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In
today's fast-paced, information-based business world, successful
results often depend on our ability to read and process
information quickly.
Continue reading for secrets of Speed Reading..
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Do You Have A Poor Memory?
There is absolutely no reason why any individual has to suffer
from a poor memory. The individual differences in respect of
memory capacities, which we perceive are just the differences in
the utilization levels and not those of built-in capacity.
Continue reading...
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Top 3 Myths On
Memory Improvement
Improving your memory is a
skill and involves a process. Before you initiate this process,
it is important to get some facts right about your brain.
Nothing is sadder than not being able to take action by
believing in certain myths about memory.
Continue reading...
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The 3
Stumbling Blocks of Memory Improvement
You can improve
your memory phenomenally by using scientific memory techniques.
But it's important for you to get rid of the 3 major stumbling
blocks of memory improvement. Do you know what are these blocks?
Read on.
Continue
reading... |
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In today's fast-paced,
information-based business world, successful results often
depend on our ability to read and process information quickly.
We are all faced with overflowing inboxes full of e-mails,
enquiries, reports, proposals, then there are faxes, letters,
minutes and other documents. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by
the huge volume of material we need to read and process.
Speed-reading can help you to
read and understand written information much quicker, making it
an essential skill in today's business environment. Many people
seem to have a lot of misconceptions about speed reading. Here
are the three most frequently asked questions:
1. Is it really possible to
read faster?
The answer is yes! The average reading speed of most people is
only about 200-250 wpm. If you use effective speed reading
techniques, it is very much possible to double or even triple
your reading speed to 500-700 wpm. In 2007, the six times World
Champion Speed Reader Anne Jones read "Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows" in a record breaking 47 minutes and one second
- 4251 words per minute. During my workshops, it is very usual
that the participants easily double their reading speeds in just
one day.
2. Does speed reading spoil
the enjoyment of reading?
Absolutely "No". If anything, speed reading enhances the
enjoyment of reading because you will be able to concentrate for
longer periods and you will have fewer reading irritations
usually caused by bad reading habits.
3. If I read faster, does my
comprehension go down?
If you eliminate the bad reading habits, it is very much
possible to maintain your comprehension (and even comprehend
better) while you read faster. Some of the bad reading habits
are:
- Reading one word at a time:
We have always been taught to read word by word to
understand the information better. However, this is exactly
the reason why people read slowly. Speed readers train their
eyes to view more words at a single glance, thereby
increasing their 'eye span'.
- Re-reading what you have
just read: This is called as 'regression'. Many people
either consciously or sub-consciously re-read what they have
just read, just to make sure if they read it correctly! This
is a huge waste of time and energy.
There are many other bad reading
habits too, like sub-vocalisation and eye-fixations.
Now that we have cleared the
wrong notions about Speed Reading, lets see what can be done to
improve your reading speed and maintain your comprehension. Here
are some action points:
- Measure your current
reading speed: Most people don't even have clue about
their current reading speed. If you want to increase your
reading speed, it's only obvious that you should know your
current speed. Take any article. Count the number of words.
Time yourself. Divide the number of words with your time (in
seconds). Multiply this with 60 to get your speed in words
per minute (wpm)
- Do wide-reading:
Most of us tend to read similar types of reading material
all the time. If you want to improve you reading speed, you
must be comfortable with reading any kind of material. So,
keep reading all kinds of material: fiction, non-fiction,
journals, novels etc.
- Increase your eye span:
Draw four parallel vertical lines on the article you are
reading, so that you have around 3 to 4 words (one chunk)
between 2 lines. Try to focus and read the whole chunk at
one glance, instead of reading word-by-word. Once you are
comfortable with this, draw 3 parallel lines to increase the
size of the chunk. This way you will slowly increase your
eye span. Remember that you don't have to draw lines
forever. You have to do this initially to train your eyes to
increase your eye span.
- Avoid distractions:
As simple as it may seem, most people allow themselves to
get distracted. Once you are distracted, you don't usually
start from where you left, but you have to re-read a few
sentences (or sometimes a few paragraphs) to remind you of
the context. Preferably, read during those times where the
chances of distraction are minimal. And yes, you can turn
off the e-mail alert sounds on your computer!
- Read with an objective:
Setting your objectives at the beginning of the reading
session goes a long way in ideally using your time and
effort. Are you reading to fish out particular information?
Are you reading to prepare for an exam? Are you reading for
pleasure? Depending on the objective, you may have to either
read it slowly or skim through it. Frame questions starting
with: Why, Who, What, Where, When and How to set your
objectives. This will save a lot of time and hence help you
increase your reading speed.
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Do
You Have A Poor Memory? |
Of all the mental faculties of
humans, the faculty of memory has been the most mysterious from
times immemorial. Most of us think that if a person is born with
a good memory, he is lucky. We tend to categorize people into
two segments – those with a good memory and those with a poor
memory.
We believe that a person having a poor memory is cursed for a
life time and no matter what he does, there is no way of
improving one’s memory capacity. A very small percentage of
world population has a fairly good knowledge of how memory
works, why most often our memory fails us and how, at times, we
can remember certain things so well.
Interestingly, any two individuals on this planet have exactly
the same capacity for memory. This may sound incredible, as it
is in opposition with our daily experience of witnessing people
with varying levels of memory.
If we really get into the basics, every human being has exactly
the same mass in the brain. If we take a look into the basic
units or the building blocks of the brain – the brain cells or
the neurons – any two brains contain approximately the same
number of them. It is estimated that every human brain consists
of billions of neurons.
Each neuron is capable of making millions of connections with
other neurons. All the possible interneuron connections run into
several trillions. Coming to the number of inter-neuron
connections, the more the merrier. The reason being, the more
connections you have, the more is the “processing speed” of the
brain. Viewed in this perspective, the memory capacity one can
summon from the brain is awesome.
There is absolutely no reason why any individual has to suffer
from a poor memory. The individual differences in respect of
memory capacities, which we perceive are just the differences in
the utilization levels and not those of built-in capacity.
The situation may be likened with two manufacturing units with
exactly the same installed capacities. One of them may be fully
harnessing its potential and deriving maximum potential. The
other might have been ridden with several problems and hence is
performing far below the actual capacity.
The point is any two individuals in this world have the same
built-in capacity of memory. But how much positive result they
take out of it, actually depends on how they utilize the innate
potential.
Good memory Vs. Bad memory
If that be the case, then, how do you explain the unmistakable
experience of witnessing some people having good memory and some
other people having bad memory? In fact, there is nothing like a
good memory or a bad memory. Every person has good memory in
some areas and also bad memory in certain other areas.
For example, a student may find it too difficult for him to
remember the Newton’s laws of Motion. The same student may have
an excellent memory for facts and figures on Tennis. People
around us tend to brand us as a person with a good memory or
otherwise, depending on whether they attach importance to what
we remember or what we forget.
In the above case, the student may be branded as a person with a
poor memory by his elders and teachers as he was unable to
remember his academics. Whereas, his friends etc. may be all
praise for his memory, as he can reel off so many facts and
figures on Tennis.
The student in question now has a choice. He can accept his
friends’ version that he has a good memory. Or he can succumb to
the verdict of his authority figures that he has a very poor
memory.
If you were that student, what is your choice? Of course, your
friends version, right? Please understand that this is only the
starting step. To improve your memory in your so-called “weak
areas”, you need to use certain memory improvement techniques.
Using these techniques, it is possible to improve your memory to
an incredible level. |
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Top 3 Myths On
Memory Improvement |
Improving your memory is a skill
and involves a process. Before you initiate this process, it is
important to get some facts right about your brain. Nothing is
sadder than not being able to take action by believing in
certain myths about memory. How do you come out if this?
There are several myths about memory improvement. Here, I have
given information on the top 3 myths. I know these are the "most
popular myths", because, the most frequently asked questions
people ask me in my training programmes necessarily involve
these issues.
MYTH 1
Consuming memory pills and tonics is the easiest way to improve
your memory.
Fact:
Most pills and tonics are effective, but in a very very limited
way. These pills are definitely good for the well being of your
brain. These pills help you have a "healthy brain".
Please understand that healthy brain does not necessarily mean
sharper brain. And if your brain is healthy, there is no
guarantee that you will have a great memory.
I will give you a good analogy to explain this concept. You can
take some medicines/pills etc to have healthy and strong hands.
Does that mean you will be able to play a piano? If you want to
play a piano, you need to train your hands to be able to do
that. This requires effort and patience. Just having healthy
hands will not suffice.
Similarly just having a "healthy brain" will not suffice to have
a great memory, though it definitely helps. If you want to have
a great memory, you need to train your brain for that. The
easiest way to improve you memory is to use memory improvement
techniques. These techniques give a really good workout to your
brain and build your "memory muscles".
MYTH 2:
If I cross the age of 40, it is certain that my memory power
will deteriorate.
Fact:
Age is never a deterrent to learn any skill. And memorising is a
skill. At any age, anyone can learn any skill. The only thing
which is required is the "willingness to try'.
Have you not heard of people who went to ballroom dancing
classes at the age of 50? And you must be seeing several 60 yr
old people jogging on the streets every morning.
Now, these people chose the option to learn new skills. If a
person can choose to be physically fit the age of 60, there is
nothing that can stop him to be mentally fit. The most important
word here is "ACTION". If you are willing to put in action, you
can improve your memory irrespective of your age.
MYTH 3:
By using more of my memory, I am doing a disservice to myself,
as I am using up the precious space in my brain.
Fact:
This is probably the "biggest" myth. You brain has the storage
capacity of more than a million computers. You can never use up
the entire capacity of the brain in your entire life. It is just
impossible. What you must know, here, is an amazing secret of
your brain:
"The more you remember, the more you can remember"
That's right. The more exercise you give to your brain, the
sharper it becomes. You learn new information by "hooking" it to
the existing information in your brain. So, the more you learn,
the more hooks you create in your brain. The more "hooks" you
have in your brain, the more information you can "hang" on to
your brain.
Now that you are aware of these myths, from now onwards, make
sure that these myths do not stop you in your quest of memory
improvement. |
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The 3
Stumbling Blocks of Memory Improvement |
Do you have a good memory?
Can you remember any information fast?
Can you recall information whenever you want?
If your answer for the above questions is “No” or “sometimes”,
then you need to know about the 3 stumbling blocks of memory
improvement. Just the awareness of these blocks would also help
you in a great way. So what are thee blocks?
1. Disbelief
Most people have an “amazing level” of disbelief on their memory
capacity that they don’t even try to memorise new information.
In my seminars, I usually write a 50 digit number on the white
board and ask the audience, “how much time you would take for
memorising this number?”
And I get some great answers like:
“You mean the whole 50 digit number?
“I think I will never be able to do it”
“Come again. Memorise what?”
“It will take an year for me”
etc
Well, I do not find fault with any of the above responses. But
what is interesting to note is that no one wants even to try it.
What causes such disbelief in people in their memory power? The
simple answer is “lack of awareness”.
Your brain is the most amazing machine on the planet. If you
train your brain, nothing is impossible. Make sure that you give
your memory it’s true value.
Many people brag about their memory, but don’t do anything to
make it good. You just can’t wish to improve your memory. You
need to act. You have to give your memory a good workout.
The next time you want to memorise anything, just make a
committed effort to memorise it. Believe that you can do it. You
will be surprised with the result.
2. Disinterest
You know that interest plays a vital role in the process of
memory. If you have to memorise any information, YOU HAVE TO BE
INTERESTED IN IT!
If you don’t, then you will not be able to memorise it. Trying
to memorise information, without getting interested in it, is a
great way to waste your precious time.
Try to find out ways and means of making the information fun to
learn. Try to find an expert on that information and discuss the
topic with him. The expert can explain the same information in a
way you could never think of. Well, that’s why he is an expert!
Remember this: If the information is not interesting enough,
it’s your duty to make sure it is interesting.
3. Disuse
The fastest way to forget information is to not use it in your
day-to-day life.
Research indicates that people forget about 80% of the new
information they learn in as less as 24 hours. Unbelievable,
isn’t it? To stop this loss of information, you have use the
information you learn as much as possible.
Some ideas are:
Teach the information to someone else.
Discuss the points with your peers.
Write a summary in your own words.
Write an article about it!
Think how can you teach it to any 5 years old kid.
Memory improvement is not possible unless you kick the three
stumbling blocks out of your way. Eliminating these blocks early
on in the process of memorising can save you a mighty amount of
time and mental energy.
Coming out of the traps of disbelief, disinterest and disuse is
you first step to memory improvement.
It’s easy. If only you take action. |
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If you wish to publish/reprint any article from our site in your
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must include the following "Author's Resource Box" at the end of
the article:Article
written by Nishant Kasibhatla. Nishant Kasibhatla is a Grand
Master of Memory. He is a trainer, speaker & author of
top-selling book: Instant Memory Improvement. To know more about
Nishant's workshops, visit
http://www.nishantkasibhatla.com . If you are interested to
purchase Nishant's Ultimate Memory Course E-book Package, visit
http://www.memoryvision.com.sg/umc.htm |
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