Forgotten projects, misplaced business cards and failure to remember someone’s name are all factors that undermine your success. Missed opportunities are commonplace but need not occur. Memory is a skill we can all develop and it’s vital for creativity.
People often ask me what the link is between memory, speed reading, creativity and innovation. Well, if you can remember something you have read, discussed, observed or did six days, six weeks or even six years ago and link it to a situation now, you will be much more creative.
How do you develop your memory? It is simply a matter of imagination and association.
Just like when you observe that you parked your car in front of a big tree, you create an image and connect it to something concrete.
To remember that a client’s address is 963 High Street, imagine the sum 9 - 6 = 3 floating high up in the air.
Or create a word/mnemonic like “scamper” to remember the key creativity tools — Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to other use, Eliminate, Reverse. We’ll talk more about how those tools work in a future post.
