point is to get started and keep going.

The absolute best years of your learning and remembering life await!

How did the runaway fugitive Benjamin Franklin become a writer, printer, inventor, philosopher and diplomat and still find time to help found the United States?

Part of the answer is easy: he was a self-made polymath.

That means he trained himself to study and succeed in multiple skills and disciplines with surgical focus.

The key to learning across so many fields?

Habits.

Routine processes and procedures that still work to this day.

In fact, they’re more valuable than ever.

On this page, you’ll learn how Franklin built one of the sharpest minds in all of human history.

Even better:

You’ll learn how you can use the same habits and techniques to learn faster, think deeply, and integrate knowledge across multiple fields.

Let’s dive in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tQm-...

What Makes Benjamin Franklin a Polymath?

The term “polymath” has been used for hundreds of years to describe a person of various learning.

But we’re not talking about productivity nerds, which is sometimes how the term is now used in our time.

Franklin, like Thomas Jefferson and other polymaths I’ve covered on this website, built expertise in multiple areas through the power of habit.

It’s important to understand this fact because Franklin was not born into privilege. He wasn’t a savant.

But the specific activities he engaged in make him one of the most influential minds of his time. He influences us to this day.

And his learning habits are proof that polymathy isn’t about talent. It’s about practicing the right habits.

Benjamin Franklin’s Most Important Learning Habits

As we get into my discussion of how Franklin learned, you might think that some of the habits I’m describing belong more to the realm of productivity.

Although that might be true, to succeed in everything from science and innovation to politics and diplomacy, Franklin’s biggest habit is the most important of all.

That’s because it creates reflective thinking. And when you have that, you learn from your own habits, enabling personal growth over time as you learn from your own journey.

With that point in mind, here are what I believe are the most important lessons about learning, overcoming obstacles and long-term focus.

One: The Focusing Power of Franklin’s Reading Deadlines

Franklin worked for a time in his brother’s printing shop.

To educate himself, he would quietly borrow books from apprentice booksellers and read them overnight. Then, before anyone noticed, he would return them.

As he wrote about this habit:

“Often I sat up in my room reading the greatest part of the night, when the book was borrowed in the evening and to be returned early in the morning, lest it should be missed or wanted.”

This early habit of reading against the clock focused his mind and deepened his memory.

He also chose books written in modern styles, which would influence his communication skills.

But the point is that Benjamin chose to become one of the most well-read minds of his era.

And when he read, he wasn’t just reading. He was training.

I’ve also read against the clock for years and deadlines are indeed powerful. Check out my guide to reading faster for more information.

Two: The Expansive Power of Conversation

Franklin didn’t just read books. He also read people.

That’s because he understood something that many people who want to become polymathic miss:

The right conversation with the right person can teach you more than a hundred books. Faster.

In order to make sure he was having plenty of the right conversations, Benjamin created the Junto in Philadelphia.

This was a weekly discussion group where a variety of tradesmen, writers and thinkers shared ideas.

It was not just a social circle.

Rather, the Junto was a living, breathing social system that allowed its members to learn from one another.

As Jessica Borger recently wrote in a scholarly paper titled The Power of Networking in Science and Academia, networking remains just as important in our time. If not more so.

As Franklin wrote with reference to the importance of relationships:

“A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.”

Three: Accumulating Knowledge Through Questioning

Franklin wrote a lot and was clearly highly opinionated.

But Walter Isaacson highlights in his excellent biography,  Franklin wrote that knowledge “was obtained by the use of the ear rather than of the tongue.”

To make sure he had plenty to listen to, Franklin stimulated conversation through questions.

If you’d like to emulate the process, check out my full guide on how and why you should question everything.

The key is to understand that Franklin didn’t ask questions to impress others.

He used dialogue to help refine his thinking, uncover new perspectives and help himself and others understand more.

All the reading to deadlines he did surely helped stimulate his curiosity and stockpile a number of questions.

But the deliberate practice of questioning helped make the process automatic, literally forging it into a habit thanks to what scientists call procedural memory.

Make questioning while you meet with people and as you study a habit of mind. It will help you think differently, learn more and experience tremendous growth.

And the best part is that the more you practice asking questions, the better your questioning will become.

Four: Setting Rules and Keeping Them

Just as reading to deadlines focuses the mind and memory, developing codes of conduct frees the mind to pay much more open attention to what you want to learn.

That’s why Benjamin was a fanatic for creating rules.

But he didn’t just create them.

He wrote them out, tested them, enforced them and evolved them over time.

For example, he crafted thirteen rules around a list of virtues. You can find them in his autobiography, specifically the section where he talks about his goal of achieving moral perfection.

But he didn’t stop at self-discipline for himself.

When he formed the Union Fire Company from a group of volunteers, he wrote bylaws. If members broke the rules around attending meetings or taking care of equipment, they paid fines.

Likewise with the Junto. Members followed written rules to help ensure an environment where their mutual focus on learning from one another thrived.

You might think Franklin’s approach is a bit old-fashioned. But in our time, internet companies like stickK enable people to set up commitment contracts. If they don’t achieve goals they’ve set for themselves, the company will send a certain amount of the users money to a charity or other designated party.

Although your mileage may vary from setting rules for yourself, habitually setting up codes of conduct and sticking to them can create a framework for learning.

Personally, I use rules as accelerators for my learning goals often, such as rewarding myself for getting through difficult books I don’t want to read. For example, I won’t let myself get a book for pleasure until I’ve finished one that I’ve committed to completing for my research.

I find that accountability works best when it’s unavoidable, visible and public. That’s one reason I made a video about my in-progress bookshop Memory Palace project.

Although many challenges have made me want to give up along the way, my rule that I finish the projects I start helps me push through. As does making the projects I start public.

Five: Masterful Note-Taking

As a student of multiple topics, Franklin developed his own shorthand.

These days, you can learn Gregg shorthand relatively quickly, sparing yourself the hassle of creating a system from scratch.

But the larger point is to learn how to take notes effectively.

For picking up this powerful study skill, you can consult my guide to note-taking.

You can also explore one of the core techniques Thomas Jefferson used, an approach now called the Zettelkasten method.

Whichever method you choose, it’s helpful to understand that many of Franklin’s notes were not main points copied out verbatim.

He formulated the ideas in his own words, often reconstructing the ideas in the form of Socratic dialogues.

Franklin even invented names for different personas and had these characters help him explore and refine a variety of ideas.

You can think of this approach as an advanced form of active, transformational note-taking. If you want to be as polymathic as Franklin, avoid passive reading and seek the active synthesis of ideas by engaging them deeply in your own words.

Six: Writing to Learn

Franklin didn’t stop at reformulating his notes. He treated long-form writing as a laboratory for learning.

As a self-taught teenager marked by the most common traits of an autodidact, Franklin copied essays he admired.

Then, he would attempt to rewrite them from memory a few days later.

Even more importantly, he studied grammar and rhetoric to help him craft better persuasion skills. As he wrote:

This habit, I believe, has been of great advantage to me when I have had occasion to inculcate my opinions, and persuade men into measures that I have been from time to time engaged in promoting.

Franklin also wrote correspondences with people around the world. When he could not learn from available journals or his social circle, he wrote to thinkers across Europe.

They helped him design his own experiments, and his habit of regularly communicating in writing through the mail was tremendously fruitful.

Writing also helped provide Franklin with a fantastic memory for quotes and short sayings packed with wisdom.

And of course, writing made him incredibly wealthy. This habit literally bought him more books and more time to read them. He retired from his business at just 42 years of age.

Seven: The Synergy of Synced Habits

Although we often think of polymaths as people who have established mastery in multiple domains, Franklin unified his skills wherever possible.

His strategies for competing with a fellow newspaper printer named Andrew Bradford reveal synergistic thinking.

To do this, Franklin built a multimedia empire over time. He combined the ownership of multiple printing presses in various regions with also creating and owning products.

On top of owning the presses that printed his own catalogs, magazines, almanacs and newspapers, Franklin also wrote content for them.

From there he conquered distribution, meaning that he could profit by taking care of mailing his own products.

These strategies compounded the value of the habits he used to accomplish and maintain all of these processes.

As you work on your own development as a polymath consider the many areas where you can build new skills on top of the foundational abilities you’ve already developed.

In the terms Peter Burke offers in his book, The Polymath, Franklin was a centripetal polymath. This means that he built his many skills to support a singular vision.

Other polymaths might stack on skills more randomly. There’s nothing wrong with doing this, but you’ll wind up missing the benefits of syncing your habits synergistically the way Franklin did.

What We Can Learn From Franklin’s Daily Schedule

There’s no mystery to how Franklin fit all of his skills development and maintenance activities into his day. He lays out the process in his autobiography.

If you look at his illustration above, you’ll see an early version of what we now call “time boxing.”

But more important than giving his time organization habits a name, not that he did not cram. He crafted space for asking questions, removing clutter and thinking reflectively.

When you design your day around thinking, you’ll live more deliberately.

Your mind will have more space for focusing on what you want to learn. And your mind will be freer to integrate what you’re learning.

To emulate Franklin’s process:

Begin and end each day with one reflective thoughtProtect and assign your thinking timePlan and track your exact behaviors, not just what you accomplish

In other words, manage the meaning of your time. This will help align your activities into habits worth having.

Franklin’s Greatest Achievements as a Polymath

Everyone will have their own favorite accomplishment from Franklin’s incredible life.

Here are the ones that stand out most to me.

Science and Innovation

Franklin’s most famous experiment proved that lightning was electricity.

But he didn’t rely on intuition. He studied the topic deeply, including different ways to test his hypothesis safely.

He used some of the habits we’ve discussed above to contact other inventors and scientific-minded people.

As a result, he:

Invented the lightning rod, preventing destructive fires.Created bifocal lenses, solving a personal problem that still helps people around the world.Charted the Gulf Stream, helping massively improve Atlantic navigation.

Franklin went beyond curiosity and the relentless consumption of information we see today.

He tested what he learned, applied it and shared his results, inspiring many other “citizen scientists” to do the same.

Politics and Diplomacy

As a student of classical philosophy, Franklin understood the political theories of his time incredibly well.

His self-directed reading habits included international law so that he could practice the highest level of public service.

As a result, he helped:

Draft the Declaration of Independence.Negotiate the Treaty of Paris.Serve as a cultural and political ambassador between America and Europe.

Although some people attribute Franklin’s success to charisma, that’s not the full story.

He studied people carefully in addition to being a practitioner of rhetorical tools of persuasion. He turned everything he learned into skills that he leveraged.

Philanthropy and Civic Initiatives

Franklin used his knowledge and business acumen to serve others.

The list of examples is long, but includes:

Founding lending libraries.Establishing volunteer fire departments.Organizing street cleaning and mutual aid groups.

All of these came from Franklin’s passion for people.

But their success was aided by the habits that structured his interdisciplinary study efforts.

Writing and Publishing

As a writer and publisher myself, Franklin has inspired me for years.

Everything from his habit of reconstructing what he’d read from memory to building a multimedia conglomerate has given me insight into how to enjoy success of my own.

Franklin’s lifelong writing habits led him to:

Create Poor Richard’s Almanack, where he shared his practical wisdom and philosophy.Establish a lucrative career in printing, publishing and distribution.Tackle politics through satire by writing dozens of pseudonymous essaysStacked, Not Scattered

If there’s one major lesson to take from Benjamin Franklin’s learning life, it’s that he leveraged the power of structure and balance.

His achievements were the product of interleaving:

CuriosityStudySystems developmentExperimentationAnalysisSharing

It was like a perfect circle.

And one that anyone can emulate.

But if you find that your mind is scattered, I suggest getting some memory training.

That might sound like a leap in logic, but if you’ve enjoyed the insights about Franklin you’ve read today, I have good reason to believe that Franklin’s memory was sharp.

It’s part of the explanation for why he could pay attention to what mattered and prioritize the right habit stacks at the right times.

To help you get your memory sharper so you have more focus and clarity, consider signing up for my free course.

Its exercises will help you improve your working memory so you can process more ideas faster.

And prioritize them like Franklin.

So what do you say?

As far as I can tell, Franklin wasn’t born a polymath.

Nor did he wait to be taught.

He used daily discipline, deadlines, intentional habits and a relentless drive to help others enjoy an incredible life of learning.

His polymathy was forged.

And that means you can forge your own polymathy too.

Start with one habit, one question and one page in a journal.

And keep going. Before you know it, learning multiple skills and fields of knowledge will fill your entire being with accomplishment and joy.

To make learning how to memorize a list quickly a fast and seamless process, I suggest you learn to use the Memory Palace technique.

That’s because I believe memorizing a list should not be hard.

And people who struggle with with them?

It’s not because their memory is bad.

They’re often just using the wrong method.

I’ve been thinking about lists a lot lately as I reach the final stages of establishing a real-world Memory Palace with a bookshop in it.

To pull it off, I’m studying real estate in a course.

It involves all kinds of acronyms, form numbers and logistics.

And thanks to the technique you’re about to discover, I’m retaining the lists of information with easy.

The Memory Palace technique is not a trick.

It’s a system.

And once you learn it, you can memorize any list. Quickly and for life.

Let’s begin.

https://youtu.be/dJvbbMtA1OA

How to Memorize a List Fast

There’s a fair amount of confusion about list memorization because there are different ways of doing it.

So many ways that people wind up confused and wondering which approach to use.

For example, you might have heard of Harry Lorayne.

He was a magician who popularized using mnemonics for remembering lists using the pegword method.

But what if you want to memorize a list of numbers, like Akira Haraguchi who was able to commit 100,000 digits of pi to memory?

What if you’re a medical professional who needs to memorize lists of symptoms, pharmaceutical information and all the carpal bones?

Or perhaps you want to memorize vocabulary as part of learning a language.

Perhaps your goal is even more modest. You just want to remember a to-do list or the groceries you need to pick up from the store later.

For each of these goals, I suggest you sidestep most memory techniques and get started immediately with the Memory Palace technique.

I teach all of the other techniques in the video above, including number rhymes.

But since I don’t recommend those techniques as the fastest and most practical means of memorizing a list, let’s get into the technique I favor the most.

In detail.

Step One: Create Your First Memory Palace

A Memory Palace is a form of mental association where you place a list of information along a journey you assign within a familiar location.

You’ve probably seen the technique used in Sherlock Holmes when the iconic character says, “I must go to my Mind Palace.”

In case you’re not familiar with this mnemonic device, this ancient memory technique has been used for centuries.

Essentially, you just mentally order locations in the manner you see in this image:

And if you were Sherlock and had to commit a list of facts about a case to memory, you would use a location like the study pictured above.

To avoid laying out associations chaotically, you would identify a few places (called loci) where you can “store” each part of your list.

For example, if you needed to of a suspect, you would place a mnemonic image on the chair labeled “1” in the illustration above. You do that by using a very special form of association, which we’ll discuss next.

Step Two: Pair Each Item on the List with an Association & the Memory Palace

Let’s use the example of memorizing a grocery list.

To do this, mnemonists (people who use memory techniques) use what are called mnemonic images.

If carrot is the first item on your list, you just imagine a giant carrot on the chair in your office.

That’s weird and strange enough to stick in your memory.

But what if you have a list of facts or the names of the presidents? This kind of information needs to be transformed mentally into an association that’s a bit more elaborate.

For example, if the first name is Washington, you can imagine a washing machine on your bed. Imagine yourself commenting that it weighs a ton. Washing machine + ton = Washington.

How to Practice Placing a List Item in a Memory Palace

For practice, write out your to-do list on a piece of paper.

Let’s say you have to attend a meeting about a technology at 2 a.m. The topic is Microsoft’s Zune.

To add an association and place the word in your Memory Palace, you will need to split the word using the principle of word division I teach in my bestselling course, How to Learn and Memorize the Vocabulary of Any Language.

For this word, I would personally imagine my favorite zoo in Berlin and have the movie Dune playing while zebras watch.

Zoo + Dune = Zune.

What about the time of this meeting, 2 p.m.?

To add this kind of information to your to-list, you’ll want to use either the Major System or a PAO System.

Although these memory techniques are somewhat advanced, anyone can learn them.

Step Three: Gather the Information Into the Best Possible Order

Sometimes the order of items is clear.

However, when studying for an exam, you might need to rearrange the main points in different orders of importance.

For this reason, I like to extract information from textbooks onto flashcards. That way I can easily move the facts around and place them in the most logical order before creating associations and placing them in one of my Memory Palaces.

As a pro tip, here’s something you can try:

I normally draw my Memory Palaces out on a piece of paper (these drawings serve as essentially a list of already-remembered stations within a location).

Then I fold the paper around the flashcards. The example you see above is one of the Memory Palaces I used when I learned Mandarin and passed Level III. Here’s what some of my cards looked like:

If you like the idea of being able to keep the lists of information you need to remember flexible, I also use special flashcard methods known as Zettelkasten and the Leitner System.

Step Four: Use Optimized Spaced Repetition For Reviewing Your List

Here’s where the Memory Palace technique for memorizing lists really shines.

Not only does the technique let you include as many items as you like.

It also makes it easy to use what scientists call spaced repetition. If you’re using flashcards as I discussed above, this kind of rehearsal technique looks like this:

The Leitner spaced repetition system helps you manage your exposure by placing accurate and inaccurate flashcards in boxes.

If you’re using the Memory Palace approach (which is kind of like using chairs and other furniture as index cards you draw on), here’s the process:

You simply mentally revisit the journey in your Memory Palace.

Then, on each station, you recall what funny image or direct association you put down.

Try it now:

If I ask you to think about the list item we discussed on the chair in the Sherlock Mind Palace example above, you will probably remember that we talked about a giant carrot.

That one came easily.

But what about the item you needed to discuss at a technology meeting?

Although it may take a second, provided that you personalized your own mnemonic associations, you should be able to get back the word “Zune.”

And that’s another key:

As the Renaissance memory master Robert Fludd used to stress about using these memory techniques, you need to personalize them so that when you are reviewing the images associated with the list items, they pop much better. He was completely right and contemporary science has shown this to be true.

The principle of personalizing your images belongs to what scientists call active recall. By adding personal elements to the information on your lists while you link them with associations, you increase your chance of remembering them.

Many people learn this technique within minutes and immediately get it working.

Memorizing Lists FAQ

Over my years of teaching the Magnetic Memory Method, people have sent me many questions about dealing with lists.

For example, one of my students in the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass emailed today about memorizing the Buddhist eightfold path.

He expressed some concerns that naturally come up when dealing with lists where each item involves multiple words.

We’ll get into these issues and more in the following list of questions and answers.

What’s the fastest way to memorize a list of words?

The brief answer is to become a mnemonist who uses Memory Palaces and related tools.

That way, you’ll have all five of the main mnemonic systems needed for rapidly recalling information in list format.

The longer answer is that you need to start where you’re at.

Learn the memory skills I teach, and then set benchmarks.

If you start by memorizing just 2-3 items and practice recalling them reliably, move on to 4-5 items.

Progressively build the amounts from there by setting time challenges for yourself. If you can memorize 10 items in one minute, challenge yourself to build up to 15, then 20.

If you really want to push your skills, you can explore making your Memory Palaces “stickier” by pre-loading them with associations from your PAO System.

This is how some memory athletes have improved their speed with the kinds of lists that come up in memory competitions.

How can I memorize a long list without fogetting an item in the middle?

To establish long-term retention and recall of each item, you need to use spaced repetition.

You can use Memory Palaces, flashcards, Leitner boxes or software to help.

But giving equal doses of primacy effect and recency effect to each item in the list is key.

How do I memorize a list in order vs. out of order?

Although this is an interesting question, I’m not sure what it means.

Everything we do occurs in time. So if you’re memorizing a list, time always sets some kind of order, i.e. the first thing you memorize is followed by the second.

It’s possible that when people ask this question, they are trying to work out how they can add something to a list they’ve memorized after the fact.

There are two ways:

Use the principle of compounding as taught in the Magnetic Memory Method MasterclassAdd new details to a completely new Memory Palace

I do both, and it depends on the context.

In the case of the student who asked me today about memorizing the items on the Buddhist eight fold path, it actually makes sense to memorize it in two passes within a single Memory Palace.

First, you set the keywords up and use spaced repetition to establish long-term recall. Then you add the description of each step on the path.

How do actors memorize lists of lines or cues?

It’s important to realize that different actors approach learning their lines in different ways.

For those using memory techniques to memorize lines, I suggest this full tutorial. It describes the approach I use for memorizing Shakespeare and recommends a book you might like to read.

You might also have the option of not memorizing your lines at all.

In Dustin Hoffman Teaches Acting, Hoffman relates a story where he saw Robert De Niro reading lines from index cards he kept in his pockets shortly before the director would call action.

According to Hoffman, De Niro said that he didn’t memorize his lines because he didn’t want to look like he was carrying around his responses for two weeks. By not memorizing his lines, he made his performances more authentic.

Of course, the ultimate answer is to ask what your director wants and be prepared to collaborate with them. That way, you’re much more likely to produce an incredible stage play, series or film.

For more on the relationship between memory and acting, please see 8 Unusual Memory Tips from Actors Who Don’t Clown Around.

How do students memorize lists for exams (like biology terms of historical details)?

Unfortunately, many students cram.

But the best students do what we discussed today. Or they might pursue a study strategy that involves linking without using a Memory Palace.

The important thing to understand is that the exact nature of the information is not that important when it comes to using memory techniques.

So long as you’re prepared with the techniques, you can learn anything that involves numbers, words, concepts or symbols.

For examples, you can see my tutorial on memorizing historical dates and medical terminology training post.

What’s the best way to memorize vocabulary lists in a foreign language?

Technically, the best way to study vocabulary lists is to find a method that you’ll actually use.

If using rote repetition helps you achieve your goals, that’s a great way to go about learning a language. In this tutorial about rote learning, I suggest reasons why it’s not the best idea for many people.

But that doesn’t mean it won’t work for you.

Beyond that, I would suggest that memorizing lists is just part of learning a new language.

You also need to add reading, writing, speaking, listening and reading.

Combined with memorization, I call this approach The Big Five, and this illustration shows how these activities work together:

This process is very effective because it gives you natural spaced repetition and lets you experience the words on your vocabulary list in context.

How to memory champions memorize decks of cards or digits of pi? Are lists different?

This is a great question because although committing a sequence of digits is a list, it can feel different.

This is because many mnemonists memorize pi from left to right in their Memory Palaces.

Likewise, many memory athletes memorize cards by following horizontal lines along their memory journeys.

When I memorize cards using the strategy I teach in this card memory tutorial, however, I often place cards in vertical rows.

Using a chunking memory strategy, I usually memorize the cards in clusters of two or three at a time. This makes the task much faster.

However, just because the cards are memorized using different spatial configurations, the information is still essentially a list.

How many items can the average adult reliably retain without using memory aids?

The answer will differ depending on the state of your working memory.

Most people can memorize 5-8 items if they are simple, like numbers.

But we’ve all had the experience of memorizing words and forget a bunch of them, even though they seemed simple.

This is why I personally commit to applying memory techniques to just about everything.

Today in my real estate class, for example, I quickly attached images to various numbered forms to start the process of committing them to memory.

And with memory techniques, there will be no end to the exact amount that any person can memorize, except lifespan.

People who attend my live workshops are constantly amazed by how much information I recite during my courses.

And the way I do it is simply described. I just memory techniques.

How much time should I budged for spaced repetition reviews?

The exact amount depends on:

The volume of informationThe typeYour current level of skill with memory techniques

Rather than consider time in the beginning, think about building your skills.

Then, once you’re able to reliably memorize lists, work on shaving off the amount of time you need by practicing so you get better.

Does writing a list by hand improve recall compared with typing it?

Yes, and this Scientific American article gets into the scientific reasons why this is the case.

Also, I mentioned active recall above and the importance of personalization.

A second aspect of active recall involves writing.

The specific process is that you:

Bring the information in your list to mind by visiting the location you established in your memory palaceWrite it down on paperCheck your accuracy

I’ve been doing a lot of this kind of active recall in my real estate course. The teacher and the program designers are very wise for including a lot of writing exercises.

How do I blend chunking, the method of loci and spaced repetition for maximum retention?

One way is to use the Magnetic Memory Method, which I designed precisely to form that blend of rapid learning strategies.

Once you have the techniques in operation, all you have to do is organize your time.

If you’d like to discover more about what this approach is like, please register for my free course now right here:

It will help you create multiple Memory Palaces, discover fun and easy ways to use the method of association and more about how to rapidly apply spaced repetition.

Combined, you’ll soon have all the lists you want stored in long-term memory.

So what do you say?

Are you ready to give this approach to memorizing lists a try?

Make it happen!

The Major System is a centuries-old mnemonic tool that helps you transform numbers into concrete words and striking mental associations to increase their memorability.

You then apply these evocative mnemonic images to help with recalling the important numbers in your life. Such as:

Phone numbersPIN numbersAccount numbersBirthdaysMath formulasHistorical datesThe digits of piPlaying cards during games

Technically, the Major System is a phonetic peg system. It works either on its own or in combination with other mnemonic peg systems.

It looks like this, a simple pairing of 0-9 with a specific set of consonants:

The Major System

Like other mnemonic devices, this means that the Major uses consonant sounds to ‘peg’ numbers to words and images, making them easier to store and retrieve from memory.

Although people have been using the Major System (sometimes called the Major Method) to commit numbers to memory for centuries, there’s a rarely taught, but incredibly powerful dimension you’re about to discover.

I call it “bi-directionality.”

It’s the very approach to the Major System that helped me get my PhD in Humanities at York University. I memorized key historical dates, facts related to the history of science, logical formulas and more.

I’ve also applied the bi-directional Major System to learning several languages. I even used it in 2015 to take second place in a memory competition against a two-time Guinness World Record holder for playing cards.

On this page, I’ll share exactly how to use this mnemonic system yourself for memorizing any number. And I’ll share use cases for how you can get started using the Major System to absorb many other types of information.

Ready to get started applying this system to everything from banking numbers to complex academic material?

Let’s dive in!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vonJW...

What Is The Major System?

The mnemonic Major System dates back more than 2000 years. The earliest version I’ve found is called the katapayadi. You can also find information about the ancient Hebrew version in Eran Katz’s Where Did Noah Park the Ark?

These versions show that people across many cultures have turned to this kind of mnemonic device throughout time.

In our era, it used for everything from credit card numbers and phone numbers to thousands of digits of pi.

Extraordinary as that sounds, Akira Haraguchi famously used the Japanese version of the Major System to recite over 100,000 digits of pi from memory.

A Brief History of the Major System

Historically, we know from Hugh of St. Victor that students of the Bible used a similar system to memorize the dates of Adam and his descendants.

Hugh even linked numbers to people, actions and objects back in the twelfth century in The Three Best Memory Aids for Learning History. You can find an English version of this text in The Medieval Craft of Memory.

Although Hugh was already quite sophisticated, the Major System really start to take shape in the 16th and 17th centuries through people like Giordano Bruno and Robert Fludd.

Both of these Renaissance memory masters used letters and consonants to represent numbers, but their systems were often inconsistent and lacked a standardized approach. Nonetheless, their contributions added new dimensions, such as Bruno’s influence on the development of the Memory Wheel, and Fludd’s evolution of the number-shape system of Jacobus Publicius.

When it comes to developing the standardized system we now use, these are the most important figures.

Johann Justus Winckelmann

Johann Justus Winckelmann was a German mathematician and mnemonist. He proposed a method where each digit was always associated with the same specific consonants, laying the groundwork for later developments.

Aimé Paris

As a French mathematician and memory expert, Aimé Paris simplified the associations, making the system more user-friendly. His version is nearly identical to the Major System as we know it today.

Major Beniowski and the Naming of the System

The Major System is named after Major Beniowski, the 19th-century linguist, memory expert and author of the strangely titled, The Anti-Absurd or Phrenotypic English Pronouncing and Orthographical Dictionary.

Here’s how he graphically represented the Major System in his book by embedding the consonants into each of the digits, 0-9:

Apart from his book, not much is known about Beniowski. Some people believe that “Major” refers to Beniowski’s military rank.

Although that’s the most likely explanation, the name clearly underscores Beniowski’s “major” role in popularizing and standardizing this mnemonic method. Through his teachings and writings, Beniowski helped spread the use of the system, making it accessible to a wider audience.

The name is also much easier to remember than “alpha-numeric” code.

Further Refinement and Popularization

The Major System continues to evolve and gain popularity. Memory experts like Harry Lorayne brought it to the masses.  Later books like Moonwalking with Einstein encouraged many people to incorporate the system into their learning lives.

The technique continues to evolve to this day. Many memory competitors now use a variation called the Shadow, which is still based on the same alpha-numeric code you learned earlier in the video above.

If you want to check out some of the most impressive users of the Major, check out my podcast episodes with Katie Kermode and Don Michael Vickers. These memory athletes are seriously impressive.

They’re hardly the first of my memory champion friends to use the method, however.

Using Tony Buzan‘s SEM3 technique, many early memory competitors also used it to win year after year. The Major is still at the core of newer techniques like the Shadow, which competitors like Alex Mullen and Braden Adams have used to stunning effect.

Competition is not something many of us are interested in, however.

And the fact is that the Major System was never just about numbers. Limiting the Major in that ways is one of the biggest limitations learners impose on themselves.

But before we dive into how to use it bi-directionally—for both numbers and deep conceptual memory, let’s make sure you have the fundamentals locked in.

How the Major System Works in English

Now that you know where the Major System comes from, let’s break down exactly how it works. We’ll start by learning the sound-to-number code that makes it so powerful.

You start by converting the digits 0-9 into consonant sounds. This is basically a form of mnemonic chunking, a memory strategy that makes information easier to recall by breaking it down into smaller units.

The smaller these units are, the easier it is to make simple words that can be attached to meaningful associations you won’t forget.

Here’s a table of the core phonetic code used in the English version of the Major System. As you can see, each digit is linked to one or more consonant sounds, which you will eventually use to form words.

As you go through this table, you’ll notice that I’ve added a few suggestions for how to commit these pairings to memory:

0 → S or Z (sounds like the “s” in “zero”)1 → T or D (sounds like the “t” or “d” in “toad”)2 → N (has two downstrokes, resembles the letter “n”)3 → M (has three downstrokes, resembles the letter “m” or a moustache on its side)4 → R (the word “four” has four letters and ends in “r”)5 → L (hold your whole hand with the thumb out and the hand makes the “L” shape)6 → J, Sh, Ch, or Soft G (a cursive “j” has a similar shape to “6”)7 → K, G (hard), C (hard), or Q (a “k” can be seen as two mirrored 7s)8 → F or V (cursive “f” and “8” look similar)9 → P or B (both have a loop resembling “9What About Vowels?

Most people leave all vowels out of the system (A, E, I, O, U) .

That’s because vowels are used to form meaningful words or phrases by inserting them between the consonants.

For example, if you need to memorize 84, you can transform F and R into words like fire and fur. I’ll share a few more examples below to help you get the gist of how vowels work in combination with the consonants.

The Major System in Other Languages

Simon Luisi, a French-Canadian mnemonist and organizer of the Canadian Memory Championship event, uses a variation where 3 is also paired with W and 7 with Y.

To help people expand their Major System, Simon joined me on the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast to discuss his approach in this episode:

In addition to Simon’s variations, you’ll find different versions in many languages.

Languages like Spanish and Russian each adapt the Major System’s consonant assignments to help native speakers of these languages assign the maximum number of words.

Here’s an illustration showing how the Major System looks in Russian. Notice how the logic and its foundations remain, even if the exact consonants change:

In German, the Major System remains identical to English.

However, authors like Ulrich Voigt use the term “Zifferncode.” That’s the term he uses in his excellent book, Esels Welt: Mnemotechnik Zwischen Simonides und Harry Lorayne.

“Ziffern” means digit, and assembling digits into a code of meaning is exactly what you’ll be doing. No matter what language you speak, let’s next explore how to use these digit-sound pairings to make words and expand them into unforgettable mnemonic associations.

How to Turn Numbers Into Vivid Associations with the Major System

The next step is to transform sequences of numbers into vivid mental images.

To remember the number 123, you could break it down like this:

1 → T or D2 → N3 → M

From this arrangement, you might form the word “Denim” (D-N-M). This word is reached by inserting vowels between the consonants linked to the digits.

As you can see, D-N-M isn’t any more meaningful than 123. But once you insert the vowels to make a word, it’s easy to imagine denim. You can add even more meaning by imagining someone famous wearing denim whose name sounds similar, like James Dean.

Let’s take another example:

If you had to memorize 22, you could insert the vowel U and imagine a nun. If you had a number like 22235, you could imagine a nun attacking an “animal” like a tiger just by adding more vowels to the sequence to form words.

At this point, you’ve gone beyond mere words. You have the basis for building a narrative, which in the world of mnemonics is called the story method.

Back to the Ancients

I mentioned adding James Dean to make “denim” for 123 much more memorable.

This suggestion is based on an idea from Hugh of St. Victor, whom I mentioned above.

Don’t worry if you don’t know many celebrities.

You can also draw upon people from you real life, such as:

FriendsFamilyProfessionals (lawyers, teachers, doctors, dentists)PastorsAuthorsMusiciansHistorical figures

Since Hugh’s time, many people have used this more elaborate approach. It is now called a Person Action Object System or PAO System.

You can read my full PAO System tutorial when you’re done learning the Major.

PAO is the system I wish I had been using when I competed against Dave Farrow, the Guinness World Record holder I told you about in the introduction.

But don’t worry if you’re not ready for it yet. Like I said, I still came in second place with just the Major. You can read the full story of that competition here for more detail.

Now let’s take the vivid associations you’ve learned to form and give them a place to call home.

How to Use the Major System in a Memory Palace

The Memory Palace technique is one of the most powerful ways to situate the associations you’ve assigned in long-term memory. It involves selecting a familiar location and identifying a simple path for you to place figures like tiger-fighting nuns and James Dean wearing jeans.

I’m talking about locations like you:

HomeSchoolChurchFavorite cafes, restaurants, movie theatresLibrariesBookshopsParks

The key is to develop clear mental journeys through your Memory Palaces.

They should be truly based on what is in your memory and have little or no imaginary elements (at least not in the beginning). That way your focus can fall on encoding the number-consonant associations into these spaces.

Once you’re set up, convert the numbers you need to memorize into consonants. Then form words or phrases by adding vowels or other non-consonant sounds. These words should be vivid and memorable and follow the principles you can learn by using these visualization exercises.

Next, place the words you come up with in a Memory Palace. Basically, you’re associating each word as a mnemonic image with the location.

Make each one as vivid as possible, with lots of detailed and interactivity.

Here are some examples:

Example 1: 314

3 → M
1 → T or D
4 → R
Word: “Meter”

Memory Palace Placement: Imagine a large meter on the wall of your bedroom.

Example 2: 72

7 → K or G
2 → N
Word: “Gun”

Memory Palace Placement: Picture a gunman standing in the kitchen, guarding the fridge.

By placing these images in specific locations within your Memory Palace, you can mentally walk through the space and easily recall the numbers associated with each image.

How to Get Numbers Into Long Term Memory

This next step is very important.

Although you will increase your ability to memorize this information greatly by not only creating a crazy image and sticking it in a Memory Palace, you can and should  lock it down for the long haul.

You do this by revisiting the imagery several times. I suggest you specifically use a process called spaced repetition.

It’s really easy. You’ve created a Memory Palace and you know exactly where to look for that tiger-attacking nun 22235.

And if you’ve got ten pieces of information along that journey, it’s easy to travel it and decode each image. It’s almost like watching a movie.

I recommend that you revisit that journey and watch that movie you’ve created (making sure to decode the imagery and practice retrieving the information) at least 5 times the first day. This suggestion is based on remarks by Dominic O’Brien who created an alternative number mnemonic system called The Dominic System.

What To Do If You Have An Exam Coming Up

If you’re studying for an exam that involves historical dates or formulas, I’d recall the numbers five times a day for a week and then at least 1-2 times a week thereafter. Do this for as long as you want to keep the imagery fresh and available.

It will probably still be there if you don’t perform this Magnetic Memory Method Recall Rehearsal, but you might have to fish around for it.

But if you’re serious about being able to recall the information, you’ll revisit it more than a few times to get it down cold.

That’s just how the method of loci works best. Every good Memory Palace book stresses the same point.

And the best part is that you’ve done so without having to use index cards or any weird and boring stuff like that.

The only time that it’s good to repeat information over and over again is when you’re using your imagination to do it. That makes both your memory and your imaginative abilities stronger and stronger.

Intermediate & Advanced Major System Techniques For Memorizing Numbers

Once you have the basics of the Major Method down, you might want to learn how to create a Person Action Object (PAO) or 00-99 system. For that, please check out The 3 Most Powerful Techniques For Memorizing Numbers.

These next-level techniques for memorizing numbers will then help you in other areas, such as human anatomy. Learning numbers related to blood flow through the heart, for example, are easier and faster to absorb when using the Major System.

You can also think about using a Major System to help you memorize any book. All you need to do is call upon words or images for each page based on the page number.

For example, if you want to memorize a fact on page 75 of a book, you use an image built from the Major System to remember the location in the book. Then you use the page as the Memory Palace.

I did exactly this when I wanted to recall a point about episodic memory in Maps of Meaning. I turned 75 into John Cale and had him interacting with Freud and Shakespeare, who are related to memory science related to how we remember ancient wisdom.

You can also easily use the Major System in combination with a Memory Palace for language learning. I normally use alphabetical associations, but when I can’t think of images for some words, I just think through the consonants as numbers in the Major System and then start using that image.

Even if it’s not perfect or doesn’t exactly reflect pronunciation, it’s at least a starting point.

As a recent example, I did this with a Sanskrit phrase.

Although I later realized that a celebrity I’m aware of was better than my image for 07 (Oliver Sacks), at least working with Sacks to get started with “suktikarajatam” led me to think about using Sook-Yin Lee.

For more on just how deep into history this numerical bi-directionality goes, see my video tutoris called Aristotle’s Nuclear Alphabet and The Imaginary Memory Palace Method of Hugh of St. Victor.

And just to make sure you fully understand how valuable bi-directionality goes, let’s dig deeper into this powerful dimension of the technique.

Bi-Directionality Case Study:
The Hidden Superpower of the Major System

Although it’s perfectly valid to use the Major System only for memorizing numbers like PINs, historical dates and long sequences of digits, you now know there’s more to the technique than that.

As artificial intelligence ramps up, I find myself using it much more often than ever before.

Take Lindy’s Law, for example, a principle which states that the longer something exists, the more likely it will continue to exist.

To lock in that idea using the Major System, I used the number 51 because of the strong L and D in “Lindy.”

Here’s a quick YouTube short to enhance the written explanation that follows:

https://youtube.com/shorts/Tqm2HmzCqr...

As you can see, I turned L and D into a name more familiar to me than Lindy: Alan Ladd. (L = 5 and D = 1).

I then imagined Alan Ladd pouring a “latte” (also 51) over a copy of Shane, his most-known film. Since this movie has endured for generations, it’s very likely it will continue to enjoy fame.

This is the power of using the Major System in a bi-directional way.

Rather than limiting yourself to using the Major System for numbers, you’re using it to encode words and concepts using the same system.

You’ve now doubled its value, if not more as you start using it to mentally catalog entire books, vocabulary lists and more with greater speed and accuracy.

Major System FAQ

As you’ve seen, the Major System is a powerful mnemonic technique that converts numbers into consonants.

By inserting vowels, you can create simple words that can be expanded into vibrant images and stories.

Let’s turn now to some of the questions I’ve received about it over the years with some answers that will help expand what you’ve just learned.

Why should I use the Major System?

Numbers are abstract and difficult to remember.

But by turning digits into images and stories, your brain remembers them.

As you’ve seen, you can also use the Major System bi-directionally. Whenever you struggle to find an association for a word or concept using the alphabetical pegword method, you can look at the numbers associated with the consonants. Then use those images.

Personally, I wish I would have started using the bi-directional approach much sooner.

Is the Major still worth learning in the age of AI?

Absolutely yes.

As you saw in the YouTube short above, I recently used it to memorize an important concept in computer science.

So if anything, it’s even more valuable now than in any other period of history.

Remember, the value of thinking in relationships, associations and patterns is beyond measure. You differentiate yourself by mastering this mnemonic system.

What’s the difference between the Major System and the Dominic System?

The Dominic System assigns numbers to people specifically using their initials.

For example, 1 = Andre the Giant, 2 = Bugs Bunny, 3 = Cheshire Cat.

Although the Dominic System is just as structured in its way, there’s a higher level of arbitrariness. You have to work harder to make the link between the associations.

The Major is much more flexible and less arbitrary. There’s a reason why you use the pope for 99 (because 9 is associated with B or P). You’re getting more value because of how easy it is to make words and logically infer why you chose them.

What about the Shadow System?

Although based on the Major, I believe the Shadow is specifically for memory competition.

In my understanding, it evolved for card memorization because competitors want to memorize multiple decks at a time. This means you will get two Jack of Hearts in row (if not more).

It’s definitely worth looking into, but I stopped learning it when I realized I would never use it.

What if I forget which vowel I inserted between the consonants?

This might happen in the beginning.

But as you establish a standard set of words for all of the 2-digit pairs, you’ll use the same associations repeatedly.

When I drilled mine to memory the first time, I put all the numbers from 00-99 on index cards. I then practiced shuffling them and naming my chosen figures.

Once I could name them all within seconds, I started practicing memorizing strings of digits.

By the time I had realized that the Major could be used bi-directionally, I was able to easily apply the same images to vocabulary and phrases.

How can I practice applying the Major System for real world benefit?

There are a number of valuable ways to practice applying the Major System once you’ve learned it. You can:

Take memory number tests frequently.Keep a journal as suggested by accomplished memory athlete Johannes Mallow.Put numbers on flashcards and test yourself manually.Use the International Association of Memory’s free software for generating random numbers.Attach the Major System to a pack of playing cards and memorize their order.Study vocabulary by using the bi-directional method.How often should I practice?

It’s really up to you and your needs.

But as I discuss in my book on how to memorize numbers, math and equations, I usually practice 3-4 times a week, typically by using the final method: playing cards.

But all of the above methods are a lot of fun and I use the technique as I read often as a kind of “Magnetic Bookmark.”

Rather than putting a print bookmark into my books, I glance at the page number and have my association interact with the information on the page. That makes it easy to remember where I was in the book.

Can I use the Major System for memorizing formulas?

Yes, and the technique applies to formulas in multiple areas, from chemistry to physics, biology to computer science and programming. You can also apply the Major to speed math and becoming a mental calculator.

Here’s a video where I break down how to do exactly that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAkiu...

The trick is always to make sure that you are prepared with the additional symbol and alphabet systems I describe in the video above.

To give you a quick example:

When I was learning the formulas used in logic, I imagined a totem pole for totality and an air conditioner blowing cold air on one of the Ninja Turtle’s weapons for condition. These are examples of the pegword method applied to visual symbols.

For even more advanced techniques related to numbers and equations with examples, please go through my detailed tutorial on how to memorize a textbook.

What’s the role of chunking in the Major System?

The reason systems like the Major work so well is that they help you break long strings of information down into manageable units.

People who memorize large amounts of pi aren’t really memorizing dozens of digits at a time. They are memorizing how interesting images interact in their Memory Palaces.

By recalling these compelling scenarios, they “translate” them back into the original digits.

Should I apply the Magnetic Memory Method technique of KAVE COGS to the Major System?

Yes. Doing so will make your associations even stickier in your Memory Palaces.

In case you’re new to KAVE COGS, it is an acronym to help you remember to add the following multi-sensory associations:

KinestheticAuditoryVisualEmotionalConceptualOlfactoryGustatorySpatial

With “denim” for 123, you might feel what it’s like to be James Dean wearing denim and hear the zipper as you imagine looking at them.

You can smell the denim and imagine its size and really make things strange by tasting it and adding a zany concept. For example, James Dean could be trying to fit jeans over his race car, using the concept of racing to make the word denim more memorable.

What if the number-consonants don’t form words I like or want to use?

This problem is common.

And the answer is practice without thinking too much about whether one likes or dislikes the possible word options.

For example, even if I don’t care much for Thomas Szasz, but he’s a great image for 00.

In my mind, he’s more concrete than Zeus. Although Zeus is an option, there are countless pictures of this Greek god.

But Thomas Szasz is unique and that’s why I tend to use him the most.

Of course, you also have the option of more than one figure or association. That’s where the PAO System comes in because it gives you three different options.

Can kids or beginners learn the Major System?

Absolutely.

But if you or your children find it too challenging, ease your way in using number rhymes.

Here’s my full tutorial on rhymes for memorizing numbers.

How do I avoid getting confused when the same digits appear twice in a Memory Palace (i.e. 33 or 44)?

This is where the Memory Palace technique really shines.

Because any duplicate numbers appear in their own spot along the Memory Palace journey, it’s difficult to get them confused.

33 on your living room recliner is not the same as the 33 in your sink.

When you add KAVE COGS in a way that includes the recliner and the sink, both the associations and the locations become even more unique.

And make sure to sign up for my free memory course here:

It gives you free worksheets and videos that walk you through getting your Memory Palaces and images created optimally in minimum time. But with maximum effect.

So what do you say?

Are you ready to get out there and master the Major System?

Make it happen!

Believe it or not, I once lost my English skills after eight years of living abroad. As much as I loved living in Germany and speaking the language, my mother tongue underwent linguistic deskilling.

After moving back to an English-speaking country, I managed to improve my speed of expression and word selection.

But two things happened.

I stopped speaking German daily and that skill slowed down to a grind.

Plus, I stopped driving. Soon enough, my brain started deprecating that simple skill.

Even my guitar playing gets rusty if I don’t keep at it at least once a week.

More than just creating embarrassing experiences (especially on old episodes of my podcast), undergoing deskilling was a major wake-up call.

One we all need to heed because as artificial intelligence and automation ramp up, many of us are going to lose the skills we’ve needed for survival.

Including the practice we need to think clearly.

The good news is that deskilling doesn’t necessarily mean your brain has forgotten the skills entirely.

Your brain cells are just waiting for you to bring them back into action.

And in this post, I’ll give you some ideas for how to do just that.

Or if you do need to put some of your hard-earned skills on pause, you’ll discover ways to maintain them just enough so that you can hit the ground running when it’s time to relearn them.

Let’s dive in.

https://youtu.be/U1GH0teKTLo

What is Cognitive Deskilling & Why Is It Accelerating Now?

Deskilling can refer to a few things, but generally means a loss or suppression of knowledge in a topic area or skill.

In the business world, deskilling happens when new technologies or processes reduce the skills needed to complete a job.

Usually, whatever a new tool or technique that has arrived on the scene allows for core activities to be done more cheaply or easily.

According to Harry Braverman in Labor and Monopoly Capital, these processes degrade professionals in the workforce because it strips away their personal control and engagement with the world.

This dark outcome is certainly possible, and might be part of what scientists call the Reverse Flynn Effect. That’s the term for a generational decline in intelligence scores around the world.

We also have to factor in the distractions of the Internet. Along with causing digital amnesia, many adults have “forgotten” how to socialize. Meanwhile, many young people aren’t learning good social skills at all.

How I First Realized I Was Undergoing Linguistic Deskilling

I was completely floored when I realized that you can actually lose command of your mother tongue. I’m still shocked.

It dawned on me while I was still living in Berlin that I was starting to struggle with recalling very simple English words.

That’s because I almost never used English.

And when I did, it was usually over Skype, a context that robbed my brain of many non-verbal cues that the brain needs to bring spoken communication to life.

When I got to Australia after eight years in Germany, I would sometimes listen back to Magnetic Memory Method Podcast episodes recorded during my years in Berlin.

The struggle was obvious, and the more I spoke English in Australia, the more I felt my English skills come back to life.

Working with many language learners over the years, I’ve realized just how easily bilingualism can be lost.

For example, I often help people who specialize in conference interpreting. Sometimes it’s to help them get into the field.

But often, I’m asked to help interpreters regain skills with languages they’ve watched fall apart through disuse.

Why the Brain Forgets Skills You’ve Slaved to Learn

As strange as it might seem, your brain is built to forget.

In fact, I’ve covered seven causes of forgetting in detail, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The big picture view is that people are right when they say “use it or lose it.”

The scientific explanation is called synaptic pruning.

When you stop practicing a skill, your brain literally assumes it’s no longer important to you. So it stops spending energy maintaining the neural pathways that support the skill.

First those pathways weaken.

Eventually they disconnect entirely.

Or at least, that’s one theory.

The memory scientist Richard Semon thought it highly unlikely that a complete disconnection takes place.

His theory of engrams and how information is chemically encoded in the brain suggested that traces always remain. With the right ecphory or contextual triggering, he thought it was possible to revive lost memories and old skills.

I believe he was on to something, and highly recommend a book about him called Forgotten Ideas, Neglected Pioneers: Richard Semon and the Story of Memory.

But long before I knew anything about him, I found myself losing my native language, just like the people discussed in this New York Times assessment of how easy it is to lose fluency in your mother tongue.

The question was, how was I going to get my linguistic intelligence back? And keep it?

Here are four ways that have worked for me. People who have contributed to my testimonials page report similar success.

Strategy #1: Ritual Repetition with Purpose

Since we know that deskilling happens when neurons disconnect, strategic reconnection is key.

I’ve practiced a basic ritual to keep my German skills basically intact, primarily through reading and listening.

As an avid fan of philosophy, from Nietzsche to the Advaita Vedanta at the core of The Victorious Mind, I read German books and articles that force me to think in the language.

I also listen to podcasts weekly and at least one video interview with a German author, musician or artist.

This ritual is not about drills in German.

It’s about encounters with meaning.

I could definitely do more to meet and speak with people in German.

But I’ve found that if I just keep reading, writing and listening to the language, I can get back into the flow of speaking the language relatively quickly.

This approach works because of the levels of processing effect, or what I often call the Big Five of Language learning.

Except in this case, I’m only maintaining part of the learning cycle elements. As a result, a sufficient number of connections survive in the brain to make the skill easier and faster to revive later.

Strategy #2: Engage All the Senses & Embody the Skill

Most skills involve movement.

So when I wanted to revive my driving skills, I had to get in a car and drive.

It sounds obvious, but how often do we say “someday,” only to wait until our skills are so atrophied, we’ve completely eliminated the possibility of relearning them?

Just as getting behind the wheel and spending lots of hours driving re-skilled my brain, I often have to make myself play my guitars to physically engage with the instruments.

Sure, I can think intellectually about music.

But to maintain your skills, you can’t just study them on paper.

You have to live them.

Bring them into the physical world.

Strategy #3: Develop an Anti-Deskilling Habit Stack

Here’s the fastest way I know to fight back against losing skills you’ve worked hard to develop:

Create a morning habit stack that combines as many of the skills you want to maintain as possible.

For example, I have a memory coaching client who wants to memorize the football rule guide and maintain fluency in a second language.

By memorizing the rules in that additional language, he could be practicing and maintaining three skills at the same time:

His football knowledgeHis vocabulary and grammarHis abilities with using memory techniques

This kind of dual-purpose learning builds grit and resilience while fighting against deskilling.

In other words, one of the best ways to deal with deskilling is to never let it happen in the first place.

Strategy #4: Use Metaphor as “Memory Glue”

As I shared in my list of books on learning, one text in particular talks about “predictive processing.” The principle shows that when we use certain metaphors, we set the course for how we’ll perform in the future.

In other words, if you think positively about your ability to maintain or rebuild lost skills, you’ll help yourself make it happen.

Andy Clark talks a lot about predictive processing in his excellent book, The Experience Machine. I also made it the core of my video about how George Clooney used mental metaphors to reduce his chronic pain:

https://youtu.be/T9oNgt1MY70

 

Finally, Barbara Oakley talks about how thinking can either help you or hinder you in Mindshift:

With intelligence, you see the options, but you also see the barriers. This means that the smarter you are, the easier it can be to talk yourself out of things.

I don’t know about you, but I prefer to talk myself into things, provided they’re good things to do. Like maintaining a language, driving safely, and playing a musical instrument well for life .

To help with that, you can apply metaphors. I’ve done this many times, and started doubling down after Nir Eyal shared how he’s helped people choose better metaphors in this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast.

My favorite example of metaphors leading to fantastic skills-based outcomes was reported in this Duke University Study.

In the controlled experiment, participants were told to think of themselves as art thieves when viewing an exhibition. Those who used this memory metaphor were able to retain information longer compared to those who had no mental metaphor at all.

That’s why I always suggest to students in the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass that they choose a positive metaphor for themselves.

After all, people come to memory training courses like mine because their ability to recall has been deskilled.

So by thinking of their memory in combination with an empowering metaphor, they are able to get back on their feet with techniques like the Memory Palace much faster.

The Metaphor That Keeps My Mind Skilled

My preferred metaphor is to think of my mind as “Magnetic.”

Sure, it’s the name of my brand.

But its meaning is profound.

Magnets stick things in place so they’re easy to find when you need them.

But magnets also repel. And in the case of my training, I show you how to repel distractions so you remain focused on learning new skills.

Frequently Asked Questions About Deskilling, Memory & Recovering Lost Skills

Many people email me with questions about why their brains seem to “delete” skills they’ve worked so hard to build.

This list of frequently asked questions and answers will help you understand more about why this happens. And how to fight back with memory improvement routines.

What exactly is cognitive deskilling?

This term refers to either the quick or gradual erosion of your cognitive abilities.

When it comes to languages, “linguistic deskilling” describes the loss of ability in either your mother tongue or another language you’ve learned.

Sometimes scientists call what I went through during my years of speaking very little English in Germany “first language attrition.” This scientific article goes deep on the topic.

When it comes to losing your familiarity with a topic, forgetting happens for similar reasons. Your brain literally lets the neuronal connections decay.

What’s important to understand is that cognitive deskilling is not related to temporary memory blocks.

Deskilling refers specifically to deep structural decline in the brain.

How long does it take to relearn a forgotten skill?

The answer depends on:

The depth of your original learningThe type of skill (linguistic, motor or social)How much context dependent memory cues you can access during the relearning phase

In case the idea of context dependent memory is new to you, the basic idea is this:

When first learning a topic, you’re in a particular state. Due to how memory cueing works, any time you’re in that state, you’ll recall the skill or information better.

To give you a concrete example, many people ask me why they can use language learning apps and excel. But whenever they try to speak the language in the real world, they fail.

This is because their state dependence on the app environment has not translated or transferred to the real world.

Although what I’ve said sounds like a detour from the original question, it’s actually the direct answer:

The more you can get yourself in the context or state of original learning, the faster you’ll regain the skill. You just have to make sure that you have developed the skill in the first place.

Sometimes, as in the case of people who use language learning apps, it’s not always the case that the skill was sufficiently learned. Please keep that in mind if you find yourself struggling.

Can AI tools cause deskilling?

Absolutely, and the decay ranges from writing to critical thinking.

By the same token, you can easily use AI tools to give you critical thinking exercises.

When I was first concerned about the rise of AI, I reached out to Andrew Mayne, host of the OpenAI podcast. In this episode of my show, he shares strategies you can use to make sure you’re keeping your skills sharp.

There’s no need for you to lose them. None at all.

What’s the difference between forgetting and deskilling?

Forgetting specifically involves the failure to retrieve information.

It involves partial forgetting, temporary forgetting or permanent forgetting.

Deskilling, on the other hand, involves the degradation of a skill.

Think of forgetting as not being able to find the handle on a door. It’s still there, but you just can’t find it.

When it comes to deskilling, the handle has been removed. No matter how much you search, you won’t find it. You’ll have to insert a new one (or even build a new one from scratch).

What if I want to pause a skill but not lose it?

As with my maintenance of German, I suggest that you pause only parts of the skill.

For example, I still read, write and listen to German even though I rarely speak it. This partial engagement with the language helps prevent losing it completely.

Let’s take another example that involves remembering movements.

I also haven’t practiced Systema in a gym for years. But I write and think about Systema often. And about once a year I manage to practice it with a sparring partner.

In other words, I cannot recommend a complete pause. I suggest only partial pauses so that your brain maintains a certain level of connection. That way it will be much easier to restore the skill later.

How can I use the Magnetic Memory Method to prevent deskilling?

A few ways:

Journal often, including about your identity, linked to well-chosen metaphorsUse a lot of mnemonic images to you connect specifically with skills you want to maintainDevelop an anti-deskilling stack and show up to it consistentlyFocus on encoding your desired skills as deeply into memory as possible using the Memory Palace technique

If you need help with developing well-formed Memory Palaces, feel free to register for this free course:

Completing the four video lessons and three included worksheets will help you stop forgetting things quite so often.

You’ll not only start recalling specific details with greater accuracy.

Soon, your mind will solve problems with greater creativity as well.

Including the problem of removing all the barriers that lead to unwanted deskilling.

You’ll be practicing the cognitive architecture you’ve worked so hard to build, strengthening your mind and memory.

And enjoying a life of learning and continual growth, all based around skills that never fade.

Jacobus Publicius is one of the forgotten forefathers of systematized mental training.

Until now.

And we sure need him in today’s world.

Whereas many people today reach for brain exercise apps, I recommend you train with his memory wheel technique.

Why?

For one thing, his influence on mnemonic theory was so strong, his book was copied thousands of times.

Other memory experts borrowed his visual alphabet and built upon his memory improvement program.

But there’s nothing quite like the original.

Especially when the focus is on exercises that make both your thinking speed and your memory sharper.

That’s why in this post I’ll explain everything you need to know about this incredible scholar, physician and rhetorician.

This article includes how to get started using his incredible memory and brain training program.

It’s the kind of training that helped people during the Renaissance build beautiful buildings, research the cosmos and usher in many of the innovations we still enjoy today.

https://youtu.be/m6t41VxTPsk

Who Was Jacobus Publicius?
And Why Should Memory Students Still Read Him?

Unfortunately, not much is known about Jacobus Publicius other than he was a physician, poet and professor of rhetoric who taught at a variety of universities in the fifteenth century.

You won’t find much more about him than that in The Medieval Craft of Memory, one of the few anthologies where you can read his Ars oratoria, Ars epistolandi, Ars memorativa in English.

Sometimes called Oratoriae Artis Epitoma, this book also shows that he designed a chessboard, including an Alfil piece.

Beyond that, little is known about him.

But his influence was huge.

And the reason we should study him is simple:

It helps us better understand the better known memory improvement books of Robert Fludd and Giordano Bruno.

There’s no question that Fludd’s number-shape images and mnemonic alphabet were heavily influenced by Publicius.

And although we often take Ramon Lull’s memory wheels as the source of influence on Bruno, there’s reason to believe that Bruno copied a great deal of his On the Composition of Images from Publicius.

Influence on Universities

Because Publicius traveled so much to teach at various schools, his book and his teaching instituted memory training in schools.

Although many would have had Rhetorica ad Herennium to draw upon, that famous book is not nearly as high-powered as what Publicius offered those seeking mental training routines.

Plus, we have to take into account the fact that the printing press was relatively new in Europe. As Lynne Kelly puts it in Memory Craft, his was the first of many printed memory guides.

If Publicius really did print the first memory guide in Europe, it would have been a very novel learning resource indeed. Any other memory books at the time would have been by people like Aristotle, Aquinas and Augustine, important texts that copyists would have hand-copied and kept in circulation.

The Publicius Memory Wheel Explained

If you want to know how to use this particular memory wheel, it’s important to begin with what Publicius is not offering.

This matters for one very important reason:

Unfortunately, many people believe that our ancestors used memory wheels as a kind of Memory Palace.

That’s not the case at all. If you want to use Memory Palaces, please go through my full guide on using the Memory Palace technique properly.

You can use memory wheels in a few different ways, ranging from critical thinking and asking questions in a particular order to generating mnemonic images.

It’s for the purposes of training your brain to rapidly come up with mnemonic associations that Publicius offers his memory wheel.

As Clément Poupard has shown in Learning the Art of Memory by Doing, Publicius wanted you to use the memory wheel to train your brain.

In the image above, you can see one kind of memory wheel that Publicius included in his book.

Notice the snake in the center.

It was actually meant to be spun by the person reading the book. That makes this form of the memory wheel a kind of volvelle.

The Uniqueness of Volvelles in Memory Training

Volvelles are charts that operate like analog computers, compressing information into smaller spaces. In this case, the information helps you play a game.

For example, in the image above, the snake’s head faces C and the tail points at F.

You get memory exercise in coming up with mnemonic images by placing vowels between the consonants C and F to create words.

Playing it myself now, I can think of:

CaffeineCEFR (a European language learning framework)CipherCoffeeCuff

Now, you’ll notice that I haven’t strictly placed the F consonant at the end of each word.

That’s fine. The point is to get in some mental exercise and stretch the mind to play the game as closely as possible to the rules.

For more brain exercises like this that involve words, images and even your body, check out my complete guide to brain exercise.

Although this is just one kind of memory wheel explained, I hope you find it useful. You certainly can use it as a kind of Memory Palace, but that’s not at all the point in the case of Publicius’ book.

What’s Inside Publicius’ Art of Memory?

Publicius left us a few texts.

One is all about rhetoric, focusing on how to persuade people by writing and delivering speeches from memory.

The next part teaches you how to write letters elegantly.

Finally, his Ars Memoritiva (art of memory) takes you through how to use what he considered the best memory techniques.

Although there’s overlap with other memory trainers, such as Peter of Ravenna, the uniqueness of his book on memory boils down to:

The memory wheel with the movable snakeHis visual mnemonic alphabetDescriptions of how to use a chessboard as a Memory Palace

Another unique aspect of Publicius’ work is the woodcut illustrations.

Some people believe these were created for him by Erhard Ratdolt, but I haven’t been able to confirm this as a fact.

Whoever created them, each illustration is evocative and helpful for understanding Publicius’ program.

Publicius vs. Bruno, Ricci & Other Memory Masters

Many people ask me who is the best memory expert to read from the world of ancient memory techniques.

Although it’s natural to want to optimize your learning journey, I believe it’s best to keep your learning goal in mind.

For example, if you want to learn Chinese, you can take inspiration from Matteo Ricci. He was the Jesuit memory master who travelled to China, so without question his goals will align with your own.

Or, if you’re interested in philosophy, Bruno’s use of the memory wheel for ars combinatoria (the art of combination) puts you in the right ballpark.

But when it comes to a book that combines memory training with mental fitness exercises, Publicius is fantastic.

I just wouldn’t suggest reading any of these older Memory Palace books as stand-alone textbooks. They all have their strengths and complement one another.

Even the strangest entries are worth looking at, such as the Ars Notoria. In fact, if you want a good historical overview, the Matthias Castle translation of Ars Notoria is much better than what Yates wrote in The Art of Memory.

Exploring Publicius: Key Questions About His Memory System and Legacy

If what you’ve discovered so far interests you, the following question might be on your mind.

Or, there might be some angles to consider that you haven’t yet considered.

Let me answer them for you now.

Why don’t more people know about Publicius today?

In addition to the fact that people like Carruthers commented on and translated Publicius without working as mnemonists themselves, a much bigger problem emerged in the 20th century.

Harry Lorayne, who was unquestionably influential, hid his references. Rather than name his sources, he would just say that he learned memory techniques from “dusty old books in the library.”

Tony Buzan was a bit more oriented towards sharing his sources.

But not that much more. In The Memory Book, he presents SEM3 as if the mnemonic system is utterly unique to himself.

That’s a shame because Publicius was not like this. He talks about many other figures in his writing and their influence on him.

And my work on the Magnetic Memory Method blog, YouTube channel and podcast has always shared as many other memory books, courses and other resources as I can possibly study.

What makes Publicius’ memory wheel different from other ancient memory tools?

Unlike other memory wheels, this one specifically trains your mind to get good at coming up with mnemonic associations at speed.

You could potentially use it as a Memory Palace, but that’s not its express purpose.

Publicius actually teaches the Memory Palace technique separately. There’s nothing particularly new in that section, so I suggest you dive deep into his exercises. Not all of them involve the wheel, but most benefit from referring to it.

Are these techniques still effective in the age of apps and AI?

In a word, yes.

Even if people eventually adopt brain implants, I believe some of them will still want to switch off, unplug and train using their “native” brains.

As things stand now, so many are talking about how AI is leading to brain rot.

Sabine Hossenfelder recently predicted in this video that brain exercise and memory training would rise in importance.

And Andrew Mayne, host of the Open AI Podcast recently wrote in support of my work:

“Anthony is a brilliant teacher and scholar of ancient memory methods. I think people like him are going to be even more important as we become dependent on AI.”

Although it’s possible that one day we won’t need memory training techniques, I think that’s unlikely.

Even if we only use them for fun in the future, we’ll still want to know about and use a wide range of memory training routines. Including those offered by Publicius.

Can I combine the memory wheel with the Memory Palace technique?

Yes, and by completing the exercises offered by Publicius, you’ll increase the likelihood of success.

I’m actually working on that now with an experiment that I share in the Rules Reborn video supplements.

So far the approach is working great and I’ll share more in the future.

What kind of learner will benefit most from Publicius’ approach to memory improvement?

Although I believe everyone will find his training useful, I think specifically this book is helpful for people who:

Need help sharpening their mental processing speedWant an alternative approach to the modern pegword methodWould like to give speeches from memoryAre studying medicine and need help with better mnemonics for anatomyWant to know more about the history of memory improvementWhy did you adapt his book, and how is Rules Reborn different from the original?

I first started adapting ancient memory books years ago with Aristotle’s De Memoria and have always wanted to continue this work.

My passion for engaging in this work stems from the low quality of so many memory books.

On top of that, many of the books created by memory competitors are about short-term retention.

My best results have come from the ancient books and their focus on memory techniques that lead to long-term recall abilities.

Plus, it’s fun to learn more Latin by translating it and hear the voices of other memory teachers in my mind.

I am, as Tyson Yunkaporta put it, a “custodian of memory.”

Yunkaporta also said I might become the first person to identify a “unified theory of memory.”

As kind as that is as a complement, I believe that theory has long been with us. I prefer the custodian part, and believe it’s my duty to combine my many years of using memory techniques with providing versions of older books with commentaries from this perspective.

I want to help you better understand what Publicius was talking about. And help you put his techniques and training tips into action.

Should I start with Publicius if I’m totally new to memory training?

The liberal part of my brain says that you should start with whatever appeals to you.

But if you are already struggling with modern memory improvement books, the answer is probably not.

Although I’ve done my best to modernize his ideas and fill in the gaps left by his “shorthand” style, there’s still an assumption that you already know at least something about memory techniques.

It could also be the case that memory training books aren’t the right medium at all. If that’s the case, you will likely benefit from going through my list of memory training courses instead.

Or, memory coaching might be the best option, something I offer myself to very serious clientele.

Ultimately, there are too many places to start. So my best advice is to find someone you know, like and trust.

But instead of just asking them what to read or study, tell them your learning goals. That will enable your memory mentor to guide you with much greater specificity.

In sum, Publicius offers challenging mental activities that take people who already know a little something about memory techniques to the next level.

I’ve done my best to make his work approachable for anyone who can read at a high school level, so it’s definitely worth having in your collection. Even if only for future use.

Where Can I Read Publicius Today?

You can find versions of Publicius’ work in Latin across the web.

The only English version I’m aware of is in Carruthers’ Medieval Craft of Memory.

However, she doesn’t seem to be a mnemonist, which is why I created my own version.

Not only is the translation in that compilation loaded with long walls of text, it misses the meaning of the suggestions, steps and explicit memory training instructions.

If you’d like to read my adaptation, it’s called Rules Reborn.

In addition to completely rewriting the book based on an in-depth analysis of numerous versions, I wrote a full commentary.

Plus, I recorded the audiobook myself and included a full set of detailed videos to walk you through the various illustrations.

If you’d like a copy, you can find it on the Magnetic Memory Method product page.

Final Thoughts: Restoring Lost Memory Wisdom For Contemporary Use

Memory training isn’t just about passing exams or learning languages.

As Publicius makes clear, you can use the techniques to think faster, and even enjoy a more aesthetic mind.

He talks about health, sleep and diet too, reminding us that memory is a holistic discipline.

This point is so important in a world that often treats memory techniques as “tricks.”

Medieval memory training and other cognitive memory systems of the Renaissance are about so much more.

They help you learn like a polymath, expanding how much information you can process and retain.

Just looking at people from previous periods and all they accomplished offers us more than enough proof that such mental training activities work.

Their success wasn’t produced by magic. It was created through deliberate practice and consistent mental training.

Jacobus Publicius gave us one of the earliest and most elegant systems for sharpening the mind.

Not only is it still usable today. It’s fascinating, inspiring and a means of connecting with intellectual history.

If you’re ready to experience how this forgotten memory master trained Renaissance minds to brilliance, Rules Reborn is your invitation to step inside his world.

You’ll not only bring the techniques back to life. You’ll also enjoy the rebirth of your mind, memory and speed of thought.

If you’re looking to unlock the ancient memory techniques used by philosophers, mystics, and mental elites throughout history, this is the conversation for you.

In this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast, John Michael Greer returns to reveal how memory systems from thinkers like Giordano Bruno and Ramon Llull can help us reclaim our cognitive power in the AI age.

Why do these long-dead figures matter more than ever in today’s world?

For one thing, a lot of people are scrambling to work out how to survive in a world in which remembering how to think is quickly becoming as scarce as human memory.

But Greer offers hope.

As a renowned author, translator of Giordano Bruno’s On the Shadows of the Ideas, and long-time student of multiple esoteric traditions, Greer joined me again to discuss the growing importance of memory training.

But what makes this episode special is that we’re not talking about just any old kind of training.

And we’re definitely not talking about your everday, average memory tricks.

You’re about to hear about real mental training, the kind that once produced polymaths, philosophers and masters of the mind who inspired the Mentat you’ve read about in Dune.

But don’t let the fictional reference distract from the value at hand. Everything we discuss accords perfectly with memory science, particularly the science of mental imagery.

As part of this discussion, Greer and I also explore his upcoming book project on medieval and Renaissance mental disciplines, a work I’m looking forward to reading very much.

We also cover the overlap between historical mnemonic systems and why reviving these ancient practices is absolutely essential in an age increasingly dominated by machine thinking.

https://youtu.be/hTv4R3e-WWs

From the combinatorial wheels of Llull and Giordano Bruno to the forgotten discipline of syllogistic logic, we discuss:

How memory palaces can function as practical tools and metaphysical metaphors

Bruno’s integration of memory with logic and ontologyWhy the “art of combination” might be the ultimate question-asking systemThe lost connection between Freemasonry and mnemonic trainingWhat a modern Mentat curriculum might look like (and why we need it sooner than later)Practical tips from historical and contemporary memory mastersThe real philosophical difference between tools we use and tools that use usReasons for reading older memory improvement books like Rhetorica ad HerenniumWhy you should explore the Trivium and Quadrivium as tools for modern mental clarity

Greer also shares insights into his current Latin translation work, John Dee research, and what the Twilight of Pluto means for our cultural moment.

No matter what happens, Greer believes memory techniques can thrive again.

But likely not in Silicon Valley.

They will rise again in the ruins of the cultures that resist.

Why not start resisting now?

Whether you’re a memory athlete, aspiring Mentat, or simply tired of outsourcing your intelligence to devices, this episode will give you both intellectual fuel and practical direction.

Bonus: John Michael Greer on Bruno’s
On The Shadows of the Ideas

During my first discussion with Greer, we focus on Bruno’s memory systems and the nature of knowledge from what Greer calls “the rubbish heap of history.”

We also dig into Greer’s translation of On the Shadows of the Ideas by Giordano Bruno.

Finally, we discuss an old and mysterious book called The Picatrix. Like the Ars Notoria, it kind of freaks me out a bit, but Greer puts my mind at ease.

Press play and listen in as we discuss:

The value of “intellectual dumpster diving” to preserve ancient ideasWhy adding more to a text than a literal translation allows can be self-serving, yet somehow can’t be avoidedThe limits of historical clarity in the age of photocopies (which are often of other photocopies)Why Bruno’s memory theory remains of great importance to the art of memoryThe reason subject/abject memorization is the most sophisticated method to memorize textThe deep mystery behind why alphabet-based mnemonics fell out of favor in modern timesAnd why overwhelm can occur, even when using a sequence as simple as the alphabetWhy memory, secrecy and initiation were inseparable in Bruno’s worldThe reason Frances Yates’ ideas about Bruno should be viewed with discernmentThe delusion of treating history as a straight line, and why this idea is wildly inaccurate, given the way the universe operates

Giordano Bruno

 

Further Resources on the web, the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast and blog:

John Michael Greer’s Ecosophia Blog (Toward an Ecological Spirituality)

John’s Dreamwidth Blog

John Michael Greer’s Amazon author page

John Michael Greer Presents: Masonry and the Secret Societies

Frances Yates’s Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition

The Illustrated Picatrix: The Complete Occult Classic of Astrological Magic

My How to Think and Remember Like the Mentat video on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/ijm66YXxWfQ

Are you wondering if brain training actually works?

You’re not alone. Many people try memory apps or puzzle games only to wind up disappointed.

The truth is that real cognitive training doesn’t come from playing games on flashy apps.

As the founder of the Magnetic Memory Method, author of The Victorious Mind, and a memory coach with over a decade of hands-on experience, I’ve helped thousands of people get real results.

The results come from proven mental techniques used by memory champions, language learners, and even brain injury survivors.

In this post, you’ll discover what cognitive training really is.

I’ll also expose why most apps fail.

And you’ll discover 5 research-backed ways that actually improve your memory, focus, and learning speed.

The best part?

The improvements you seek can start to emerge faster than you might think.

Ready to dive in?

Great, but before we get to any specific routines you should follow, let’s address the elephant in the room.

Can Cognitive Training Really Improve Memory?

The answer is absolutely yes.

But you actually have to train.

You can’t be passive about it.

And you also have to actually need cognitive training.

See, sometimes people who struggle with brain fog actually have dietary issues.

Brain training alone won’t help them. Instead, they need to take a permanent break from foods that harm the brain.

Or it could be that they’re dealing with a variety of stresses or anxieties that lead to thought blocking.

If you have any concerns about these issues, please see a doctor. Although my blog contains information about recovering memory after a stroke, it’s far better for you to avoid having such medical issues in the first place.

And that’s not to mention an entire range of problems only a trained medical professional can help you sort out.

But if you’ve been told by a doctor that you need to look up some examples of cognitive training to give your brain a boost, then cool. Let’s carry on.

Cognitive Training Explained:
How It Works & Why It Matters

As I explained in my post on spaced repetition, cognitive skill training was first studied by scientists in the late 19th century.

In brief, Hermann Ebbinghaus trained himself to memorize over 2000 nonsense syllables. Then, in his quest to understand the nature of memory as a cognitive ability, he tracked how long he was able to remember them.

Learning to use spaced repetition to defeat the Forgetting Curve started in earnest with the research of Hermann Ebbinghaus.

His experiments led to great interest in what scientists call learning potential. There are entire books on how to assess it and even attractive university scholarships for people interested in studying it.

In a phrase, the definition of cognitive training boils down to brain plasticity. It’s the idea that certain activities can make your brain better.

These activities can involve everything from neurobics to brain games and memory games. One of my favorite neurobic activities is juggling while reciting the alphabet backwards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGEuP...

Or you can perform concentration meditations or even just read more to improve your mind and memory.

The key thing is to avoid brain training apps. Scientists now agree that the evidence just isn’t there to support using them.

If Apps Don’t Help, What Does?

For the “training” part to be meaningful, it’s important that you’re consistent. Sadly, consistency to their chosen source of mental stimulation is a step many people miss.

As Dr. Christine Till discovered while researching the cognitive training software called Cogmed, people only received substantial results when they paired the software experience with personal coaching sessions.

Please consider this point before spending even a minute with any of the brain training games out there.

Online games might be entertaining, but without the proper features cognitive activities need to have in order to serve you, they’re also potentially empty.

I also covered this issue in detail during my Reddit AMA on memory and learning, where you’ll find dozens of questions about getting real brain boosts in the context of various people’s lives.

Cognitive Training Benefits

Now, provided that the activities you choose actually provide cognitive improvement, you stand to enjoy all kinds of benefits. These include:

Improved memory, both short-term and long-termImproved attention and focusBetter brainstorming and critical thinking abilitiesImproved ability to memorize vocabulary using a variety of memory techniquesFaster results when learning new skillsA shot at developing what Harry Kahne called multiple mentalityCognitive Training Downsides

Technically, there are no downsides. Using your mind is a wonderful thing to do.

However, self-deception is a problem. People wind up spending a lot of time on activities that don’t actually do much for them.

For example, a lot of the brain training apps create what is called context dependent or state dependent benefits. These terms mean that although you might become more skilled in the environment of an online brain training game, the skills won’t transfer to real life.

Unlike using memory techniques discovered by people like myself and memory expert Lynne Kelly who wrote Memory Craft, most cognitive training apps do little or nothing to combat Alzheimer’s or dementia.

That said, there are some legit activities you can pursue. Let’s take a look.

5 Science-Based Mental Exercises That Boost Brain Power

As we go through this list, start thinking about how you can incorporate one or two of these activities into your daily life.

Remember: It’s consistency that matters. It just simply isn’t “training” without at least 3-4 sessions per week.

One: Play Challenging Games

No, I’m not talking about crossword puzzles.

Why?

Because they let you cheat. It’s way too easy to look up the answers.

You need games that push you a little, such as these memory exercises you can play with on your own.

Other challenging games include live-action role-playing games. Sometimes I host Memory Detective, for example.

To make sure this game involves lots of memory exercise, I wrote a novel tie-in called Flyboy. Knowing the story not only allows you to “play along” as a detective uses memory techniques to help him save the day and solve a crime.

You also get a lot of passive memory exercise because you’re tapping into a story you’ve read.

Also consider playing games where you need to make decisions, games with dice, card games or even some of the games memory competitors play.

Memorizing a deck of cards and trying to beat your own record is a powerful cognitive training exercise, for example, and studies have shown it improves your brain.

Two: Take Courses

Getting out and meeting people is a benefit unto itself. But taking courses and meeting people is even better.

My wife and I took a painting course a few years ago and it was fantastic.

Not only did we exercise different aspects of our minds, but we got exercise and met interesting people we never would have encountered otherwise.

You can also take courses online, especially memory improvement courses.

Just make sure that they are offered by authentic teachers who know that your brain needs a challenge, not just a bunch of meaningless activities.

You can also make your own courses, such as diving deep into neurobics. I did that myself and here are some of my favorite routines:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MlDe...

Although creating your own courses might seem challenging, that’s just the point.

Setting learning goals is itself a cognitive activity that sharpens multiple aspects of your brain.

Three: Study A New Language

Did you know that bilingualism can protect your brain? It’s a particularly well-proven means of keeping your brain sharp as you age.

Even better, learning new languages involves multiple levels of challenge because you need to read, write, speak and listen while exercising your working memory.

If you can’t pick a language, go for either Latin or something like Sanskrit phrases.

The reason is that you can memorize a lot of useful wisdom in those languages. You get both the benefit of some language learning and powerful ideas that can guide you in life at the same time.

Talk about an incredible mental fitness routine!

Four: Learn Music

Did you know that you don’t have to play an instrument to benefit from learning music?

Even just studying some music theory can give you cognitive training benefits.

Or you can sing. As one study found, people who sing have the same or even better benefits than people who know about other ways to train their brains.

Singing also reduces stress, which is great because reduced stress helps you pay attention better. And that means you can learn and remember more.

Personally, I’ve toured as a musician and although I’m retired from gigging, still keep expanding my musical knowledge.

The benefits are clear. Each new song or theoretical principle I learn stretches my mind.

The key is to lean into new challenges, but never to the point of frustration.

Whenever you get frustrated by a challenge, scale back to where you feel challenged just a touch outside your comfort zone.

That way, you’ll have a healthy relationship to how musical cognitive training can improve your brain.

Five: Become A Memory Master

Memory techniques have been around for a very long time. And for good reason.

For example, techniques like the Memory Palace can be used to help you learn a language faster.

They can also help you remember numbers, and even long passages of scripture.

How?

To get started developing your memory tools, complete this simple exercise:

List a number of locations from A-Z on paperThen list a number of people you know, also from A-Z

Later, you can use these as Memory Places and mnemonic associations.

But it’s this initial exercise that oils your brain. No matter how rusty you might feel, this one simple exercise will get you started with the ancient art of memory.

Don’t think you can do it?

I’ve had everyone from ten year olds to retirees master these techniques after going through the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass. I’m confident you can too.

And to help you lean into the challenge, I’ve created this powerful free training. Give it a try to start building a brain that remembers everything you learn.

Once you start using these techniques to combat your cognitive decline, you’ll discover what I believe is the ultimate cognitive skills training.

Not only does mastering memory techniques give your mind a powerful workout and great brain exercise.

It helps you reflect on the nature of what it means to have a mind.

And that leads to metacognitive cognition: the ability to think about how you think.

It just doesn’t get any better than that, especially since better memory makes it easy to learn and remember cool terms like “metacognition.”

FAQ: Cognitive Training & Mental Exercise

Over the past decade, I’ve worked with thousands of people using memory techniques to improve their cognitive abilities.

These people include students, professionals, even stroke survivors.

As the creator of the Magnetic Memory Method and author of The Victorious Mind, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t when it comes to brain training.

These are the most common questions I hear about cognitive training—along with answers rooted in both science and experience.

Q: Do cognitive training apps really work?

Most apps provide short-term gains in the specific tasks they train.

But research shows these benefits from pattern recognition or matching games often don’t transfer to how you use memory and focus for learning in everyday life.

For lasting results, hands-on methods like memory techniques, language learning, or problem-solving games are far more effective.

Q: What are examples of real cognitive training?

True cognitive training includes memory techniques like the Memory Palace, learning new languages, playing musical instruments, solving logic puzzles, and engaging in complex reading or writing tasks.

These activities challenge multiple areas of the brain and build transferable cognitive strength.

Q: How often should I do cognitive training exercises?

Aim for at least 3–4 sessions per week, around 15–30 minutes each.

As with physical fitness, consistency matters more than duration.

Real improvements come from steady, repeated engagement with mentally demanding tasks.

Q: Can cognitive training help with memory loss or brain fog?

It can, but only when paired with lifestyle changes.

Poor memory is often linked to sleep deprivation, stress, diet, or underlying health issues.

If you’re experiencing brain fog, talk to a doctor.

And ask them about cognitive training as a powerful supplement to a healthier lifestyle.

Q: Is there a best cognitive training method?

No single method fits everyone.

But memory techniques (like the Memory Palace) consistently deliver strong, research-backed results.

The key is to choose something challenging that you will enjoy learning and stick with it.

Language learning is one of the best activities for helping your brain develop cognitive reserve, as evidenced by this research paper, among many others.

Q: What about using AI-based tools for cognitive training?

This question is tricky because search engines like Google were the most powerful AI humanity had ever seen until Chat-GPT.

But the Flynn Effect and how it shows IQ scores declining should give us pause.

Using AI is amazing and I do it frequently. But I still get offline as much as possible for learning and other aspects of life.

AI is an assistant and a supplement to human cognition, not necessarily a trainer or a solution to our thinking problems.

Your brain still needs deliberate, challenging training, just like it did in Ebbinhaus’ time. So if you’re going to ask it questions about how to train, make sure to include offline suggestions.

In fact, I’ve been doing that myself when it comes to dealing with some career burnout I’ve been experiencing. It has been helpful and I’ve been happy to see that it supports the suggestions you’ve encountered today.

In sum, cognitive training does really improve your brain, your memory and your ability to focus.

You just need to make sure you rule out other issues, pick the activities that suit your desired goals and engage in those activities consistently.

So what do you say?

Are you ready to start enjoying true cognitive training?

Make it happen!

The best way to learn any new language is to establish a five‑part loop:

Set a micro‑goal (e.g. “hold a 3‑minute café chat in 30 days”).Develop familiarity with the sounds & script before any of the other stepsBuild a core vocabulary by memorizing your first 50 mission‑critical words using the Memory Palace technique.Practice the “Big 5” skills of language learning daily:Memorize new words and phrasesSpeakReadWriteListenGet feedback and reiterate weekly to test your progress and get corrections from at least one native speaker.

Stick to this loop for 15 minutes × 3 sessions a day and you can hit A2 in approximately 90 days.

That’s exactly what I did to pass A2 when I lived in Germany.

I did it again to pass level III in Mandarin in an even shorter period of time.

Of course, there’s a bit  more nuance to each of these steps.

And that’s what I’m going to share with you on this page

We’ll go through each step in detail and you’ll learn fourteen additional best practices used by the world’s most accomplished language learners.

Ready?

Let’s dive in!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgUsv...

How To Learn A Language in 5 Steps Step One: Set a Micro Goal

Having taught people how to improve their memory so they can learn languages faster, I’ve noted one major trend.

Many people make language learning hard on themselves by having an “all or nothing” attitude.

In reality, languages are learned with much greater ease by using what scientists call chunking.

This term means that you break a learning task down into the smallest possible unit.

Many people start by learning how to say hello, please and thank you in their target language.

Once you complete that simple goal, you set another goal. Or as I sometimes prefer to think of them, “missions.”

How to Set Language Learning Goals You’ll Love Completing

When I first started learning German seriously, my classes at the Hartnackschule in Berlin provided these small missions.

Later, I had to provide my own language learning missions.

To do this, I asked one simple question:

“What do I want to be able to speak about next?”

My choices will differ from yours.

But to give you some examples, I played in a band at the time. So I chose music-related topics to help fashion my goals.

I also taught Film Studies at the University of Saarland, so regularly memorized words and phrases related to this industry.

Finally, I love asking philosophical questions, so I learned how to ask them in German.

A2 was passed quite easily. That’s because the courses I took told me what I needed to learn.

But it was crafting my own missions that got me fluent. Because I spent time working out what I wanted to talk about.

And now you know how to create your own goals and missions too.

Step Two: Develop Familiarity with the Sounds and Script of the Language

Before diving into memorizing words or grammar rules, it’s helpful to get comfortable with how the language looks and sounds.

For example, I took a phonology course for that when I first started learning German. Likewise with Mandarin further down the road.

It’s also useful to learn the International Phonetic Alphabet. This set of symbols will help you with pronunciation, which is essential to being understood.

It’s also important to immerse yourself in the rhythms of the language. You can easily do this by:

Watching YouTube videosEnjoying popular movies in the languageListening to audiobooks

Even if you don’t understand much yet, this passive exposure will help your brain attune to the phonic features of the language.

Learning Writing Systems

Depending on the language, you may need to learn an entirely new writing system.

I had to do that with Mandarin by learning the hanzi.

For Japanese, I also had to spend time using memory techniques for the hiragana, amongst other character sets.

Each alphabet will propose different levels of challenge depending on your experience.

If you have any concerns, especially if you have limited time, it’s worth considering my article on the easiest languages to learn.

You don’t want to rush, and some languages simply require more from your brain’s ability to associate sight and sound.

The point is that you will want to develop this kind of sensory familiarity between sound and sight to reduce mental friction later.

Your brain will stop having to ask, “What is the sound of this symbol?”

As a result, you’ll be free to focus on memorizing more vocabulary and phrases without interruption while studying.

Step Three: Build a Core Vocabulary

Once you’re familiar with the sounds and script of your language, it’s time to start building your vocabulary.

You’ll want to start small based on the goal-setting process and chunking we discussed above.

There’s lots of advice people give about organizing vocabulary by category and using word frequency lists, but I stick personally to the missions to work out what words I need to focus on.

That’s because taking classes and learning with native speakers does a lot of the organizing.

Using Memory Techniques for Language Learning

Given that you know how to create goals, let’s talk about getting your first round of vocabulary into your long-term memory.

Learning to use memory techniques for language learning well is one of the best ways to rapidly accelerate your practice. Mnemonics help because:

The Memory Palace technique allows you to rapidly scale the number of words and phrases you can rememberEffective association through multi-sensory visualization makes words and meanings incredibly “sticky”Using the method of loci mentally replicates spaced repetition software without sacrificing the benefits of active recall

In fact, the memory techniques optimize how you practice recalling information in a way that strengthens your memory overall. 

Step Four: Practice the Big Five of Language Learning

In order to create momentum and progress, it’s important to balance multiple levels of processing everything involved in learning and using your chosen language.

To do that, you’ll want to learn the major “meta learning” skills that make achieving fluency possible.

These activities can be broken down into what I like to call The Big 5 Of Language Learning. I’ve illustrated them for you with this diagram:

These five elements are based on a scientific principle called the “levels of processing”

How do I know they are valid?

Because researchers continually confirm their value in research papers like this one about Stephen Krashen’s input theory.

How the “Big Five” of Language Learning Works

And as the illustration above shows, giving yourself enough exposure to achieve the levels of processing effect requires you to combine:

MemoryReadingWritingListeningSpeaking

It’s not a question of which one of these learning activities is most important.

It’s the holistic combination of all them that matters in the end. When I start a new language, I put each and every one of these activities into a learning cycle and interleave between them.

So far, only Hebrew, Sanskrit and Chinese have put speed bumps in my path. That’s because I had to learn their character systems first. But thanks to memory techniques, that didn’t take long. 

Once you can read the language of the alphabet you’re dealing with, there are effective ways to combine listening and reading. You can do that by combining certain tools, like setting up subtitles on Netflix or the story narration program.

I feature both of these options on my best language learning software post.

You can also get great writing practice at the same time you speak, by repeating what you put on the page verbally either before or after putting it down on paper. These days, you can also explore language learning with chatGPT, which I’ve found helpful in small doses.

Both writing and speaking are very important for learning a language. By reading aloud what you’ve written, you double-down on the benefits and learn faster.

Any decent language learning class will make you go through these steps, but if you don’t also get yourself to do it on your own, you’ll struggle to learn your language. 

Step Five: Get Feedback by Learning with Native Speakers

Learning in isolation is possible.

For example, I’ve achieved a lot in Latin purely by studying on my own.

But for most of us, it only gets us so far.

Why?

Because language learners need feedback.

And when you meet regularly with native speakers, you get instant feedback.

Please don’t wait to get started. Speaking before you’re “ready” is a key strategy and provides you with one of the fastest ways to improve.

You can watch me put this into practice in this video with me and my Ukrainian teacher during our very first lesson:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_dNt...

What’s the best way to find native speakers?

Join a language exchange forum or websiteSchedule a call with a professional teacher and use Zoom (like you see in my Ukrainian learning documentary video above)Find a local tutor through a school or by placing an ad

Even just 10-15 minutes of interaction a few times a week can reveal gaps you’re not aware you have.

I suggest recording every session and then applying memory techniques later.

When you combine speaking with each of the other Big Five language learning activities, you’ll lock vocabulary, phrases and grammar principles into long-term memory effectively.

And you’ll build confidence as you go, which leads to competence in the language.

The Best Practices That Get Languages Learned Faster

Now that you have my five best steps under your belt, let’s talk about some best practices.

These suggestions are based on my years of experience interviewing and being friends with some of the world’s leading polyglots.

Their advice has helped me so much and I’m confident these considerations will help you achieve fluency too.

Best Practice One: Develop A Positive Mindset

So many people ask, How hard is it to learn a new language? 

But what if this is the wrong question?

What if a better question is: what are the mental strength resources I need to keep consistent over the long term? 

When it comes to language learning, you’ll want to develop skills with: 

Setting realistic goalsFor example, if your language has a character set or new alphabet you need to learn, this might be your first goal.If you already know the alphabet, then your first goal might be how to introduce yourself, plus fifty new words related to some of your interests.Creating a practical schedule.Showing up consistently.Managing your expectations.Understanding the different types of motivation when learning languages.Accept that mistakes will be made and be willing to learn from them.Exploring and acquiring the best language learning materials.Developing the courage to speak the language.Use a journal to set your goals. It will help you gain clarity on what really matters because you can see your intentions more objectively.

Some people will need to spend more time learning these skills than others. But they can all be learned and improved as you go.

Best Practice Two: Choose The Best Possible Language Learning Materials

This step is tricky, but also very doable. 

First, just accept that some risk is involved. You might end up buying a book or course that just doesn’t suit you.

This circles back to mindset, particularly managing your expectations.

Personally, I treat it all as research and don’t get emotionally involved.

In fact, I allow myself to be open to revisiting any resource I’ve purchased again in the future, because we as humans can be tremendously fickle. It might not be that the book or course is bad. It’s entirely possible that we were either not ready for it yet, or just having a bad day, week, month or year. 

A subset of choosing the best materials for learning a language is to limit the amount of sources. When learning a language, we do want tons of input – but that doesn’t mean you want it from dozens of sources. 

There is an overwhelming amount of language learning material to choose from. Set limits and focus on completing just one book at a time.

Instead, I suggest you take a tip I’ve benefited from. It comes from my friend and language learning expert Olly Richards, who advises that we pick at maximum: 

One bookOne video or audio program One teacher

By sticking to limits like these, we give ourselves ample opportunity to experience the levels of processing effect while not overwhelming ourselves with materials. Embracing limits helps us maximize our investment in the materials and enjoy the benefits of thoroughness.

Plus, if you’re going to use rote learning instead of memory techniques, the limits will help ensure the rote is concentrated and not spread across too many different sources.

When it comes to avoiding rote, Olly shares some fantastic advice in this podcast:

Again, whether you use rote or mnemonics, you might find you acquire materials that simply don’t work. It happens, but at least you’ll have learned something about language learning materials that don’t suit your needs.

But overall, you can limit this problem in the first place my limiting how many language learning guides you bring into your learning life in the first place. And making sure that you always maximize your thoroughness with the ones you do choose.

Anthony Metivier with his Mandarin teacher.

That way, time will erase any mistakes and the materials you learn from will pay off soon.

My personal rule of thumb is to stick with a book, course or audio program for at least 90 days.

When I was learning Chinese, for example, I followed my own advice. By working with just one audio program, one book and one teacher, this limited focus helped me achieve much faster progress.

But had I been by constantly throwing new “shiny new textbooks” in my path, I would have been constantly distracted.

Need a source for good language learning teachers online? These days I suggest you give Languatalk a try. 

Best Practice Three: Immerse Yourself With Sensible Input And Strategic Challenges

In the beginning, you might not understand anything. But as you learn, your pattern recognition will go up. 

There are a number of ways to keep increasing your sensible input. These include:

Meet regularly with a native speakerBe sure to bring a picture-based magazine. Learn to ask, “What is that?” and keep pointing at pictures. Record the sessions with your smart phone and listen back, trying to guess what you were looking at in the magazine. Watch movies with subtitlesWhen you find vocabulary and phrases you want to learn, write them down and memorize them. I recommend you create your own flashcards by hand using drawings and colors, like this:It’s fun and easy to create your own mnemonic devices on flash cards. It’s also generally much more effective than using language learning apps.Complete courses and textbooks thoroughlyThese will help increase the amount of patterns you’ll recognize as you continue your exposure to the language you’re learning.Read short stories and news articlesYou can do this by just reading or by creating your own translations as you go. My friend Luca Lampariello shares a number of tips on how to use translation to increase your fluency.Take a courseStrictly speaking, taking a course isn’t necessary. I’ve done it both as a beginner and as a more established student and find saving it for later much more useful. If you take a course, make sure the teacher uses the target language primarily. You’re not there to improve your mother tongue or teach it to them.Speak with natives onlineThere are many great websites for finding people to speak with during dedicated sessions or in small doses by sending and receiving audio texts.As a rule of thumb, I like to give new speaking partners 2-3 sessions before deciding if they are a fit or not. Follow Instagram and other social media accounts in your target language.Learn songs in your target language.

I know that it can seem strange that learning songs will help, but it helps get more vocabulary and grammar in memory than you might think.

It’s fun too, as you can see as I practice singing a song in Mandarin I later performed at my wedding:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCyPV...

With all of these learning activities, you need to use your judgment. If you go for something too advanced, you’ll just get frustrated.

By the same token, if you don’t challenge yourself, you’ll quickly get bored. Get out of your comfort zone. It’s where you’ll find the progress you seek.

Best Practice Four: Invest Enough Time For Daily Practice (But Not Too Much)

People think you have to spend five to six hours a day while learning a language. This just isn’t true.

By the same token, you’re not going to get very far with just 5 minutes a day. 

That said, if you’re strategic about it, you can learn a lot in 15-30 minutes a day. The trick is in breaking up the activities and making sure you’re getting in enough practice of all The Big 5.

A schedule like the one I’ve drawn up for you in the following example can work wonders:

Mornings: 15 minutes memorizing vocabularyAfternoons: 15 minutes of reading and listening using narrated short stories or news articlesEvenings: 15 minutes watching a movie (or the whole movie with about 15 minutes spent capturing words and phrases you find interesting)

Then, the next morning, you can memorize the new vocabulary you’ve gathered from the day before.

The exact amount of time you spend is not nearly as important as the consistency and focus you bring to each learning session. 

Also, vary the routine. If the routine I suggested is something you use on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, do this on Tuesdays and Thursdays:

30 minutes in discussion with a native speaker30 minutes reviewing the discussion recording

It’s also important to schedule breaks. Taking a week off once in a while actually does your brain good when you’re learning. 

Scheduling breaks is important, as is learning how to get back on the horse when you fall from your plan.

The trick is making sure you don’t take off too long and then struggle to get back on the horse.

Here’s a simple tip:

Make sure your language learning sessions with speaking partners are booked in advance. That way, you’re taking some highly beneficial time off, but not with a dangerous open end.

If you still struggle with developing a personal schedule for language learning, give mind mapping for project planning and scheduling a try. I’ve found it useful during times when I was struggling to organize my time.

Best Practice Five: Build Your Own Vocabulary And Phrase Lists

Many people ask, “How long does it take to learn a new language?” I believe the answer should be that the journey never ends. 

But for those who are in a hurry, they often come across the idea of “frequency lists.”

These are compilations of words that are used the most often in any given language. If you’re learning Spanish, these lists can be especially seductive.

And they definitely can be useful. In some cases, they will accelerate how quickly you can get started learning the language.

However, they’re also incredibly limited.

Why?

Because no maker of such lists can know what contexts you’ll find yourself in or what you’re going to want to talk about.

That’s why when you’re reading news stories and translating them, it’s important to focus on information that’s interesting and relevant to you. 

Making your own lists of words and phrases to learn is incredibly important. Be prepared with paper or a journal to capture what you want and need to learn.

You’ll move along so much faster if you let yourself be informed by word lists, but also always take care to build your own. There are no “right” words to focus on and true fluency comes from being able to accomplish missions. 

When learning German, my favorite way to produce my own custom lists was to read interviews with musicians. They use so many interesting words and turns-of-phrase. It really helped me add interest and flair to how I use the language.

Likewise in Mandarin, I’ve learned a lot from the hip hop scene. They use a lot of interesting phrases that are not only useful, but also add character to my use of the language.

The point being that the more you build your own list of words and phrases you want to know, the more make your connection to the language unique and feel a lot more special.

Best Practice Six: Focus On Systems As Much As, If Not More Than Goals

Goals are important. But even more important are the systems that help ensure that you actually accomplish your language learning goals. 

Let’s say your goal is to learn 50 new words by the end of the week. Great! That’s perfectly realistic.

But it’s also meaningless if you haven’t sat down and charted out a systematic means to ensure you memorize those words. 

I suggest developing an if-this-then-that language learning habit stack. 

For example, let’s say you’ve developed a Memory Palace strategy and you’ve spent some time gathering the words you want to memorize. Your habit stack might look like this:

If I wake up, I go immediately to my learning place.If I go to my learning place, I open my Memory Journal to the list of words I’ve prepared. If I have my list, I start with the first word and memorize it using Station One of the Memory Palace.If I have memorized one word, I move on to the next. If I have memorized 10 words, I put my Memory Journal away and start mentally reviewing the words. If I have reviewed my words 3-5 times during the day, I test by writing them out by hand and speak them out loud. 

This is a little system that drives you towards completing the goal. And if you do something like this every day, by the end of the week, you will have memorized 50 words.

You might think even something as tight as this set of steps will take a long time. But nothing could be further from the truth. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without such a simple and elegant system. 

Best Practice Seven: Use The Language Every Day

Have you learned only one word so far?

No problem. Use it. 

Or do you have only a few hundred words?

The principle is the same. Use what you’ve got. 

Talk to yourself as you’re walking down the street.

Tell other people about the phrases you’ve learned and repeat them.

Sing songs in the language you’re learning.

Make your shopping lists in the language you’re learning instead of your mother tongue. 

Learning songs in a foreign language is a great way to learn vocabulary and phrases.

You need to get the words into the muscle memory of your mouth and your mind.

If you dedicate yourself, everything from brushing your teeth to tying your shoes and kissing your loved ones to sleep at night are excellent opportunities to practice.

Best Practice Eight: Use History And Culture As Your “Secret Weapons”

As I’ve been learning German, Chinese and Sanskrit, I’ve made sure to not stop at the language itself. 

Reading novels, books of history and philosophy from the cultures not only gives you more exposure to the language. It helps you understand the historical and cultural forces that shaped it throughout history and continue to exert an influence.

I would also include serious study of geography and topics like social science.

Knowing about the region can help you understand a lot about how the language developed, and understanding issues related to psychographics can help you fall in love with certain matters of grammar.

This latter point is important because a lot of people waste time trying to understand the “why” of grammar instead of simply accepting it for what it is. 

That said, John McWhorter has shared some compelling reasons to believe that our language differences don’t distinguish us psychologically as much as we might believe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQRjo...

 

These are interesting points to consider, and all arrive at the same benefits for you:

When you immerse yourself in the culture and its history, you’ll have more things to talk about with native speakers.

This point is especially important if you’re introverted or generally shy. But read widely and you’ll never be at a loss for conversation topics. 

Best Practice Nine: Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

A lot of people get hung up on little things when learning languages. They become perfectionists, without realizing that you need to make mistakes in order to learn. 

Develop the ability to laugh at yourself. If you struggle with self criticism, learn these Two Easily Remembered Questions That Silence Negative Thoughts. I’ve learned them in both English and Sanskrit, and that has been tremendously useful.

And rest assured, the kind of mindfulness that I’m suggesting you adopt has been formally studied for foreign language learners. As this researcher found, people who meditate get better results when learning languages.

Being able to give and receive criticism is a powerful skill when learning languages.

Another part of mindfulness involves how you manage your teachers and speaking partners. For example, if a teacher is frustrating you by correcting you too often, ask them to scale it down.

When I submit writing to language teachers, I ask them to please point out just three errors. That way I can keep things light and fun and focus on the biggest aspects to improve without overwhelm. 

But if you meet people who can’t help you or make the journey too serious and destroy all the fun, find someone else. There are plenty of fish in the sea. 

Best Practice Ten: Use “Chorusing” Let me be honest with you:

Pronunciation has always been my biggest struggle when learning languages. It could be genetics. I’ve been tone deaf my entire life.

Yet, I have managed to learn to play multiple musical instruments and a few languages. 

Time and time again, I always wish I focused more on pronunciation. 

Enter a concept called “chorusing” that I learned from my friends at Outlier Linguistics.

“Chorusing” is a great way to improve your pronunciation.

In brief, this technique is the audio version of using flash cards.

Using recording software like Audacity, you record a native speaker speaking a word or phrase. Then you copy and paste it multiple times so you can hear it repeated and really dig into the nuances. 

Next, you record yourself speaking it on a separate track.

Since a good audio recorder will let you see the sound waves, you can try to make your voice match certain characteristics visually.

But the more important aspect with this technique is you are training your ear to hear yourself and correct your pronunciation through direct comparison. 

The time investment on this technique is admittedly intense. But it’s well worth the effort, especially if this is a weak point for you as it is for me. 

Another way to memorize pronunciation is to learn the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet). To do that quickly, I drew my own flashcards with striking images that remind me of the sound I’m supposed to make when looking at the symbols.

Check out the card above, for example.

The “i” is a symbol that indicates a long “e” vowel sound. That is also indicated by the two empty triangles I’ve drawn on the coffee cup.

Why a coffee cup? Because an example of the long “e” is in the word “bean.” Coffee reminds me of beans and that’s how I learned to read this symbol when looking at the IPA pronunciation guide.

The other way to remember pronunciation is to simply speak and listen as much as possible. You might feel like you have to go beyond the call of duty in this department, but if you really want to learn a language, the needed amount of exposure should be a non-issue.

It’s best to focus on one language at a time, however. Certainly you can learn two languages at once, but for most of us this is only going to be practical if we have time for enough speaking and listening practice in each language we focus on.

Best Practice Eleven: Use Cognates But Beware Of “False Friends”

Many languages have words that are the same or very similar.

In Spanish, for example, you’ll find thousands of words that are very close in sound and meaning to their English equivalents. You might also see these words referred to as “loan words.” 

However, there are also a number of false cognates that mean very different things.

Always check so that you don’t wind up creating foundational errors that may be difficult to correct later. 

Best Practice Twelve: Add Another Language After You’ve Earned The First One

It’s normal to want to be a polyglot, or someone who speaks 3-5 languages well. But as far as I can tell, all the successful polyglots got there by being willing to establish mastery in just one language at a time. 

Once you’ve done that, you will be very well-versed in the meta learning skills that will help you proceed in leaps and bounds towards substantial speaking and understanding abilities. 

And then you can do cool things like what my friend Benny Lewis calls “laddering.” This technique is when you pick a textbook or course in a language you’ve already learned to start covering the next one.

For example, most of my sources of material for learning Chinese have been from books written in German. 

I love laddering, but am very glad I stuck with German long enough to enjoy great confidence speaking it before moving on. 

One exception to this suggestion that some people find useful is to spend some time learning Esperanto.

The reasoning here suggests that Esperanto is especially suited to helping learners understand more about how different languages work.

Frankly, I’m not convinced you have to become a grammarian or linguist in order to become fluent in a language. If anything, the world is packed with people who are experts in those topics who can’t even speak one other language. 

But if you’re still stuck, it might be worth looking into Esperanto for these reasons.

Or, you could look at a root language to see if it helps wake up your brain.

For example, a small amount of time learning Latin can open up Spanish or Italian for you to an incredible degree.

However, at the end of the day, the old saying that the hunter who chases two rabbits rarely catches either stands up here. Split your attention between more than one language only at great risk. 

Best Practice Thirteen: Travel If You Can, But Don’t Make It A Must

I’ve been lucky and was able to spend years of my life in Germany. During that time, I made sure to live with people who spoke little or no English to make “total immersion” something from which I could not escape.

But I didn’t have the luxury of living in China when I first started learning the language. And it was absolutely not necessary.

In fact, after less than 3 months of studying the language, my time in the country was so distracting, I didn’t have time to study it at all. And that is typically what happens when you try to combine tourism with immersion. 

Instead, use the tips on this page to create proper goals and the effective systems that will place you in the company of your target language each and every day.

Then, when you do get to travel, you can relax and focus on speaking and understanding much more around you. You’ll have earned it.

Best Practice Fourteen: Give Grammar its Proper Place

You can definitely use memory techniques to help you learn grammar.

However, grammar does not need to be mastered before you start reading, writing, speaking and listening.

In fact, it never needs to be mastered at all.

Instead, it’s best to keep reviewing it and learning it in context as you go.

We have to do this in our mother tongue as well and grammar guides are sometimes updated as languages change over time.

So focus on how the language is used in your target language rather than focusing too much on isolated rules.

Often those rules are useful in language learning classes. But in real life, you’ll find that there are many exceptions to the rules.

Learn to absorb how a variety of people use the language so you can use the grammar naturally and intuitively.

Quick Language Learning FAQ

I’ve been blessed to help many language learners over the years.

These are the questions that I’ve seen the most since I started teaching memory techniques for language learning in 2012 following the publication of my first book, How to Learn and Memorize German Vocabulary.

How long does it take to learn a new language to A2?

Many people reach A2 in about 90 days. The amount of time you need might vary, but start by studying 45 minutes a day across three sessions (fifteen minutes each).

Focus on core vocabulary, daily practice with the Big Five skills, and consistent feedback from native speakers.

Should I learn grammar first or vocabulary?

Start with vocabulary.

You’ll absorb grammar more naturally through reading, listening, and speaking.

Use memory techniques to learn sentence patterns in context instead of memorizing isolated rules upfront.

Can I learn two languages at the same time?

It’s possible, but not ideal for most learners.

Split focus usually slows progress. Master one language first—then use it as a base (laddering) to learn your next language more efficiently.

Do I need to travel to learn a language?

Not at all. While immersion helps, you can create your own immersion at home using Memory Palaces, native speaker sessions, media in the target language, and goal-driven study systems.

In fact, sometimes traveling to learn a language can be a distraction. It made sense for me to study German in Germany only because I was already living there.

What’s the fastest way to remember new words?

Use the Memory Palace technique. The process is worth learning because it creates stronger neural associations and dramatically improves retention.

And don’t worry about not having enough Memory Palaces or that you won’t be able to learn enough words.

As you gain experience with the technique, you’ll soon realize that your memory has plenty of space.

And you’ll see how the Big Five of Language learning works as a spaced repetition process that allows you to focus on getting a lot of learning done as you memorize fewer new words over time.

The Best Ways To Learn A Language Begin And End With You And Your Strategy

A lot of people think that kids have some special advantage when it comes to learning a language. This couldn’t be further from the truth. 

In reality, kids take years to speak proper sentences, and many more to read and write at a sophisticated level.

But because adults have all kinds of skills in their mother language, impulse control and the levels of discipline needed to make it on the job market, you have a distinct advantage. 

You really just need to bring everything you know about being a mature and responsible adult to the process of learning a language. But that doesn’t mean you don’t bring childlike curiosity and fun to the game. 

The benefits of speaking a language are immense, ranging from higher salary to the brain health benefits of bilingualism.

And if you’d like more help with the Memory Palace technique we discussed above, you’re welcome to grab my free course:

 

It gives you four video tutorials and three worksheets that will get you up and running.

So what do you say?

What language do you want to learn and are you feeling empowered now that you have all of these steps and powerful best practices for learning it?

Struggling to retain what you read, hear in a lecture or study as a skill? No matter how many note-taking techniques you try?

I get it.

As a lifelong learner with a neurodiverse background, I found most note-taking methods either too rigid or outright ineffective.

I encountered this problem during university.

And many of the most highly-recommended note-taking tactics became even more unhelpful when I started teaching as a professor at Rutgers.

As technologies have evolved, I have found that the landscape for learners has gotten even more confusing.

Sure, many people love using apps to aid their learning. And they even get results from them.

But over the years that I’ve been working as a researcher, writer and host of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast and my YouTube channel, I’ve tested and developed multiple strategies.

I’ve also refined the note-taking strategies I used to use in grad school.

And in this guide, I’ll walk you through my favorite unconventional note-taking methods that consistently help me improve my focus, boost memory, and best of all, actually enjoy the learning process.

Whether you’re trying to keep up with a fast-paced lecture, sitting in a meeting or reading dense books, these flexible strategies will help you take better notes.

Even better, you’ll get more out of the notes you take when using these processes.

Let’s dive in.

https://youtu.be/bG-v3Yo1btA

My Best Note-Taking Recommendations To Make Information
More Engaging and Memorable

A quick note before we dive into the techniques I recommend:

There’s no “perfect” method that works for everyone, every time.

The approaches I’m about to share apply to different kinds of information.

And that’s a huge point about having methods overall:

You need multiple techniques that you can switch between depending on the situation.

That’s why I recommend practicing all of them. This approach will leave you with a flexible framework for taking notes in multiple contexts.

One: Visual Note-Taking

Visual note-taking is exactly what it sounds like, and it has been essential to my goal of learning faster and remembering more.

Instead of scribbling out long, lifeless sentences during lectures, I realized that quick visual representation could be used to represent many concepts and skills I needed to learn.

For example, when studying the International Phonetic Alphabet to improve my language learning skills and understand my linguistics textbooks better, I drew a simple coffee cup next to the “i” symbol.

Here’s the drawing:

Here’s what this quick sketch achieved:

I was rapidly able to remind myself that this “i” makes the vowel sound in beans. Just one image anchored the concept instantly in my memory.

You Don’t Need to Be an Artist

As you can see from my example above, visual notes don’t need to be artistic or detailed.

In fact, the simpler, the better. Usually, I limit the visual notes I take to some simple rules:

Arrows and flow lines show cause and effect or represent connectionsSymbols represent core conceptsSimple stick figures or icons to bring ideas to lifeSpatial arrangements (like clusters or grids) group related topicsQuestion marks prompt reflective thinking

This visual note-taking method works across the board, but especially well for:

Fast recall of symbols, terms, or processesCondensing complex material into visual shorthandKeeping your brain engaged during dry or fast-paced sessions

You don’t need to take your visual notes on cards like you see in my examples.

You can integrate visuals into the margins of your books or reserve one or more pages in your notebook for collecting visual summaries of key ideas.

Copying Charts and Graphs By Hand for Better Understanding

Some people can look at a chart and instantly understand what it’s meant to convey.

Not me.

I often find even simple graphs visually overwhelming.

But as I learned from Tony Buzan, you can simply copy them from your textbooks in your own hand to process their meaning.

I followed his advice and did that to understand how memory works.

By using multiple colors and engaging more parts of my brain, I’ve never forgotten the forgetting curve and the serial positioning effect I drew out visually by copying it from a textbook:

The History of Visual Note Taking for Instant Engagement

Ultimately, I never would have believed visual note-taking would help me so much. But it has, and later I found out that this style of note-taking is actually ancient.

As Jamie Kreiner reveals in The Wandering Mind: What Medieval Monks Tell Us About Distraction, copyists would leave doodles for their readers to remind them to keep engaged.

These included funny faces or pictures of monks with alert expressions.

So if you use visual note taking, you’re in good company.

For more reading recommendations like Kreiner’s to help broaden your knowledge about study techniques, check out my full list of books on learning.

Two: Outline Note-Taking for Streamlining Ideas

Outline note-taking is widely used. You could almost call it a classic approach, though you’re about to discover a few ways I’ve found to make it even better.

I use it frequently when attending lectures or listening to instructional videos by just making a dash beside each point based on keywords.

I also use outline note taking when recording my own thoughts.

For sub-points, I will indent slightly to the right.

It basically winds up looking like this example, which involves simple dashes to outline the larger topic:

The catch with this kind of note taking is you can sometimes puzzle yourself.

Because this kind of note-taking compresses the main point into a single keyword or phrase, you can’t always remember exactly what you meant during the note-taking process.

Fortunately, I have a fix for that.

Combine Outline Note Taking with a Review Process

To avoid being puzzled by notes later when using outline note taking at lectures, I ask the speaker permission to press record on my phone.

Then, listening back, you can expand your basic outline notes later. While getting a complete review of the points you thought were good enough to track during the lecture.

When I was in university, not all professors allowed me to record their talks.

Fortunately, these days it’s very common for just about every lecture to be recorded and even uploaded publicly for the world to view.

But if for any reason, recording is not possible, leave space to one side of the page so you can expand your notes immediately after the session.

Don’t wait. Write your summaries while the ideas are still fresh, even if your working memory is strong.

Also, if you can, go over your notes with classmates or co-workers within an hour or two. This simple activity is one of the most empowering study habits I practiced across my university years.

Should You Type Your Outline Notes?

People ask me by email or in comments if it’s okay for them to type their notes.

According to studies like this one from 2024, you won’t get nearly the same memory benefits from using a computer for note taking.

Why is handwriting better?

We actually have to address two angles: focus and memory.

First, this Scientific American article summarizes studies that show a major difference in brain activity.

You remember and learn more when using your hand due to processing that occurs because real-time note taking by hand is slower.

I know that sounds counterintuitive, but if you think about it, writing requires more focus.

And what we focus on, the brain engages with much more deeply, leading to better memory and comprehension.

Outline Notes for Creative Output

I’ve long noticed that I remember more and understand better when writing my study and research notes by hand.

But this form of note taking has also helped me edit my books better.

For example, it’s totally possible to revise books on the computer.

To get better and faster results, however, I print out my drafts, read them with a red pen and take outline notes on sheets of paper.

It’s so much easier to improve an entire book draft this way. Both to better remember the many moving parts, and to increase focus.

Editing on a computer is not only challenging because your brain activity slumps.

You’re also fighting against multiple open tabs and the knowledge that there are infinite entertainments that await you online.

So whether you’re editing an essay for a school assignment or an article for work, get it printed so you can make notes on the draft in ways that will better serve your goal of creating a masterpiece.

Three: SQ3R Note Taking Driven by a Powerful Questioning Formula

SQ3R was developed by the educational psychologist Francis Robinson in the 1940s to help military personnel read better.

The SQ3R acronym stands for:

SurveyQuestionReadReciteReview

Unlike passive reading or taking notes without thinking, SQ3R gets you engaging deeply with the materials through this easy-to-follow model.

I find it useful for reducing information overwhelm when used in this exact manner:

Survey the book from back to front before reading to get a sense of its structureQuestion what I want to learn and determine how many flashcards I might needUse active reading strategies while going through the bookRecite the ideas while taking notes from the textbook, verbally and in writingReview the ideas from my notes and mentally by continuing to ask questions about what I’ve readWhy Asking Questions Improves Learning and Memory

In my experience, constantly asking questions strengthens memory because you’re processing the ideas in a deeper way.

And scientists have found that you’re engaging in what’s known as elaborative rehearsal. You strengthen your memory and understanding because questions help you look at the information in more than one way.

Sometimes my questions are simple.

If you scroll back up and look at my card with “Really?” on it and the visual arrow to connect two ideas together, I’m expressing both skepticism and surprise.

Here are some other questions I frequently use while reading and note taking:

What does this point connect to?Where else have I encountered an idea like this?What is the author’s objective in raising this point?Why is the content organized in this way?What evidence supports this claim?Is the evidence dated or likely to require an update?What image, analogy or metaphor could represent this concept?What’s the simplest way to explain this to someone who has never heard about it before?What’s the biggest and most important takeaway?Can I explain the key points in my own words?What questions is this book not asking but should be?

There are many more questions you can ask. If you’d like to train your brain and become a question-asking machine, check out my ultimate list of philosophical questions. It’ll help turn you into an SQ3R machine.

Combining SQ3R with Other Learning Methods

As you’ve seen, I combine the question-asking process with my note taking process.

But you can also make quick doodles or sketches that embed questions. Or make sketches of question marks that prompt you to ask the sample questions I’ve shared above.

If you use the method of loci, you can embed questions marks along your mental journeys to trigger your recall.

In fact, one of the earliest memory training books by Peter of Ravenna encouraged its readers to ask lots of questions.

This point was raised again by the Renaissance memory instructor Giordano Bruno. He taught people a means of placing questions on memory wheels.

These “computational” mental tools have a long history, and are worth studying because of how question-focused they were during an era packed with polymaths and autodidacts.

The point is that top learners rarely use any technique in isolation. So to get the most out of SQ3R, pop it into your outline note taking efforts as well.

Four: Flow-Based Note Taking for Capturing Ideas Faster

Flow-based note taking is all about getting your thoughts down without the kinds of filters other methods involve.

Sometimes I think of this approach as “brain dumping.”

For example, here’s a real instance of getting into flow and just letting ideas flow in real time:

In the same section I visually worked out a story idea and even listed the playing cards I had memorized earlier that day.

Although these pages from my private notebook might look chaotic to some, it’s a powerful snapshot of my thinking at that moment.

Handwriting for Speed and Focus

I carry the kind of notebook you see above at all times. The 90x140mm format fits perfectly in the back pocket of my jeans.

The only rule I follow when using this form of note taking is to not interrupt the flow.

There is one precaution, however:

Try to write cleanly enough that you’ll be able to recognize your own handwriting. I recently had to buy a magnifying glass so I could decode some of the notes I took a bit too quickly.

Since then, I’ve started taking more care that I write legibly. Not for perfection, but for the benefit of my future self.

You Don’t Have to Optimize Every Flow-Based Note

Even though I’ve started taking greater care, this approach is not the SQ3R, nor does it involve creating a specific outline.

It’s about momentum and staying in the zone.

In my experience, this method works best for:

Early-stage project planningCreative writingWorking through a series of scattered ideasJournaling for self-improvement outcomesRemembering your dreamsSummarizing ideas from books you’ve read

Can you get the same effect from taking notes in flow on a computer?

Possibly, and sometimes I send myself notes via email, especially when ideas for books I’m writing come up while I’m working on other tasks, like editing videos.

These rapid notes wind up filled with a lot of typos that can be hard to decode later, however.

And we have studies like this showing that cursive handwriting gets much better results for anything involving memory, learning, focus and concentration.

In sum, I stick to handwriting these “brain dump” notes as much as I possibly can.

Five: Doodling While Taking Notes

This might be my most controversial suggestion, but please hear me out.

Doodling while taking notes isn’t about zoning out or expressing frustration with boring topics.

Although some people discourage doodling, my personal experience says otherwise.

As someone with two MAs and a PhD, sketching simple shapes while listening to slow lectures based on dense topics or challenging skills has helped me many times.

For example, when studying music theory and waiting for the teacher to move through ideas I didn’t want to miss, I doodled on the right-hand side of this notebook:

In a way, doodling while paying attention to information is like mind mapping, but without having to create a dedicated mind map.

I find it useful because it helps me focus on the information as it flows in real time without giving in to the need for a dopamine spike.

Doodling also brings powerful memory benefits. As this study found, a group of doodlers who listened to a telephone call remembered 29% more than those who did not.

When it comes to doodles for language learning, the founder of the Fluent Forever app and author of a book with the same title, has talked extensively about making your own index cards. You can hear my conversation about this with Gabriel Wyner on this episode of the Magnetic Memory Method Podcast.

I took his advice to heart and started drawing frequently to help me learn both German and Mandarin.

For example, this simple doodle in one of my language learning notebooks helped me remember a very important German word in no longer than the time it took to create the simple image:

Mnemonic Example for the German Word Bereich

I highly recommend giving doodling as a form of note taking for a variety of learning goals.

That way, you can stick with what you’re studying without feeling the need to seek a dopamine spike quite so often.

So next time, rather than constantly flipping through your computer tabs or getting irritated with a lecturer, keep your hands busy by doodling.

What You Should Immediately Stop Doing When Taking Notes

I thought you might find a summary of things not to do helpful.

Obviously, if some of these activities are genuinely helpful for you, feel free to keep up with them.

But for a lot of us, they’re the source of so many issues.

One: Stop Mindless Word-for-Word Copying

Sometimes we do need to write out quotes verbatim.

For example, I traveled long distances to visit libraries across Europe when I was completing my Mercator Guest Professor Grant in Germany. Many of the books were rare, did not exist in digital format and there was no way I would ever see them again.

Even then, I tried to limit my verbatim notes to index cards and only the most essential quotes.

Far better is to withdraw the key points and review all your notes for a book or article immediately. Then write a summary in your own words so that they context of the specific verbatim quotes stick more firmly in your mind.

Two: Avoid Reliance on Digital Tools

I get email from people who love to tell me about their digital tools.

Although I’m happy for them, I’m much more aligned with my fellow writers.

Like the journalist Ezra Klein who told Lex Fridman in this interview about how important it is to the quality of his writing to work with print as much as possible.

As he puts it, print helps him show up and do the work much better than some of his competition. He attributes the success of his podcast to reading from print and preparing his notes in this way.

My experience matches his and I’m confident you’ll enjoy a similar experience when you give your brain more exposure to printed media.

Three: Using Only One Note-Taking Method

After launching the video about my note-taking methods at the top of this page, one of my frequent commentators said he’s not sure what method is his favorite yet.

I said that actually it’s the combination of many methods that I prefer.

I would suggest that you keep flexible by developing skills with a variety of information capture techniques.

Four: Don’t Copy Other Learners (At Least Not Too Closely)

Along these lines, it’s useful to take inspiration from how others take notes.

But rather than copy what they’re doing, seek to “reverse-engineer” why they’re using a particular approach.

You’ll not only develop better research skills. You’ll wind up with your own research style, leading to the uniqueness and success Ezra Klein highlights.

Five: Stop Neglecting Integration

For best results, never make your note-taking a “set and forget” process.

Review them. Think about them. Connect them with notes you’ve taken in the past.

And integrate in topic-appropriate ways.

For example, in a recent Conversations with Close podcast, the magician Peter Samelson suggested photocopying important guidebook pages when learning a process.

Then, in the context of learning a new skill, mark that page up with notes describing the specific steps you need to follow.

This kind of step-by-step note-taking will accelerate your progress.

And that photocopying tip?

Golden.

By making a quick copy, you can be as creatively sloppy with your notes as you wish, and still retain the book’s instructions in its original format.

Likewise if you’re learning from an ebook or PDF, by printing the pages and marking them up physically, you’re integrating your notes at a much deeper level. You’ll enjoy more substantial outcomes as a result.

Frequently Asked Questions About Note-Taking and Memory

I’ve been asked many questions about how I take notes over the years.

Here are some of the most frequent, and the most important.

What’s the best note-taking method for retention?

There’s no single “best” approach in my experience.

I suggest rotating through multiple approaches, especially in a way that combines handwriting, visual note-taking and asking questions as you proceed.

The most important point is that you take the initiative to make the note-taking process active.

Combining multiple approaches based on your specific learning goal will give you outstanding results.

Should I take notes by hand or on a computer?

As we’ve seen, studies show that handwriting works best for memory, comprehension and focus.

But that doesn’t mean you have to leave typing completely out of the process.

When I wrote my dissertation for my PhD at York University, I typed up many of my notes into an outline.

At the end of the day, it was important that the notes were taken by hand. But it’s not at all the case that typing was entirely excluded from the process that led me to a successful graduation.

Notes on paper pile up. How am I supposed to organize them all over time?

This can be a problem, but one thing to consider is that you don’t have to keep all of your notes.

When I’ve moved internationally, I photographed the most important and got rid of the physical versions.

Many of my cards also go into mental storage by using the Memory Palace technique too. There are many that I never photographed but still recall with ease as a result.

But generally I’ve found that using index cards is best because they pack easily into shoe boxes.

You can store thousands of cards inside one closet and label the boxes alphabetically or thematically.

Many people in the Zettelkasten community keep notes in this way. Some invest in wooden cases for their cards, which you might look into if you want to store and organize your knowledge.

What if I forget what I meant because I was sloppy?

This is a real risk.

But you reduce it substantially by constantly questioning and using memory techniques during the note-taking process.

And if you review your notes regularly and write summaries of what you’re learning, you’ll have a backup record.

Chances are, you’ll also wind up like me: Rarely having to look back at your notes because you simply remember them.

Of course, that outcome might make you wonder: If such strong recall is possible, why bother taking notes in the first place?

The answer is that taking notes well helps establish stronger memories.

So even if it’s fairly common to scratch your head when looking at some of your own notes, they don’t all have to be legible. The note-taking process will still have been valuable overall.

How do I make sure I review my notes effectively?

For most of us, spaced repetition is the key.

You’ll need to experiment with how long between reviews works best for you.

Myself, when I really want to remember something, I follow a pattern I modified from Dominic O’Brien’s Rule of Five:

Five reviews the first dayOne review daily for the first five daysOne review weekly for the next five weeks

Although I don’t follow that pattern slavishly for everything I learn, it’s a general rule of thumb to follow.

It might seem like a lot, but just take it one note at a time. If you let your mind constantly label how much review you have to do, you’re wasting time that could be spent on reviewing.

What are the biggest note-taking mistakes to avoid?

The list is simple:

Spending too much time on highlighting instead of writing the points out from memoryTaking notes verbatim without breaking them down to keywordsNot having a backup recording every time you have the optionFailing to review your noteNeglecting to write summaries in your own wordsNot taking time for reflective thinkingKeeping it all in your head without speaking about what you’re learningNot using memory techniques to help absorb more of the granular detailsWaiting to understand instead of diving in and letting comprehension emerge as part of the processDo I need to take notes on everything I learn?

Strategically selecting what you’re going to take note of is critically important.

No one can cover everything. In fact, human civilization developed specialization groups precisely so we can “offload” certain aspects of human knowledge to others.

Focus the notes you take on the big insights, patterns, trends and areas you really need to be able to recall.

If you try to cover every single detail, your competition will sail past you.

By the same token, to be a specialist, you want to bring your unique perspective.

That’s why developing your own systematic questioning process is so critical to your success.

How do I know which note-taking style works for me?

I would suggest asking a different question:

How can I make the time to explore as many note-taking approaches as possible so I have a collection of techniques to choose from?

This approach will serve you so much better because there are many different kinds of information to learn. There is no single technique that will cover every single kind.

My Best Tips For Turning Notes Into Long-Term Memories

Taking notes is powerful, but it’s just one part of having a truly holistic learning practice.

To truly remember and apply what you’ve learned, please follow up with the following strategies to strengthen your retention and understanding.

Over the years, as both student, professor and memory expert, I’ve refined each of these powerful processes to help turn the many ways I take notes into memories that last.

Understand the Levels of Processing Effect

Simply rereading notes or using Anki isn’t enough.

To enjoy greater understanding and remember more, you can make ideas stickier by speaking, writing, listening and reading those ideas more often.

Some of my favorite memories during university involved just that, typically covered by attending a variety of discussion groups.

In English 1300, for example, a small cluster of us all walked away with the top grades.

Why?

Because after many of the lectures and tutorials, we met to discuss the material further.

I’ll never forget sitting up in the 7th-floor Grad Lounge of the Ross Building.

Although we didn’t realize we were practicing levels of processing at the time, we practiced everything scientists have discovered works for learning at a deeper level. We:

Read our notes to each other aloudTake more notes based on key points raised by our peersLearn about additional resources so we could benefit from additional books and articles

Later, in grad school, I joined even more advanced study groups.

In one of my favorites, we would each voluntarily read an article to present to the group.

In this way, we exposed each other to additional reading material we would never have time to consider in any other way.

Yet, we could still take notes about the key points, commit them to memory and enjoy the effect of priming our memory for future encounters with those references.

Summarize What You’ve Learned in Writing

We’ve talked a lot about writing today, and it is proven to hone your focus and boost your memory.

But I didn’t always do it.

And initially, I’m ashamed to say that I hated it.

Especially when one of my grad school professors made me write 300-500 word summaries of the books I read for a directed reading course.

I reconnected with this professor a few years ago, however.

Why? To tell her how much I appreciated the exercise week after week.

Thanks to her requirement, I learned to process the information in my own words, which is incredibly powerful for memory and reading comprehension.

That’s because summarizing your notes in prose forces you to:

Clarify your understandingReorganize ideas to fit different combinations based on your overall study goalsIdentify gaps in your knowledgeAsk more and better questionsSeek answers from more sources

If you don’t have a professor assigning summary tasks for you, try it yourself.

Even just the shortest prose summaries of your notes will boost your memory and improve your comprehension.

Organize Your Notes with Index Cards

I often take notes on index cards because they make it easy to:

Shuffle the ideas around and put them back into the original order I extracted them from the bookGroup notes by topic, theme or historical orderAnnotate the notes using the Zettelkasten methodExpand the notes over time in a way that linear notebooks do not allow

To store my many cards and harness the power of spaced repetition, I use Leitner boxes.

This approach lets you review your notes progressively over time and ensure that the information gets retained at a much higher level.

And if you think that using cards and boxes like this is too simplistic, rest assured you’ll be in good company.

Both Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin used similar approaches to great effect, amongst many other autodidactic personalities.

The Ultimate Path To Remembering Your Notes

Effective note-taking skills are discussed everywhere.

But you also need to bring your best critical thinking skills.

Whatever you do, I suggest that you approach note taking as an art, a science and a lifestyle. Make sure that you experiment with multiple styles and track your results.

As you pay attention to what’s happening more consciously, you’ll learn more about what works for you and lean towards your preferences with greater understanding.

But at all times, choose flexibility. Make sure you have on hand what you need whenever you attend a lecture or recording of one so that all your bases are covered.

And above all, remove all stress. So many learners bring so much worry about the game of education that they forget to play it.

This point is important because learning really is a game. It’s one you can win too, provided you put your memory first. And provided you have the mental strength strategies we all need to succeed.

And to help with strengthening your memory, consider learning to use the Memory Palace technique. It’s an ancient version of the Leitner Box that helps you remember more without so much as breaking a sweat.

If you’d like to learn it now, feel free to join my free course:

It gives you a complete set of video tutorials and worksheets that will help you improve your memory.

So what do you say?

Whether you’re a student juggling dense textbooks, or a professional juggling back-to-back meetings, these approaches will transform your notes into meaningful knowledge that stays with you.

And that’s the ultimate point:

Note-taking is not just about notes. It’s about transforming everything you capture into questions, ideas and associations that help usher the target information into long-term memory.

Do any of these note taking technique resonate with you?

Let’s discuss below and keep learning together!