Memories Worth Fighting For

Memories Worth Fighting For

From the moment we are born, our brains are bombarded with immense amounts of information about ourselves, our surroundings and the world around us. So how do we hold onto everything we’ve learned and experienced?

Memory is the brain’s ability to collect, connect and create mosaics from milliseconds-long impressions of sensory experiences. These experiences trigger a change in the molecules of your neurons, reshaping the way they connect to one another, meaning your brain constantly being remade with every new memory being formed.

Humans retain different types of memories for different lengths of time. Short-term memories last seconds to hours compared to long-term memories which last for years, we also have a working memory which lets us keep something in our minds for a limited time by repeating it.

From remembering people’s names when networking, to recalling numbers in meetings, a good memory can put an entrepreneur’s head above the rest.

“There are many instances where remembering can give you a huge advantage,” says US-based memory expert Chester Santos, who is also an award-winning speaker on the subject.

“One is remembering people’s names. You are not getting the most out of business networking if you’re attending a bunch of networking events and the next time you see someone you have no idea what their name is or what they do for a living. You’re missing an opportunity to build a rapport with people. When you can remember their name and other things about them, it tells them they are important to you. That in turn makes them want to get to know you better.”

He also believes it will make you better at your job. A good memory means you are likely to give more engaging presentations, instead of rummaging through pages of notes, and will run more productive meetings that could land you more work.

Like a muscle, the brain needs a workout to improve. Santos says our love affair with gadgetry means we rely less on our brains and increasingly on our devices.

“I recommend first dialling a number from memory and if you can’t, go to the address book. It’s an easy way to practice daily and it’s also good exercise in general. Numbers are everywhere: confirmation numbers, flight details, credit card numbers, passport numbers. When other people are fumbling through their bags, I can just [remember them], which saves time.”

Overall, we think memory is an important factor in personal and business success and shouldn’t be forgotten about. If you interested in testing your memory, we have a quiz from Brainfall for you to try.