How to Memorize Things Fast: 5 Science-Backed Techniques

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If you want to memorize information fast, you need more than hope.

You need the proven techniques you’ll find on this page, each of which has been tested in the real world.

Who am I to say?

As someone who’s trained memory competitors, taught university students, and explored the depths of ancient and modern memory science, I’ve answered thousands of questions about increasing memorization speed.

And I’ve given hundreds of demonstrations of how fast I can memorize using the simple strategies you’re about to discover.

Along with the reason and the proof behind why the strategies work so well to make long-term retention happen faster.

Ready for the no fluff, no gimmicks answer to how to memorize anything fast?

Let’s dive in.

How to Memorize Anything Fast: 7 Proven Tips for Rapid Recall

If you want to memorize fast, above all, you must learn the most powerful memory technique ever invented.

That’s where we’ll start.

One: Embrace the Memory Palace Technique

Everything gets faster once you commit to using proper Memory Palaces.

If you don’t know what they are, consult my complete guide to the Memory Palace technique. Or watch this video:

Although it’s an ancient memory technique, I can’t stress mastering the Memory Palace technique strongly enough if you want to memorize rapidly.

That’s because scientists have shown that using routes to remember leads to superior memory.

To get started with the technique immediately:

• Select a familiar location, such as your home or workplace (or even a favorite cafe).
• Identify distinct areas and craft a clear and logical mental journey through the location.
• Assign what you want to remember along this route and link it with the appropriate mnemonic devices, making sure your associations are always vivid.

What are mnemonic devices?

For increasing your memorization speed, we’ll talk about those next.

Two: Use the Best Mnemonic Tools Designed for Fast Memorization

From crafting catchy tunes or using rhymes to remember, there are a lot of tools you can use in your Memory Palaces.

• The Major System or The Dominic System for numbers
• The Pegword System
• The Story Method
• Linking

The reason these tools help you out is that you use them to help you install associations in your Memory Palaces without having to think for more than a second or two.

No doubt about it. Learning these mnemonic skills takes a bit of setup.

But once you have them working, you’ll be able to memorize anything much faster.

Three: Use the Chunking Memory Strategy

So many of my students have an “all or nothing” attitude when they first wind up in one of my workshops or courses.

Although you certainly can memorize mountains of information, it’s important to take everything one unit at a time.

We know this from many studies in what is called the chunking memory strategy. I’ve profiled it fully in this guide for you.

Chunking helps you memorize faster because it strategically breaks large pieces of information down into smaller, more manageable units.

I made my TEDx Talk easier to remember, and the Sanskrit phrases in it simple by sometimes focusing on just one syllable at a time.

Some may worry that chunking will make them slower, but it’s the classic tortoise versus hare principle. The tortoise always wins.

It also just makes sense.

Instead of trying to memorize 15459878455, you break it down into 1-545-987-8455.

This method harnesses your brain’s ability to recognize patterns. As a result, you harness greater efficiency and ultimately move faster.

Four: Engage All Your Senses with KAVE COGS

Now that you know about the main mnemonic tools and chunking, the next step is to engage all your senses.

As scientists have demonstrated, the benefits of multisensory learning are profound when you set things up correctly.

Correctly is the key term, and that’s why when I memorize names at demonstrations, I use a mnemonic elaboration system called KAVE COGS:

• Kinesthetic (touch)
• Auditory (hearing)
• Visual (sight)
• Emotional (feelings)
• Conceptual (ideas)
• Olfactory (smell)
• Gustatory (taste)
• Spatial (sizes)

I apply the same set of elaborations to memorizing playing cards, numbers, speeches, poetry, historical dates or whatever it is I’m memorizing.

When my students in the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass make this memory strategy a discipline too, they memorize faster.

It’s that simple, though you can find more intricate approaches to engaging all your senses in the mnemonic works of authors like Giordano Bruno and Tony Buzan.

I’ve just found that KAVE COGS works best for me. It took me a while to come up with, but once I settled on the pattern, I was very pleased by the results.

But due to how memory works, you should certainly consider creating your own multi-sensory model if KAVE COGS isn’t right for you.

The point is to have one in the first place so you don’t waste time thinking about how you’re going to make the target information “stickier.” You just follow the system.

Five: Use Spaced Repetition Properly

Many people know about spaced repetition. But they don’t optimize how it works.

That’s why I highly recommend you read my full guide to using spaced repetition properly.

Briefly, you need to call information to mind first, then write it down by hand. Plenty of active recall studies show this exact process works well.

Alternatively, you can perform active recall completely from within a Memory Palace. You can also explore my guides on improving your use of these popular spaced repetition devices:

• Flashcards
• Zettelkasten
• Leitner boxes
• Anki

Once you understand your options for optimizing each of thse techniques, plan your review sessions with them deliberately.

Make sure that you manually set the spaced intervals. Leaving it to software to decide is a tragic mistake because notifications are easy to dismiss.

In this study, researchers also show the consequences of not getting enough cumulative reviews, which often happens when we relegate our review schedule to machines.

To avoid such problems, I suggest keeping a memory journal to help stimulate reflective thinking as you test the memories you’re working to establish.

Journaling is powerful because it builds metacognitive awareness around your practice. The process will give you clues on how to improve, and that’s ultimately how you wind up memorizing faster.

For more information on how memory champions use journaling, check out my interview with the legendary Johannes Mallow.

Rapid Recap: How to Memorize Anything Faster

You now know to create Memory Palace, learn the main tools of mnemonic association and tactics like multi-sensory elaboration, chunking and spaced repetition.

By combining these five simple approaches, you will rapidly enhance your ability to memorize information quickly and effectively.

Beyond that, you just need to be consistent. My guide on deliberate practice will help you with that if you don’t know how to show up often enough to get results.

And if you need more help with Memory Palaces and other mnemonic tools, sign up for my free course here:

It gives you four video tutorials and worksheets that will help you improve the speed of your memory.

So what do you say?

Are you ready to use what really works when it comes to permanently committing important information quickly?

Let’s do this thing!