Improve Your Memory with Outrageous Lists

Do you have a shaky memory?

It's understandable. Most of us have so many things to remember in a day, it's easy for one or two things to slip through the cracks.

I've tried just about every method there is to help to improve my memory and keep from forgetting important things.

Carrying around a notebook and writing down everything I have to remember? Tried it.

Associating what I have to remember with something familiar? Tried it.

Repeating whatever I have to remember over and over again? Tried it.

While those methods work, there is one method I've found that helps me remember things better than any other technique.

The crazy list.

How Crazy Lists Help To Improve Your Memory

The philosophy behind the crazy list is pretty simple.

Say you have a list of things to remember, like this.

1. Buy dog food.

2. Pay credit card bill.

3. Buy a present for Susie.

4. Call the plumber.

5. Sign permission slip for Bobby's field trip.

One way to remember all of those things is to create crazy associations between them. And the more outrageous you can make those associations, the better. For example, for "Buy dog food" and "Pay credit card bill," imagine your dog sitting at your kitchen table writing a check.

To remember "Buy a present for Susie," imagine your dog putting the credit card bill in the mailbox, then walking upright into the store and coming out a few moments later with a festively wrapped present for Susie.

To remember "Call the plumber," imagine Susie is at her birthday party when she gets a call on a special phone. She transforms into Super Plumber, and runs off to save the pipes at the mayor's office.

Finally, to remember, "Sign permission slip for Bobby's field trip," imagine Super Plumber, surrounded by men dressed in old world costumes, signing the Declaration of Independence.

Sounds crazy? I know. But the crazier and more connected you can make the items on your list, the better.

When you're at the store buying dog food, you won't be able to help remembering the image of your dog sitting at a table writing checks, which will help you remember to pay the credit card bill. And, when your talking to the plumber, you won't be able to help remembering the image of Super Plumber (in the craziest costume you can think of) signing the Declaration of Independence, which will help you remember to sign Bobby's field trip permission slip.

Making crazy lists is a great way to help improve your memory. And have fun while doing it.