been impressed clearly upon the records of your subconscious. And the main factor of the
recording of impressions is that quality of the mind that we call Attention, which is the
ability to focus and give meaning to a particular data or stimulus.
Our capability to process information is somewhat limited. Therefore, we must
constantly select and decide which data are relevant and which are not. Stimuli or
sensations that you perceive and organize into meaningful thoughts are selectively
analyzed by your brain. If the stimuli or data is relevant or applicable for further use or
access, your brain transfers this information to the long-term storage center. However, for
this to happen, attention must take place
One of the most common causes of poor attention is the lack of interest. You are
more inclined to remember the things in which you have been most interested, because in
that emanation of interest there has been a high degree of attention exhibited. A person
may have a very poor memory for many things; but when it comes to things in which his
interest is involved, he often remembers the most intricate details. This is called
involuntary attention. This type of attention does not require special effort or exertion
because it follows upon interest, curiosity, or desire.
The other type of attention is called voluntary attention. This form of attention is
granted upon objects not necessarily interesting, curious, or attractive. This requires the
effort and usage of the will.
_____________________________________________________________ Every person has more or less involuntary attention, while only a few possess
developed voluntary attention. The former is initiated by instinct, while the latter comes
only by practice and training.
For attention to take place, you must diligently practice the art of voluntary
attention. Here are some successful strategies to help you acquire this essential skill:
1. Turn your attention upon some uninteresting thing and study every detail
but you must stick to it. Do not practice too long at a time at first; take a rest and
try it again later. You will soon find that it comes easier, and that a new interest
is starting to manifest itself in the task. For example, pick a flower. Touch it.
Smell it. Feel its texture. How many petals does it have? How long is the stem?
What is the color and shape of the petals? By doing this simple task, you will be
surprised at the quantity of little things that you will notice. This method,
practiced on many things, in spare hours, will develop the power of voluntary
attention and perception in anyone, no matter how deficient he or she may have
been in these things. Begin to take notice of things about you: the places you
visit, the people in the rooms, etc. In this way you will start the habit of "noticing
things," which is the first requisite for memory development.
2. Eliminate distractions. Even though you may have heard of multi-tasking, it is
very difficult for people to do more than one thing at a time. For example, you’re
a law student studying for the Bar Exams. You wouldn’t be able to absorb
properly into your mind what you are studying if your radio is playing loud
_____________________________________________________________ rock-and-roll music, or if you’re hearing the video games being played by your
kid brother. As much as possible, avoid any possible distractions such as TV,
radio, or other people chattering.
3. Retain focus and concentration in the process of learning or
tomorrow. A new employee was introduced to you while you are working. In this
case, there would be much less chance for you to remember anything about
that new employee because you are concentrating on something else which
you regard as more urgent or important. If you want to remember something
well, shift your focus on that one thing and willfully commit it to memory.
4. Keep track all of your thoughts. Whenever you become aware that your
thoughts are losing, yell "STOP!" in your mind. This will bring your drifting to a
halt and redirect your attention to what needs to be done. Remember that good
concentration breeds good memory. If you find that your thoughts are traveling,
be conscious that your attention is drifting.
5. Get interested. To have good memorization skills, you should also like what
you are doing. To vividly memorize a visual, an image, or even text, engage
yourself into it. You should put your heart in every activity you’re working and
doing. If you don’t like to engage in a certain activity, there’s a slim chance for
you to remember aspects about it. Let’s say your parents want you to become
an engineer, but you dream of becoming a musician. If you studied engineering
because your parents forced you to, you won’t have the dedication or desire to
_____________________________________________________________ retain information from your engineering books. Don’t push yourself to do
something that you have no interest in. As Leonardo Da Vinci said: "Just as
6. Get motivated. Now let’s say you want to become a doctor. Why are you
familiarizing and memorizing into such ambiguous medical or biological terms?
For one thing, you might want to be on the top of the class. Or you might want to
be popular in your school. Or you might want to be a good doctor someday to
help your community. Goals and timeframe nourish motivation. And motivation
promotes a sharp memory. To further motivate yourself, reward yourself for any
tasks that you have accomplished. Set a particular incentive for every objective.
For example, treat yourself to your favorite restaurant after finishing a project.
When you've accomplished a bigger task, go on a vacation. Just set something
gratifying to indulge in after completing a certain undertaking. Remember: Man
by nature is a go-getter. He will get whatever he aspires for. In a
consumption-based and technologically-driven world, one should have a stake
or goal to feed his symbolic ego. By rewarding yourself in every success you
account for, you will aspire for more and will develop interest on your activity. In
the process, your interest will make you more productive and successful.
7. Give your subconscious a mental command to bear in mind what you
for me!" You’ll be astounded by what the subconscious can do for you.
_____________________________________________________________ Before you can memorize or remember anything, you should be able to perceive
well through proper attention. Use the methods above and you’re well on your way
to a sharper memory. _____________________________________________________________