Usually I would write my journal in my private notion pages, but I decided to follow the advice in the How to Learn Memory Techniques page and do it here in the forum, also it’s a nice way to contribute to this community that I discovered when I first read Moonwalking with Einstein back 2021 but never really tried to learn mnemonics, until now.
Well I’m not much of a talkative person nor a writer, that’s why I’ll keep my entries short from now on, so I don’t get overwhelmed thinking I should write an essay on every entry.
Thank you for your attention, any doubts or advice let me know!
Day 1
Things I whish to complete before my next entry:
Use my new peg lists to create images and store those images in Memory Palaces (which I have none)
Memorize the following:
My girlfriends CPF (equivalent to social security number in the US)
My girlfriends birthday
Key topics from my Materials Science Class
Physics formulas that will be covered in my next exam
Backlog list (things I wish to complete some day in the future)
Learn more advanced memory techniques (PAO System, Major System, 100 Loci memory palaces)
Memorize all winners of Physics nobel prizes, when they won and why.
Memorize the periodic table.
Learn the names and departments of everyone in my work.
Mental math
Memorize keyboard pieces at higher speed
Memorize a card deck
Doubts that I need to look for answers:
When to use each memory technique?
Why I see here in the forum people reffering to peg lists as an alternative to Loci method, shouldn’t I use them in combination?
Should I make peg lists in english or in portuguese which is my mother tongue?
Should I have more than one language peg lists? For example, peg list for alphabet animals A: A → Alligator (english) B → Boi (portuguese)
If I did a peg list and afterwards I found another word that I think would be better to remember should I change it? I think that could confuse me if I do it a lot but if do it sometimes only, it could be beneficial to improve my peg list with really good rememberable words right? For example, H → horse at first but then I change it to Hippo because I think it would be better, that’s not a problem right?
Add some random words practice on IAM or Memory League as random words is perfect beginner practice.
Increase the priority of learning the major system as it is a core staple and will make anything related to numbers much easier.
When you make your memory palaces drawing them and making excel references is very helpful as everyone takes breaks and you will lose you palaces and be very happy you have the written references when you return.
Thanks for your advice, I already put them in practice, I will give more detail on how it went on my next entry.
I read your profile, it says you are a chess player, did you manage to use mnemonics to level up your rating? I’m a bellow average chess player, openings have always been my weakness, I couldn’t remember them, maybe when i get better at mnemonics I should use it to get better at chess, like you!
Used my new peg lists to create images and store those images in Memory Palaces
Trained random words memorization on Memory League.
Learned about Mnemonic Link System
Memorized the following:
My girlfriends CPF
Keyboard exercise for fingers
To-do:
Learn the major system
Read more about Mnemonic Link System
Read more about Memory Palaces
Memorize the following:
My girlfriends birthday
Key topics from my Materials Science Class
Physics formulas that will be covered in my next exam
Key concepts of my production management Class
Observations:
I did some training of random words in Memory League as @zweb_chess suggested, got level 3 only, I’m having trouble really going through my palace as I read the words, It takes too much effort imagine the word, placing it in my memory palace and then walk through my palace, the last images or the most abstract ones don’t stick.
Funny thing, in Moonwalking with Einstein Joshua Fouer says that an untrained mind can remember close to 7 items only, thats exactly what I remembered in my random words training.
Another problem I been having is when I’m playing keyboard and going through my palace to know which note to play, it takes too much time to decode the images, hope it gets better with practice.
Not really on rating as most of chess skill at my rating is calculation based not memory. I am using mnemonics for blindfold simul so only remembering short-term information similar to memory competitors.