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Calling in the Cavalry:
Memory Aids to the
Rescue!
by Betty Fielding, M.A.
Did you ever look at your calendar at 10:00 a.m.
and discover the notation, "9:00: Dr.'s. appointment" and say to
yourself, "What's the use of having a calendar if I forget to look
at it"?
A calendar is a memory aid. Memory aids are
objects like calendars, timers, notes, lists and a string around
your finger, which help you remember whatever is important to you.
These reminders will enhance your sense of being in control of your
memory and your life. Occasionally, however, you may not look at the
calendar or remember what the string stands for.
The challenge many people face is to take charge
of their memory aids in order to make them effective reminders. A
practical 3-part strategy for this purpose is:
1. Set a goal—the specific item or action you
want to remember.
2. Plan your use of an appropriate memory aid
including how, when and/or where
you will use it.
3. Develop the habit/s that will make it work.
Although creating a new habit requires patience
and persistence, the result will be worth the effort in terms of
personal comfort and satisfaction.
For example, someone who forgot a doctor's
appointment might decide on the goal of using a calendar so
effectively that her appointments and meetings would never again be
forgotten.
Her plan might involve:
• selecting a calendar which fits into a handbag
and keeping it in a handbag exclusively
• entering on the calendar dates of appointments
and meetings at the time they are made
• consulting the calendar every morning before
breakfast
The habit would result from:
• repeating the 3-step plan regularly
• reinforcing it through thinking about it,
discussing it with family and/or friends
• congratulating herself on her success
• after any memory lapse, resolving to continue
following the plan and making any
improvements her experience suggests.
To keep from missing appointments, one man kept a
very small notebook in his breast pocket to make notes on
appointments. He would transfer them when he got home to the wall
calendar in his kitchen. He also checked the calendar every morning.
Another common objective is to remember to take
medicine on the correct schedule.
A plan would include:
• a pill safe as a memory aid, with a list of
prescriptions and their timing
• the day, or day of the week or month, to
restock the safe
• convenient placing of the safe so that it is an
effective reminder
Developing the habit would involve:
• following the plan repetitively
• thinking about it
• feeling happy about how well the plan works
• mentioning it to friends
All of these activities create memory traces
which make the pill safe a more effective memory aid.
In most areas of your life similar strategies can
make a significant contribution. Another example is forgetting where
you parked your car, which can be a harrowing experience in a large
parking lot or airport garage. Writing down on the back of your
ticket the number, row, or other identifying location is excellent
insurance against such a mishap. If you often park in such
situations, making a habit of using this memory aid will serve you
well. A yellow rose or a small bird attached to the radio antenna
also may be a helpful memory aid for this purpose.
Memory aids can be designed to meet unique
situations. One woman, who lived alone and did not drive, had locked
herself out of her house so effectively that a fireman had to break
a second story window to climb in. She resolved never to face that
situation again and wears her house key on a silver chain under her
blouse. Another woman wears hers on an antique gold pin on her
shoulder. (It's a new key and looks quite trendy!)
Many men and women have problems remembering
people and their names. As a memory aid, a directory or yearbook is
useful for recalling people you seldom see. Reviewing it shortly
before an annual meeting or reunion will remind you of people's
names and experiences you have shared.
A well-organized filing system is a splendid
memory aid for someone who occasionally mislays important papers,
such as certificates, insurance papers, or a favorite recipe.
Creating a memory aid in the form of a filing plan covering the
whole range of your business and personal concerns is time well
invested. An index posted on each drawer and each file folder acts
as an additional memory aid.
A different kind of memory aid is moving an
object from its accustomed place to act as a reminder. For instance,
in order to remind you to mail letters, you might place your car
keys with the letters on a hall table instead of on top of your
dresser. Additional insurance against forgetting would be to put the
keys partly under the letters so the letters would have to be moved
in order to pick up the keys.
An important factor in taking control of memory
aids is the recognition that people tend to be more easily
distracted and forgetful when they are tired or ill or under stress.
At any time when events, problems, or feelings are in conflict for
your attention, increasing your use of memory aids such as "to do"
lists can be especially helpful.
In summary: Memory aids which you develop to meet
your particular needs will help to prevent memory lapses. These
memory aids will be most effective when you have a plan and develop
the habits which make it work for you.
When you are tired or experiencing any kind of
stress, increasing your use of memory aids will help you to remember
whatever seems most important.
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Betty Fielding, M.A., is the author of
The Memory Manual: 10
Simple Things You Can Do to Improve Your Memory After 50. An Instructor’s Manual to Memory
Training with The Memory Manual is also available for any person
or organization wishing to instruct or sponsor either a six-session
course or a single two-hour workshop. |
