9 Memory Hacks That Are Actually Worth Your Time And Energy

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If you want to retain information, you need the memory hacks you’re about to discover on this page. They are by far the most exciting, next level memory tips you’ve ever discovered.

And I promise you that if you read this article all the way through, you will be able to absolutely crush any exam, learn any language faster and never forget a name again.

I know not only because I’m a bestselling author of books on memory improvement and a professional mnemonist who regularly demonstrates how memory techniques work.

As someone who uses these techniques for a living, let me share exactly helped me during a time when I was so frustrated by what other “memory experts” were offering.

See, a lot of their tips fail because they are memory competitors.

That means they use memory techniques to win competitions. Then they instantly forget the numbers, vocabulary and names they memorized.

It’s not that you can’t learn a few things from them. It’s just that their approaches are not particularly useful for lifelong learning when you need to retain information.

Then there are the scientists (or journalists pretending to write scientifically).

Let’s face it:

Memory tips like “take a nap” and “use repetition” aren’t actually “hacks.”

Sure, those activities do work. A little.

But if you’re struggling with small memory problems…

Or even big ones…

The standard advice simply won’t do.

The memory hacks you need will be science-based and help you delve into the vast miracle that is the human mind.

But they’re not going to be helpful if they’re written by people who don’t use memory techniques for long term retention.

I do.

So are you ready for a memory hack “manifesto” loaded with techniques that will actually get you results?

Great! Let’s dive in!

9 Memory Hacks That Actually Work

As you go through this list, please understand that there is no special order here.

Each and every one of the memory improvement tactics you’re about to discover is more than useful. They are all foundational to enjoying substantial results.

The best part is that you can use some of them in combination for maximum results.

Spoiler Alert: There is no mention of AI in this list.

That’s not because you can’t use it. I sometimes do.

But as Scott Young has recently pointed out in one of his email broadcasts, the time to go to an AI is after you’ve attempted to learn something or pick up a new skill on your own.

Keep that in mind because I believe we have every reason to believe he’s right about that. Even people like Andrew Mayne, practices some of these “old school” hacks as his first line of attack for keeping his memory sharp. He’s not only a tech enthusiast, but also host of the Open AI podcast, so that should really tell you something about the value of the suggestions you’re about to read.

One: Give Yourself Time For Learning So You Never Have To Cram

Organizing your time might not seem like a memory hack. But it absolutely is.

When you have to learn something in a rush, the worst thing you can do is sit there and try and force it into your head.

Although some rote repetition can be a good thing, making sure you have enough time to study is key for a few reasons.

For one thing, it allows you to take lots of breaks.

I recently saw just how important breaks are during my recent trimester in law school, which is soon coming to an end.

Rather than cram, I gave myself enough time to review frequently with pauses in between study sessions. Scientists call this strategy the spacing effect and it is powerful. It helps you beat what is sometimes called the forgetting curve.

To give you another example apart from my law memorization project, I didn’t have much time when I memorized the speech I gave at a TEDx event.

But in the limited time I did have, I focused on 2-3 sentences at a time using a technique called the Memory Palace that you’ll learn about in a minute.

After about 5 minutes of focusing on those sentences, I pulled back and did something else.

Memory expert Dave Farrow established two Guinness Records and he used a similar approach to accomplish his feats.

In fact, he’s a big proponent of studying in small doses as brief as five minutes at a time.

Although I don’t compress my study time down that much, it certainly can help to reduce the amount of time you spend during individual study sessions.

In sum, organizing time is a powerful hack. Start experimenting with how it can be used.

Two: Use Memory Techniques

When it comes specifically to hacks for memorizing, did you know that there are over 20 memory techniques to choose from?

You don’t have to use them all, but spending just a little time picking up a few mnemonic methods will revolutionize your memory quickly.

At their core, memory techniques almost always involve some kind of association. For example, if you meet a person named Dawn, you might perch an imaginary version of Donald Duck on her shoulder because “Donald” has the sound “dawn” in it.

You can apply this same approach to all kinds of information, including the very complex.

In order for these associations to scale, it’s essential that you learn how to use a Memory Palace.

This specific technique “hacks” into your memory of locations like buildings, schools, churches, libraries, stores, parks and highways.

You literally think about locations you’re familiar with and pair them with information you need to remember using visualization exercises and mnemonic imagery. 

Three: Mind Map

Tony Buzan says in Mind Map Mastery that he gave up on the mind map as a memory hack decades ago.

I think this conclusion was premature.

For one thing, mind maps can readily be used as a type of Memory Palace.

But merely by creating them, ideally with multiple colors, you give yourself a shot at experiencing the benefits of active recall.

This means that you’ll remember what you’ve mind mapped better because you personalized the information. And you’ve engaged with it in a way that involves novelty and variety.

The principles of novelty and variety are so powerful, they deserve a discussion on their own. So let’s dive into both a bit deeper next.

Four: Inject Novelty and Variety

One of my most used memory hacks during university was studying in multiple locations.

I literally went out of my way to study in as many of Toronto’s libraries as I could. Just as often, I would visit new cafes or even study in parks I’d never seen before. I would ride my bike from place to place, which also had the benefit of giving me breaks. 

(It’s really hard to cram when you’re on the road, but very easy to reflect on what you’ve studied. Thinking about the material forms memories quicker.)

Why does including a variety of new locations for learning help with memory formation?

Scientists believe it has to do with how it causes the brain to increase levels of dopamine and noradrenaline. These are all important chemicals when it comes to forming new memories.

The best part?

Moving around is fun and easy too. It also makes you a more interesting person.

Five: Optimize How You Use Flashcards

Sometimes people think I’m all about the Memory Palace technique and totally against things like Anki and flashcards.

Such statements couldn’t be further from the truth.

Although I don’t use spaced repetition software often, when I do, I enhance it by using the principles we’ve already discussed:

Personalization and variety.

It’s very simple to draw your own flashcards and photograph them, for example. You can also align your cards with your Memory Palaces using the technique I teach in how to memorize a textbook.

As for Anki, I limit my exposure to all apps as part of avoiding digital amnesia.

Six: Learn the Chunking Method

Many of the methods we’ve discussed above pretty much “force” you to break information down into smaller units.

That’s not by mistake.

Breaking things you want to learn down into smaller components is called chunking.

The easiest way to understand why and how chunking works is to think about how phone numbers are separated into units of 3 and 4 digits, such as 384-8343. By breaking the larger digit down into two groups, both are easier to remember.

When memorizing longer pieces of information, you simply do this intentionally.

For example, in language learning, I used the Memory Palace technique in combination with chunking by breaking the Latin word “expetendorum” down into ex/pet/en/dor/um.

In the Magnetic Memory Method Masterclass, this is called the Principle of Word Division.

Whereas some people will be concerned that chunking slows learning down, it’s actually the opposite. You will be able to use mnemonics much more effectively and efficiently. As a result, you’ll remember more of what you study and retain it for longer.

Seven: Memorize Stories

Keeping chunking in mind, let’s look at longer-form content.

One problem a lot of people struggling with memory face comes down to articulation. Their tongues get tied or they lose their train of thought.

By spending a bit of time not just passively reading stories, but deeply internalizing their plot points, you’ll hack your memory and improve it fast. This is because keeping much larger units of information in mind exercises multiple levels of memory.

Now, back to chunking, you certainly don’t have to memorize an entire story in one go.  And if you feel that stories still are too ambitious, you can start with quotes, jokes or parables.

But at some point in your memory improvement journey, I suggest committing at least one long narrative to memory. Just break it down into units and soon you’ll have a much larger representation ready to access in your memory. And a stronger set of memory skills overall.

Eight: Make Long-Term Memory Projects Part of Your Life

One of the best hacks is to simply have memory projects on the go all the time.

For example, you can:

• Memorize the preamble of the United States Constitution
• Memorize the most popular chess openings
• Memorize a prayer
• Learn the notes on a fretboard
• Commit the planets to memory
• Get into memory sports and keep a Memory Journal
• Memorize the periodic table 

Personally, I regularly take on long-form projects like memorizing Sanskrit mantras, poems and new songs. I even shared this attempt to model how Anthony Hopkins memorizes his scripts.

By continually challenging yourself to memorize information, you strengthen multiple aspects of your memory.

As you continue taking on new projects, you can explore more of these memory strategies.

Nine: Read Daily

Reading exercises multiple aspects of your memory.

And all the more so now that we’re living in a world filled with more digital distractions than ever. The catch is that you need to read frequently.

I suggest you get in the habit of carrying a physical book with you at all times. This will help you get more reading into your life.

For additional memory boosts from reading, re-read books too, approximately one per month.

I do this myself for the reasons I shared in my writing about developing a re-reading strategy.

Although it might seem like a memory expert would never have to re-read books at all, the reality is that we all miss things the first time around.

But by triggering our recall through re-reading, we strengthen the previous knowledge we established. And new connections form.

To double down on the power of re-reading as a memory hack, be sure to write quick summaries or journal about what you’ve read. Writing helps establish even stronger recall thanks to adding an additional layer of mental processing.

The Biggest & Best Hacks To Improve Memory Of Them All

If you like what you’ve read so far, let me encourage you to go deeper.

The biggest memory hack of them all is this:

Decide to become a master of your memory.

What do I mean by that? I cover the principle in this video lesson:

Basically, I believe “mastery” means get into memory training and stick with it. Because the truth is there is no short term memory hack that’s going to last forever. You have to keep using your memory in order to maintain it.

Think of it like this:

You can’t go to the gym once in a while and expect your biceps to grow.

Memory is like a muscle like that.

It needs ongoing attention.

And if you’d like to learn the most powerful technique for making your memory not only improve, but flourish so you can learn languages, concentrate better and stop forgetting things, grab my FREE Memory Improvement Kit now:

It will help you start the path to memory mastery that lasts.

That way, you won’t need hacks any more.

You’ll be the one everyone goes to for help.