Blog Archives for May, 2011
Hawaii to Iowa continuing to memorize the US State Capitals
Monday, May 23rd, 2011
Memorize the US State Capitals. A great introduction to memory systems.
Here is the third post on memorizing the US state capitals. The first ten capitals, Alabama to Georgia, you can find under my May 5th & 16th posts. Again, please take a moment to read the April post regarding how our memory tends to cling to the absurd and make sure you are reviewing the crazy images for the first ten capitals.
OK, let’s memorize the next five capital cities for Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa.
Hawaii’s capital is Honolulu. What do you see for Hawaii? I immediately see a Hula Dancer. Being a Brit, for Honolulu I change it to ‘On a Loo’, Loo being British slang for a washroom. So I see a Hula Dancer dancing on top of a toilet, funny and ridiculous. You could use Honour Lulu; you may know someone named Lulu. I remember a British singer from my youth called Lulu who sang the song in the great film To Sir With Love which starred Sidney Poitier. OK next.
Idaho’s capital is Boise. Idaho has to be an image of a potato. I see a huge potato, the size of a truck lying on top of a group of Boys sleeping. I see giant Z’s floating from each of the boy’s heads, Boys Z.
Illinois’s capital is Springfield. You could see Abraham Lincoln singing with Rick Springfield, if you are my age and remember who he is, Rick Springfield that is, not Abe! Or you could imagine a huge slippery Eel, which is close enough to Illinois, slithering itself through a gigantic bed Spring in the middle of a farmer’s field.
Indiana’s capital is Indianapolis. You could see just one image of an Indian (for Indiana) with a policeman’s hat on, (for Indiana polis). Or sitting on top of a Policeman’s car. Maybe an Indian taking a Nap.
Iowa’s capital is Des Moines. How about a gigantic Eye blocking the entrance to a Mine? I know someone named Des, so I picture him standing guard. Or perhaps you could use a large ear of corn to represent Iowa and see it blocking the mine. Because you are already familiar with the name Des Moines, you do not need to have an image for the whole thing, you just need a clue, and the image of a mine will be enough to give you Des Moines. If you feel you need a clue then see large letter D’s painted on the corn or side of the mine.
So to review:
The Hula Dancer standing on top of the Loo
Hawaii/Honolulu
A gigantic Potato on top of a group of Boys catching some Z’s
Idaho/Boise
Abe and Rick Springfield or the huge Eel slithering itself through the large bed Spring in the middle of a field
Illinois/Springfield
An Indian wearing a huge Policeman’s hat
Indiana/Indianapolis
A gigantic Eye/Corn blocking the entrance to a Mine, (guarded by Des O’Connor, if you’re British and over 40!).
Idaho/Des Moines
Again, make sure you review these images within 60-75 minutes from now, it takes less than 60 seconds but is critical for long term storage, then again within 24 hr’s, then 1 week later and then 1 month later.
I will continue to post state capitals and their crazy images in groups of five. Before we know it you will have all 50 memorized and a great handle on how to visualize the ridiculous and absurd. This is essential for us to apply memory systems to more practical business applications like recalling Names and Faces, speeches and presentations, model numbers, prices, to-do lists etc.
Tags: better recall, chain system, How to remember capital cities, how to remember state capitals, improve memory, Improve your memory, memory systems, recall us state capitals, remember better, Remember US State capitals
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Colorado to Georgia continuing to Memorize the US State Capitals
Monday, May 16th, 2011
Here is the second post on memorizing the US state capitals. The first five capitals, Alabama to California, you can find under my May 5th post. Again, please take a moment to read the April post regarding how our memory tends to cling to the absurd.
OK, let’s memorize the next five capital cities, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida and Georgia.
Colorado’s capital is Denver. What do you see for Colorado? I immediately see an image of the Rocky Mountains. What do you see for Denver, I see John Denver, so my image is of a giant John Denver sitting astride a Rocky Mountain while strumming his guitar.
Colorado sounds like Collar, maybe see a dog Collar. You could see John Denver with a dog collar around his neck like he’s a punk rocker, couldn’t get much more absurd than that! If you are not familiar with John Denver then break the word into Tin Fur, sounds close enough to Denver, as long as it conjures up an image it will work.
An empty tin of beans, say full of fur, sitting atop a rocky mountain or hanging from a dog collar. Pick one and stick with it or better still come up with your own, just remember to make it as ridiculous as possible.
Connecticut’s capital is Hartford. I see a giant ice cream Cone (for Connecticut) being run over by a Ford truck, driven by a huge heart. See that image, a Ford truck driven by a huge pumping heart, yes with arms and legs, smashing into a gigantic ice cream cone. See the Ford covered in Strawberry ice cream after the accident.
Delaware’s capital is Dover. Delaware reminds me of Tupperware, and being a Brit I see the White Cliffs of Dover. So I imagine a huge piece of Tupperware nailed to the White Cliffs of Dover. Or you could imagine opening some Tupperware and a huge Dover Sole flies out and hits you in the face.
Florida’s capital is Tallahassee. I always see Oranges for Florida. Tallahassee I break into Tall Horse. Because we are already familiar with the name Tallahassee an image of a tall horse will work just fine. If you need to you can imagine a large letter ‘C’ painted on the side of the horse, Tall Horse C. So I see a tall horse, almost Giraffe like, rearing up on its hind legs picking oranges from a tree, both with its mouth and its front legs. Knowing that Florida is the Sunshine State you could use the Sun and a Tall Horse.
Georgia’s capital is Atlanta. You could use Peaches for Georgia or anyone you know named George. For the capital I see a set of Antlers. So I have a nephew named George and I see a set of antlers growing from his head. If he reads this I’m sure to hear from him. Or see Peaches being impaled on a deer’s antlers.
So to review:
John Denver sitting astride the Rocky Mountains or a Tin of Fur hanging from a dog collar’
Colorado/Denver
A gigantic Ice Cream Cone being knocked down by a Ford driven by a Heart
Connecticut/Hartford
Gigantic piece of Tupperware nailed to the White Cliffs of Dover, or a piece of Dover Sole jumping out of some Tupperware
Delaware/Dover
The Tall Horse with the ‘C’ painted across its side picking Oranges from a tree.
Florida/Tallahassee, and finally:
Someone named George with Antlers, or Peaches impaled on a deer’s Antlers.
Georgia/Atlanta
Again, make sure you review these images within 60-75 minutes from now, it takes less than 60 seconds but is critical for long term storage, then again within 24 hr’s, then 1 week later and then 1 month later.
I will continue to post state capitals and their crazy images in groups of five. Before we know it you will have all 50 memorized and a great handle on how to visualize the ridiculous and absurd. This is essential for us to apply memory systems to more practical business applications like recalling Names and Faces, speeches and presentations, model numbers, prices, to-do lists etc.
Bob Gray is an award winning international keynote and memory workshop presenter. A Guinness World Record Holder, Certified Speaking Professional and Canadian Speaker Hall of Fame inductee.
Tags: how to remember state capitals, Improve your memory, learn to memorize, memorize state capitals, memory, memory system, recall us state capitals, Remember US State capitals
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Memorize the US State Capitals
Thursday, May 5th, 2011
So last time I had you remember the first five US states alphabetically, the photo album, with Sarah Palin jumping out holding a cactus which was thrown at Noah’s Ark with the gold bars flying out. This gave us Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas and California.
Let’s now store into memory their capital cities. If you did not read my first post please take two minutes to read it over to get an understanding of how ridiculous images force our memory to latch onto information.
OK, let’s memorize their capital cities.
Alabama’s capital is Montgomery. See a photo Album balancing on a golf tee, see Colin Montgomery, the British golfer striking the album with his driver and driving it 250 yd’s down the fairway. Hear the thud of the driver as it strikes the album, see the photo’s scattering across the fairway.
If you are not familiar with Colin Montgomery you could use Field Marshal Montgomery of Alamein from the 2nd world war, see him looking through a photo album while driving a tank! Or any Montgomery that springs to mind will work.
If you absolutely cannot think of anyone familiar named Montgomery, then you can break the name into smaller workable chunks like, Mint Gum Rye.
Imagine instead of photos in the album, hundreds of Mint leaves or breath mints instead. As you pull the mint(s) from the page there is a long strand of gum attached, the mints or leaves have all been stuck into the album with chewing gum. You take the mint with the gum and place it in a glass of Rye whiskey and drink this awful concoction. You will only need to see this image a couple times before it will be lodged into your long term memory.
Alaska’s capital is Juneau. See Sarah Palin standing at the lectern shouting “Do you know?” Or see a June bug on her Nose, June Nose/Juneau. See her cross eyed as she tries to deliver a speech with this huge June bug crawling up and down her nose.
Arizona’s capital is Phoenix. See a huge cactus splitting open, perhaps hit by lightning, hear the cracking of the cactus as a Phoenix literally rises from the cactus.
Arkansas’ capital is Little Rock. See hundreds of little rocks in groups of two by two walking up the ramp to the Ark, no animals just little rocks. You can even give them little arms and hands holding onto each other as they stroll up the ramp into the ark.
California’s capital is Sacramento. If you are already familiar with the name Sacramento, then a simple image of a sack will do. A sack full of gold bars may be a little obvious, it sounds perfect, but not really unusual enough. Our memory tends to cling to the unusual, not the normal or obvious.
So instead of seeing hundreds of gold bars stacked on top of each other in a bank vault, replace them with hundreds of sacks, see a bank vault full of tiny sacks.
You may think of the Beach Boys to visualize California, so see the Beach Boys playing a concert with huge sacks over their heads.
If you are not familiar with the name Sacramento, then you can split it into workable chunks just as I did with Montgomery. Sacramento would become Sack Ram Men Toe, see this chain of images and associate it to gold bars or the Beach Boys or whatever image you conjure up for California.
So to review:
The photo Album, being hit on the driving range by Colin Montgomery.
Alabama/Montgomery
Sarah Palin shouting “Do you know?” at the lectern, or the huge June bug crawling up her nose.
Alaska/Juneau
The Cactus splitting open with the Phoenix rising.
Arizona/Phoenix
The Little Rocks walking two by two up the ramp into the Ark.
Arkansas/Little Rock, and finally:
The bank vault full of tiny Sacks or the Beach Boys with sacks over their heads.
California/Sacramento
Again, make sure you review these images within 60-75 minutes from now, it takes less than 60 seconds but is critical for long term storage, then again within 24 hr’s, then 1 week later and then 1 month later.
I will post perhaps four or five state capitals and a crazy image over the next dozen or so posts in order for you to become accustomed to forming crazy ridiculous imagery. This is essential for us to apply memory systems to more practical business applications like recalling Names and Faces, speeches and presentations, model numbers, prices, to-do lists etc. We need to shake up the creative side of our brains before we tackle more business related issues…and besides, this will probably win you a drink or two in a bar!
Tags: better recall, improve memory, learn to memorize, memorize state capitals, memory, memory system, memory systems
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