How to improve your performance or your team's performance. Have you ever asked yourself, “Why didn’t I do as well as I hoped?” or “Why didn’t they do as well as I hoped?” Whether for work or in school or even in a hobby, we all want to perform well. If you’re a leader, you want your team to do well. But what affects performance? Most people think it’s just ability. If you did well, you have high ability. If you did poorly, you have bad ability. But that’s necessarily true. Picture Source: Unsplash One of the most useful things I learned from my leadership class in university is this performance formula: Performance = Motivation X Ability X Guidance X Resources Notice that these four factors are multiplicative, which means if any of them are 0, then your whole performance is 0. And if any of these factors are low, then greatly reduces the performance even when the other factors are high. To have high performance, we need all four factors to be high. 1: Motivation Motivation is how much you want to do the task. Motivation itself is a complex topic, and I’ve written separate articles on how to motivate yourself and how to motivate others. To explain motivation simply, we need to have a strong purpose or reason to do something. That reason needs to be personally meaningful to us. If your reason to do something is because “I have to do it”, then your motivation is low. If your reason is “I really want to do it, regardless of how difficult or how much work it is”, then your motivation is high. Motivation can be improved fairly easily. The best way is to connect the task to something meaningful to you, such as being a good person, doing something you're passionate about, or helping people you care about. When we connect to a bigger purpose, we increase our motivation. For example, I wanted to learn Chinese, but it was such a daunting task because the language is so different from English. But I thought about how I want to be able to communicate better with my parents and grandparents, and that gave me motivation to finally learn and persist in learning the language. 2: Ability Ability is fairly self-explanatory. If we have the required abilities and skills to do the task, we’ll do a better job. If we lack the ability, then we will do poorly. The key thing here is to think about the necessary abilities needed for the task. In the workplace, people often get promoted into managerial and leadership roles because of their ability to do their current job, not the manager job. That's a problem! For example, an account gets promoted to manage a team of accountants because he is good at accounting. But to perform well in the manager role, he needs leadership and people skills. So it's very important to be clear on the abilities and skills needed for the job. To give another example, students often think that if they know all the knowledge for a test, they should do well. But if they lack test-taking skills, then they still end up doing poorly. To solve that problem, they can improve test taking skills like how to do multiple choice questions, how to manage your time on tests, and how to write short essays. To perform better in school, students should also improve their learning abilities, like how to read better, how to take notes, how to remember things better. Improving ability takes the most time, which is why companies hire people largely based on their abilities. Although improving ability takes time, the investment is worth it if the task is something you will need to do over and over again in the future. That’s why effective people are always seeking to “sharpen the saw” and improve their abilities. 3: Guidance Guidance is about getting direction on how to do something correctly and effectively from an expert. If someone has no guidance or even wrong guidance, their performance on a task will be low. Having great guidance can greatly improve performance. For example, I tried learning Chinese on my own using some books at the beginning. It was difficult and slow. Later, I found a Chinese teacher. My performance improved much faster with guidance from a teacher. As a teacher myself, I always get my students to submit rough copies. That way, I can check if they followed the instructions correctly. If they worked hard but didn’t follow the instructions, then they wasted their motivation, ability, and resources going in the wrong direction. In the workplace, if you assign your employee a task, check that they actually understand everything you want of them. If their understanding is vague, then they need to more guidance from you. Otherwise, they are very likely to do it wrong without even knowing that they’re doing it wrong. Again, that would be a waste of motivation, ability, and resources. Guidance is fairly simple to increase. It’s all about having clear directions on what the end result should be. 4: Resources Resources refer to having all the things you need to do the task effectively. Resources include things like time, energy, materials, tools, and environment. For example, if I want to learn Chinese, I need to have the time and energy to study. I also need books and study materials. It was helpful when I visited China and got to practice in a real environment. Teachers/coaches can be considered both resources and guidance. When a coach tells you how to do something, that’s giving you guidance. The fact that you can ask the coach questions and access their knowledge, that is a resource. Resources like materials and tools are fairly easy to increase. For example, I simply bought some books to help me learn Chinese. I was also lucky to have found a good teacher. But other resources like time and energy might be difficult to increase because they are limited. For example, I was busy with work, so that limited the amount of time and energy I had to learn. Example of Applying the Performance Formula I’ve already mentioned that I work as a teacher. The teacher job is quite analogous to a manager’s job in the workplace. Managers want their employees to perform well; teachers want their students to perform well. Sometimes, teachers get upset and frustrated when their students don’t do well. Other times, teachers get depressed and blame themselves for not doing a good job. Since I know about the performance formula, I always use it to reflect on if I have done the utmost of my ability to help my students. For motivation, I often remind students to think about their duty to their parents and family, about how much their parents haven given them and all they ask for in return is to learn and study and be able to take care of themselves. I also try to make class content interesting and relevant to their lives. For ability, I coach students on learning skills like note-taking, test-taking, reading, and memory. I even wrote an article specifically on how to be an effective student, which covers learning skills that I ask my students to read and practice at the beginning of my courses. For guidance, I try to be very clear on exactly what I’m looking for in assignments. If they follow the instructions, they can get 100%; there’s no secret to getting a good grade in my courses. I also review their rough copies and tell them what to do to improve. For resources, I provide all the lessons and materials they need to do well. They just need to have the time and energy to go through them. If a student does not perform well, then I know it’s probably due to factors outside of my control, such as low motivation, low ability, or low time and energy. Conclusion The next time you reflect on why your performance or your team’s performance didn’t go as well as you expected, reflect using the four factors mentioned previously: motivation, ability, guidance, resources. Furthermore, at the beginning a of task or project, think about how you can increase each of these factors to improve performance.

Image Source: Unsplash Once upon a time, a the farmer lost all trust in his dog. So he put a sign in front of his house that said, “Talking dog for sale.” A passerby saw the sign, rang the doorbell, and the farmer told him the dog was in the backyard. When the potential buyer got in the backyard, he saw a nice-looking Labrador Retriever sitting there. "You talk?" he asked. "Yep," the Lab replied. After the guy recovered from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he said "So, what's your story?" The Lab looked up and replied, "Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). In no time at all they had me flying from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping. "I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running. But the jetting around really tired me out and I knew I wasn't getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. "I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired." The guy was amazed. He went back in and asked the owner what he wanted for the dog. "Ten dollars," the farmer replied. "Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?" "Because the dog's a darn liar. He never did any of that.” --------------- Morale of the story: No matter how intelligent, capable, or good you are, you’re not worth much if you’re a liar. Source: Dr. Alan Zimmerman Tuesday Tip #1086

Attach the problem, not each other. Image Source: Unsplash "When wolves approach, wild horses form a circle with their heads at the center of the circle and kick out at the wolves, driving them away. When wolves attack a band of wild donkeys, however, they form a circle with their heads out toward the wolves and end up kicking one another. You have a choice; you can be as smart as a wild horse or as stupid as a wild donkey. You can kick the problem or you can kick each other." Source: Alan Zimmerman's Tuesday Tip #1082

Once upon a time, an Evil King went to a Good King's castle for dinner. The Good King provided a beautiful reception for the Evil King, even though he knew the Evil King probably had some inner agenda and negative motives in mind. The two kings sit down for dinner, and the server brings two identical plates of food and places them in front of the two kings. Source: Unsplash The Good King said, "Enjoy your meal", and proceeded to start eating. But just as he was about to take his first bite, the Evil King stopped him and swapped the two plates. The Good King was bemused and asked, "What's going on? Is there something wrong?" The Evil King replied, "Well, this is my first time here, and you may have poisoned my food." The Good King laughed and said, "OK, let's carry on with our meal then." Just as the Good King was about to take a bite, the Evil King swapped the two plates again. The Good King said, "What's wrong this time?" The Evil King replied, "Well, maybe this is all a set-up and you double-bluffed me." The Good King, laughed, shook his head, and started eating. That night, the Good King ate his meal while the Evil King went hungry. Morale of the Story: If you have judgment, suspicious, or envy towards someone else, you may be projecting that problem onto other people. But in reality, the problem is in you, not them. For example, if you think your boss is against you, you will act in a way similar to the Evil King, and you will be the one to go hungry. Source: Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty. (Video)

Once upon a time, a man came across a river that he desperately needed to cross. He looked around and saw many materials that he could use to create a raft. He got some sticks, rope, bamboo, and created a raft. Image Source: Unsplash After he finished making the raft, he used it to cross the river. When he reached the other side, he felt amazing. He was so proud of himself for making that raft, and he was so thankful to the raft for saving his life. Since it was so meaningful to him, he decided to carry the raft on his back rather than leave it behind. The man continued on his journey, but now he had to cross a forest. As he was walking through the forest, he struggled to move through all the trees because he was carrying a big raft on his back. Finally, he comes to a realization: The raft helped him cross the river, but it won't help him get through the forest. So the man put down the raft, left it behind, and understood that the same tool that got him here will not get him to where he needs to go next. Story Source: Originally from the Buddha, shared by Jay Shetty on this interview.

Have you ever wanted to do something that you felt you should do, but you just lacked motivation? Maybe it’s starting to exercise, maybe it’s saving money, or maybe it’s to stop procrastinating on that thing you’ve been wanting to start doing for a while. How can we motivate ourselves? In his book, Limitless, Jim Kiwk explains a simple and insightful way to think about motivating ourselves. Here is his formula: Motivation = Purpose X Energy X Small Simple Steps If any of the three factors is 0, our motivation will be 0. To increase our motivation, we can increase any of the three factors. Image Source 1: Purpose To get clear on your purpose, articulate clearly in writing why you need to do what you need to do. In other words, ask yourself, “Why must I do this?” To have a strong purpose, link it to serving others. For example, a top student doesn’t study just for the sake of getting a good grade. Her purpose for being at the top of her class is so she can create a better future for her family who sacrificed a lot for her to have a good education. To give another example, a healthy 70-year old doesn’t wake up at 5:00AM to go to the gym because he wants a nice-looking body for himself. He does it to set a good example for his peers and children about the importance of exercise. His actions tell them, "If I can do it, you can too." A purpose linked to serving others will be much stronger than a selfish purpose. Purpose vs. Mood One of my realizations after reading about purpose is that purpose is different from mood. The mistake people make is they wait to be "in the mood" before doing something. A student might say, "I don't feel in the mood to do my homework right now, so I'll wait until I feel in the mood." Or someone might say, "I don't feel like exercising right now. I'll wait until I'm in the mood." If you want until you're "in the mood", you'll never do it. The key to motivation is realizing that motivation does not come from mood, it comes from purpose. If you have a strong purpose, you will do that unpleasant task even if you're not in the mood. For example, that 70-year old who wakes up at 5:00AM probably isn't feel all excited to go do a hard workout at the gym. He's probably kind of tired and sleepy. But he's able to do it because he's driven by purpose, not mood. Four Types of Purpose In the book Think Like a Monk, Jay Shetty explains that people usually are motivated by four purposes: Fear — fear of sickness, poverty, death, etc. Desire — desiring success, wealth, pleasure Duty — driven by responsibility, integrity, and gratitude Love — driven by care for others Fear is not a sustainable motivator. If we rely on fear to motivate us, we will be very stressed and eventually lose our ability to think and act properly. Desire is also not a good motivator because it doesn't result in us feeling happy and fulfilled. Desire is for external things like success, money, fame, and pleasure. People think these things will make them happy, but it doesn't. There are so many examples of rich and famous people who are unhappy. The real source of happiness and fulfillment is duty and love. Duty is when we do something out of responsibility, integrity, and gratitude. For example, a child goes to school because she is grateful to her parents for working so hard to provide food and shelter and education for her. No one needs to ask her to go do her homework. She is happy to do so because she is motivated by duty. Love goes a step above duty. It's about really wanting the best for others, and it's the reason why people go above and beyond their duty. For example, a teacher stays up late and works overtime to provide his students with feedback and improves lessons, not because it is required in his job, but because he truly wants to have the most positive impact on his students. In order to be happy and motivated, we need to have duty and love. When you ask yourself why you do something, keep asking "Why?" until you can find an answer related to duty or love. For example, a student says "I go to school to get good grades and make money." That's related to desire. I ask why. He says, "So that I can repay all the money and hard work that my parents spent on me." That's related to duty. When he was able to elevate his purpose from desire to duty, he got more motivated. 2: Energy After having a clear purpose for doing something, you need enough energy to act. If you have a purpose for reading 30 minutes a day, but you’re tired all the time, you may not succeed in completing the task. How can people maintain high energy levels? Here are five areas in your life that can influence your energy levels: Food Exercise Sleep Environment Peer Influence 2.1 Food When it comes to food, there’s a lot of different opinions out there from different experts about what people should eat. However, almost every expert agrees on what foods are unhealthy, and that’s processed and packaged foods. These are foods that come in a box, can, or plastic wrap. Examples include frozen meals boxed foods like cereals and pizzas wrapped foods like bread, pastries, candy reconstituted meats lie sausages, nuggets, and fish fingers sodas and other sweetened drinks Image Source These super processed foods have added sugar and salt, artificial ingredients, refined carbohydrates, and trans fats. As a result, they taste great, but they increase inflammation in the body. You might feel happy while eating processed food, but shortly after, you'll feel drained with little energy because your body is using energy to heal from the negative effects of that food. To increase your energy, reduce packaged and processed foods, and eat more natural foods in their whole forms. For example, eat raw or steamed vegetables instead of canned vegetable soup. Eat real fruit instead of a fruit pie. Cook your own dinner from raw ingredients instead of microwaving a packaged dinner. Jim Kwik also gives some examples of great brain foods: avocados, blueberries, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, turmeric, and water. 2.2 Exercise Next, regular exercise is important to protect memory and thinking skills. You don’t need to become an Olympic athlete though. Even 5-7 minutes of exercise a day can have tremendous benefits! In his book, Feel Better in 5, Dr. Rangan Chaterjee gives many 5-minute workout routines involving simple exercises like push-ups, lunges, squats, and yoga. Here is an example of a 5-minute kitchen exercise video: There’s also a famous program called the 7-minute workout, which you can easily find videos on YouTube for. Exercising for small amounts daily is great for our energy. It also improves our sleep, which brings us to the next point. 2.3 Sleep Getting enough quality sleep is key to having energy. According to Shawn Stevenson, author of Sleep Smarter and host of The Model Health Show, long-term sleep deprivation is a catalyst for disease since it weakens the immune system. Below are seven tips from Stevenson for improving sleep. Tip 1: Avoid blue light from screens 60 minutes before bed. Blue light keeps us awake and reduces the quality of our sleep. We also get stimulated from the activities we do on our devices, so we should stop using our devices 60 minutes before sleep. If you really have to use your device, then at least install a blue light blocker app like f.lux. Tip 2: Sleep at the right time Stevenson calls 10PM to 2AM “Money Time Sleep” because between those hours, humans get the most amount of restful recovery sleep. One hour of Money Time Sleep is worth twice as much as sleep outside those hours. Tip 3: Avoid caffeine in the evenings Stevenson recommends avoiding caffeine by 4PM, though the time could be even earlier for those more sensitive to caffeine. Tip 4: Sleep in a completely dark room Humans have evolved to sleep better in a dark environment. Having light in your room can reduce your ability to fall asleep and the quality of your sleep. Tip 5: Use your bed only for sleep Many people watch TV in bed or play on their phones in bed. As a result, when they get into bed, they don’t feel like sleeping. Their body thinks it’s time to watch TV or play on the time. Tip 6: Calm your mind You can calm your mind using meditation, which has been proven to lower stress and inflammation in our bodies. For example, a mindfulness meditation you can do before bed is to lie down and really notice the sensations in your body from toe to head, then mindfully let each body part relax. Another one you can do to relax before bed is to breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, and exhale for more than 4 seconds. You can even skip the hold part and just exhale for longer than you inhale. Tip 7: Wake up early Humans have evolved to rise with the sun. That will help you tune into the natural sleep pattern and feel sleepy earlier. 2.4 Clean Environment Another important factor is to having energy is having a clean environment. This means having a clutter-free and distraction-free working environment because a messy environment will impact our mood and focus. It also means avoiding places with polluted air. 2.5 Peer Influence Your peers also affect your energy level. As motivational speaker Jim Rohn said, "You are the average of the five people you spend most time with." -Jim Rohn If you spend time with passionate, high energy people, you will catch their energy. If you spend time with pessimistic complainers, your energy will get drained. 3: Small Simple Steps Even if people have a purpose to do something and the energy to do it, they can get paralyzed or overwhelmed by how big or difficult the task seems. That’s where small simple steps come in handy. According to Jim Kwik, a small simple step is “the tiniest action you can take to get you closer to your goal.” For example, if your task is to write a difficult email to a coworker, the small simple step might be to just sit down. That’s it. After you sit down, the next small simple step is to open your email. That’s it. Then the next small simple step is to click the button to start a new email. You might be wondering, is that really going to help? The answer is yes because uncompleted tasks create tension at the front of our minds until the task is completed. For example, if you’re in the middle of watering your garden, and then suddenly your neighbor asks you to help them carry a new couch into their house, during the whole time you’re helping them, you just want to go back and finish watering your garden so you can stop thinking about it. Well, if you sit down and open a new email, you’ll just start wanting to write that email so you can stop thinking about it later. Four Tendencies One more thing that I'll mention briefly here is the Four Tendencies, which is a personality framework about how people respond to expectations. In this framework, there are four types of people: Upholders: They readily respond to outer and inner expectations. Questioners: They only respond to inner expectations. Obligers: They only respond to outer expectations. Rebels: They resist all expectations. To find out which Tendency you are, you can take a formal quiz here: https://quiz.gretchenrubin.com/ Or you can pick a statement that matches you: Upholder: I love routines, and people think I’m extremely disciplined. Questioner: I love researching, and people sometimes say that I ask “Why?” too much. Obliger: I put others ahead of me, and I value harmony in relationships. Rebel: I value freedom and choice; I do what I want to do, when I want to do it. If you are an Upholder, it's easy to get yourself to do things. If you are a Questioner, you must get clear on why you should do that thing, and why now, and why in this way. If you are an Obliger, you need to have someone depending on you to do that thing. If you are a Rebel, you need to have freedom to do that thing whenever you want in your own way. You can read more about the Four Tendencies in this article. Conclusion We now know that Motivation = Purpose X Energy X Small Simple Steps. If any of the factors are 0, then our motivation is 0. We can improve our purpose by getting clear on why we must do the task, and that why should be linked to serving others. We can improve our energy by living a healthy lifestyle, keeping a clean environment, and choosing positive peer influences. We can increase small simple steps by doing the smallest thing to start the task, then we will naturally want to finish it. We also know that your Tendency affects your motivation towards tasks because tasks are expectations, either from ourselves or from others. Depending on your Tendency, you need to approach motivation differently. Now that you know how to motivate yourself, the most important thing is to act on that knowledge and improve your motivation!

How to remember calendar dates easily. Context: I’m currently taking the Recall Masterclass from Kwik Learning right now, and as part of the homework, I am to teach what I learned each class to other people. The class is taught by Jim Kwik, a renowned brain coach. Since I’m a blogger, I’d like to share my notes with all of you. I hope you can use the knowledge and practice the methods to improve your memory as well. Class 7: Remember Dates + Review Image Source: Unsplash We are halfway through this 12-week course now, so Jim Kiwk is reviewing a lot of the knowledge we learned previously and extending the application of previously learned tools. Key ideas: Remembering Historical Dates Remembering Birthdays Remembering License Plates Review: Using the Body List for To-Do Lists 1: Remembering Historical Dates Maybe you're taking a history class, or maybe you just want to remember important dates from the past. How can we remember dates easier? Method 1: Use Rhyme This method is especially good for auditory learners. Here are a few examples: 1492. Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue. Civil War Began 1861. 61 rhymes with Sticky Gun. Gun gives has an association to war. Boston Tea Party 1773. 73 rhymes with Heavenly Tea. Method 2: Use the Alphanumeric Code Turn the date into a picture. Associate the picture to the event. Here are a few examples: Columbus 1492. 1492 = TuRBaN. Imagine Columbus wearing a turban. Beethoven born 1770. 1770 = DoG KiSS (remember double consonants count only once). Imagine Beethoven kissing a dog right after being born. Beethoven died 1827. 1827 = DiViNG. Imagine Beethoven diving into a coffin. If you need to review the alphanumeric code, review Class 6. Now I know why Jim Kwik had us create and memorize an alphanumeric peg list from 1 to 100. It is to help us remember dates. Here is the list I made: With this list, it is easy for me to break a year into two 2-digit numbers, the month into one 2-digit number, and the day into one 2-digit number. For example, if I need to remember August 9, 1900, I can think of it as 1900-08-09. 19 = Tub 00 = Zeus 08 = Sofa 09 = Soap I imagine there's a bath tub, and Zeus is bathing in the tub, and the tub is on a sofa, and the soap is on the sofa arm. 2: Remembering Birthdays We can link each month to a picture. And then use the Sun List from Class 1 or the alphanumeric code from Class 6 to turn the number into a picture. Here is an example of a list of month images: January = Jacket February = Heart March = Marching Band April = Showers May = Flowers June = Dune (sand) July = Fireworks August = A Gust (of wind) September = School Supplies October = Jack-o-Lantern (Halloween) November = Turkey (Thanksgiving) December = Santa In class 1, we only did the Sun List up to 20. Here's my list up to 31: Let's say someone’s birthday is May 9th. May = Flowers. 9 = Cat (from the Sun List). I imagine the person covered with flowers and cats. Done. 3: Remembering License Plates License plates are made of numbers and letters. To remember them easily, turn the numbers into words using the alphanumeric code. Then link letters to a picture. For the 24 letters in the alphabet, you can use an animal list. Here is an example I made: Let's say I want to remember the license plate AXJL 781. 78 = Café. 1 = Tie. I imagine an ape trying to catch some x-ray fish but struggling. Then a jaguar comes along and helps the ape snatch fish. Then a lion comes and invites them to go to a café, and they all put on ties before heading off. 4: Using Body List for To-Do Lists Jim Kwik encourages us to practice using the body list to remember to-do lists, not because we can't write it down on paper, but rather to build our mental toughness and help us remember the alphanumeric code. Let's say you’re in the shower and you think of things that you don’t want to forget, but you can’t write it down. You can use PIE with the body list to remember a to-do list. Let’s say you need to call Mary, mail a letter, and do your budget. You can imagine putting Mary on your head, putting a letter up your nose, and biting a calculator. Later, when you leave the shower, it will be easy for you to remember what you needed to do. Homework Practice memorizing dates. You can memorize people’s birthdays or historical dates of interest to you. Practice using your body list to remember to-do list items. Lesson Notes Directory Remembering Lists Remembering Names Vocabulary and Spelling Recalling Facts Remembering Speeches Remembering Numbers Remember Dates Remembering Sequences Learning Foreign Languages Body Memory Remembering Misplaced Things Remembering the Past

How to learn new things quickly and remember things easily. I recently completed the Kwik Learning Recall Masterclass, which was 12 weeks of different memory lessons. I took this class because I wanted to help my students improve their memory, especially since they told me my exams have so much information. I’m happy to report that what I learned in this course will indeed help students, whether you’re a formal student in school or just a student of life. Before this course, my memory was pretty average. I forgot people’s names 2 minutes after they told me. I struggled to remember people’s birthdays and phone numbers. I had trouble remembering new words and their definitions. If you told me a list of words or numbers, I wouldn’t be able to repeat it back to you correctly. After the course, I can remember people’s names even weeks after without any review (lesson 2). I can recall people’s birthdays without having to check my calendar (lesson 6&7). If you told me a list of 20 things, I can repeat that list back to you (lessons 1, 4, 5). If you told me a list of 20 numbers, I can repeat that list back to you (lesson 6). I can remember new words after learning it only once; I don’t need to keep reviewing the definition (lesson 3&9) For each of the 12 lessons, I took detailed notes and published a short article on it. If you want to gain any of the memory skills I mentioned, you can read my notes for that lesson. Lesson Notes Directory: Remembering Lists Remembering Names Vocabulary and Spelling Recalling Facts Remembering Speeches Remembering Numbers Remember Dates Remembering Sequences Learning Foreign Languages Body Memory Remembering Misplaced Things Remembering the Past You can click on the link to go to that lesson. If you are a student, I highly recommend checking out lessons 1, 3, and 4 because school often requires you to memorize a list of things, learn new vocabulary, and remember facts. If you’re learning a foreign language, then I recommend checking out lesson 9. If you often meet different people and attend networking events for work, I recommend lesson 2. I’ll summarize a few of the key ideas from this course here: 80% of memory comes from motivation and observation Memory works in images. Therefore, turn whatever you want to remember into an image. Use a memory trigger list to remember lists Key Idea 1: 80% of memory comes from motivation If I told you, “I will tell you a list of 10 things. If you can say it back to me without writing it down in 10 minutes, I’ll give you 1 million dollars.” Would you remember that list? Probably. Why? Because your motivation is very high. Therefore, the biggest driver of memory is actually motivation. The memory techniques from the course account for that last 20%. They do make memory a lot easier, but if you aren’t motivated to remember the thing, then even the best memory tool won’t help you. So before you try to remember anything, always ask yourself, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how motivated am I to learn or remember this? How can I increase that motivation number?” Key Idea 2: Memory works in images. Why is it so hard to remember things like a name or a number or a new word? Because these are all abstract ideas that don’t bring out a concrete image when we hear it. For example, if you hear the word “Jim”, you don’t think of an image. The thing is, our memory works in images. So if you imagine that person lifting weights in the gym, then you will remember that person’s name is Jim. To do another example, let’s say you learn a new word: polemic? It means argument. How can you remember it once and for good? Most people remember new words by reviewing it over and over again. That’s a slow way. A much more effective way is to turn the spelling into a picture and then the meaning into a picture and then connect the two pictures. To continue the polemic example, for the spelling, you can imagine a pole and a mic (microphone). Then for the meaning, imagine someone shouting at you and arguing with you. The next time you see the word, you’ll have this image pop up in your head, and you will remember the meaning. This method works for words in foreign languages as well. Key Idea 3: Use a memory trigger list to remember lists. Many of us struggle to remember lists, whether it be the Periodic Table of Elements or a grocery list or a to-do list. In order to remember a list, we need to have a memory trigger list. A really simple example is take the numbers 1 to 10 and pick words that rhyme with each number: Bun Shoe Tree Door Hive Stick Heaven Gate Wine Hen This “bun list” serves as your memory trigger list, which Jim calls a “peg list”. If I give you a list of 10 things, you just turn each item into a picture and then attach it to the peg. For example, let’s say you want to remember the 10 amendments. Freedom of speech: Imagine a hot dog bun giving a speech. Right to bear arms: Imagine a bear putting shoes on his arms. Freedom from quartering soldiers: Imagine a solider on a tree with lots of quarters falling out of his pocket. Etc. Have fun with it. Make it weird and extraordinary. The more vivid the image, the easier it is to remember. Once you know the list very well, then the pictures can disappear. See class 1 for more details. Another great list to make a location list, also called a memory palace. Basically, you imagine you just enter your home (or school or office or anywhere), and then you walk a specific path throughout your home. Pick 10 items that you see on that route. For example, first is the shoe mat, then it’s the sofa, then it’s the refrigerator, etc. If you need to remember a list of items, just attach each item to a location in your memory palace. See class 5 for more details. Conclusion Throughout the course, Jim always says, “There’s no such thing as a good or bad memory, only a trained or untrained memory.” After taking his memory course, I can affirm the truth of that statement. I hope these notes will help you train your memory!

How to remember past events and make present events memorable. Context: I’m currently taking the Recall Masterclass from Kwik Learning right now, and as part of the homework, I am to teach what I learned each class to other people. The class is taught by Jim Kwik, a renowned brain coach. Since I’m a blogger, I’d like to share my notes with all of you. I hope you can use the knowledge and practice the methods to improve your memory as well. Class 12: Remembering Your Past Remembering our past is important for two reasons. First, our lives are really just our memories, so we want to be able to remember all the amazing events in life. second, people repeat mistakes over and over again, that a big reason for that is because they don’t remember past mistakes. This lesson is all about how to improve our memory of our past and also how to remember past memories. There are studies done where they take people through a form of hypnosis, and people are able to remember things from way back in their past. There are other studies where doctors stimulate different parts of a patient’s brain, and the patient will suddenly remember clear details about a past event. From these studies, we can know that the memory is in your brain somewhere, we just have to be able to bring it out. Key Ideas: How to remember past events How to make an event memorable Key Idea 1: How to Remember Past Events The key to remembering past events is having memory triggers. Jim gives the follow advice to help remember past memories: Bring out that same context and environment Use photos and objects Talk to people who were there at that past event Do that past activity 1: Bring out that same context and environment When we encode an event into our memory, we also encode the contextual details, such as the environment, the sights, the sounds, the smells. If you want to remember things from your old high school, go visit that old high school. 2: Use photos and objects For example, a souvenir can bring back memories of a vacation. You can also bring out an old photograph to bring back memories. 3: Talk to people who were there at that past event Doing this will likely bring out lots of memory triggers and help re-establish the context of past events. You can also look at old newspapers from that time period to see if any memory triggers come up. 4: Do that past activity For example, if you played frisbee a lot as a kid, and you haven’t played in a long time, then picking up a frisbee and playing again can bring back childhood memories. Key Idea 2: How to Make an Event Memorable Jim gives the following advice to make an event memorable Encode it well Be motivated to remember it Tell yourself you will remember it Tell others about the event 1: Encode it well As mentioned in the previous class, there’s three steps to memory: encoding, storage, and retrieval. The key to making a memory stick is to make the encoding process strong. To do that, we have to be fully present and not distracted. Pay attention to all the details using your five senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, and touch. For example, if you’re having a magical moment that you want to remember, you can look around and go through the five senses and your environment. You can also purposely choose a certain scent or music to accompany an event you want to remember. For example, if you’re a student studying for a test, you can use a specific fragrance or listen to a specific song. These cues serve as triggers to bring back memories. 2: Be motivated to remember it Motivation is key to encoding because when you’re motivated, you have emotion, and emotion is energy for your memory. For example, it’s easy for us to remember the name or phone number of someone we want to do business with or that we are attracted to. Why? Because we have high motivation. So if you want to remember something, ask yourself how much you want to remember this event from 0 to 10. Then ask yourself how you can increase that motivation. 3: Tell yourself you will remember it Jim emphasizes that all behavior is belief driven. When he really wants to remember something, he will put his hand on his heart and maybe another hand on his head, and then he says out loud, “I will remember this.” 4: Tell others about the event In order to remember something, you have to be able to explain it. If you want to remember a specific event, talk about it a lot to others. Another way is to keep a journal. People who are always telling stories about their past remember their past for eloquently. Research on childhood memory also shows that remembering is a social process. Homework Live a life worth remembering! Lesson Notes Directory Remembering Lists Remembering Names Vocabulary and Spelling Recalling Facts Remembering Speeches Remembering Numbers Remember Dates Remembering Sequences Learning Foreign Languages Body Memory Remembering Misplaced Things Remembering the Past

How to prevent losing things and find misplaced things. Context: I’m currently taking the Recall Masterclass from Kwik Learning right now, and as part of the homework, I am to teach what I learned each class to other people. The class is taught by Jim Kwik, a renowned brain coach. Since I’m a blogger, I’d like to share my notes with all of you. I hope you can use the knowledge and practice the methods to improve your memory as well. Class 11: Remembering Misplaced Things Have you ever lost something and struggled to find it? When we lose or misplace things, we lose a lot of time looking for time, and we also get stressed out. In our fast-paced modern society, people are less present, more distracted, and more likely to lose things. This lesson is all about preventing losing things and finding misplaced things. Key Ideas: The 3-Step Memory Process Preventing Losing Things Finding Misplaced Things Key Idea 1: The 3-Step Memory Process To explain why we forget where we put something (or why we didn’t remember anything), we can look at the 3-step memory process: Encoding: Putting the information into your memory Storage: Storing that information in an organized way Retrieval: Getting that information out from storage All three steps must work for your memory to work. Therefore, memory is a verb, not a noun. You can practice your memory. If we encode and store effectively, retrieval is easy. Encoding and storing can be active, while retrieval is more automatic. For example, let’s say you misplaced your keys and you can’t find them. What went wrong? At the encoding stage, maybe you weren’t paying attention so you can’t remember at all where you put it. that’s the most common reason. Another example, let’s say someone just told you their name. You paid attention. But 5 minutes later you forgot their name. What went wrong? Your encoding could have been better, but also you didn’t really have a good storage place or organization system to store that name. So you quickly lost that information. That’s why previously in the course, we learned about peg lists like the Sun List and the Body List. Key Idea 2: Preventing Losing Things The best way to avoid the stress of losing things is to not lose them in the first place. Jim gives many tips for this. Tip 1: When you place something down, take an extra second to create a vivid mental picture. For example, if you often lose your keys, the next time you put your keys on the table, take a second and imagine the counter blows up. This will encode the information in a much stronger way so that you can remember it easily. Tip 2: Create a chain link For example, let’s say you often forget to bring your keys when you leave the house. You can attach your keys to something you will definitely bring with you like your bag. You can also put your keys in your shoes. Another example, let’s say you need to do something tomorrow morning. Do something strange like take your slipper and throw it across the room. Then tomorrow, when you see that slipper there, you think why did I throw that slipper there? Oh right I need to do _____. Tip 3: Create an auditory cue This one is similar to the visual cue, but it’s great for auditory learners. When you place something, you can sing a little tune to help you remember where it is. For example, when you place your keys on the sofa, sing a little tune like “keys on sofa” to the tune of a song you like. If you don’t want to sing, then just saying “keys on sofa” out loud works too. Tip 4: Create a habit of putting the item in the same place Habit is a great complement to memory. If you create a habit, then you don’t need to consciously remember it. Tip 5: Organize your things with color For example, if you often can’t find files and papers for specific topics or meetings, you can color code those files. Put the same green sticky for all the files related to one topic. Then when you’re looking for it, you can just look for the green sticky notes. Tip 6: Try left nostril breathing There’s some research suggesting that left nostril breathing improves spatial memory (while right nostril breathing does not). Try this if you think it can be fun. Basically, hold down your right nostril shut and breathe deeply and slowly through your left nostril. The explanation is that this will give the area of your brain in charge of memory more blood flow, making it easier to gain and retain memories. This is not a proven science, so it’s just something to try if you’re interested. Key Idea 3: Finding Misplaced Things If you’ve lost something, you can try these tips to find them. Tip 1: Ask your future self. Usually, we get really stressed when we lose something. Stress makes it harder for us to retrieve memory. To help us calm down and even have fun, we can pretend to ask our future self. Have a conversation with your future self and ask questions like Where did we finally find that thing we forgot? What was I doing when I misplaced it? What was I thinking when I misplaced it? What was I feeling when I misplaced it? Answering these questions can serve as triggers to help you remember. Tip 2: Use technology. For example, iPhones have the Find My iPhone app. Tip 3: Use the three-foot rule. If you usually place the item in a certain place, and it’s not there, it’s very likely that the item is within three feet of where you usually place it. It’s likely that maybe you slightly misplaced it or knocked it aside something. So rather than search everywhere for it, slowly search the surrounding area of where you usually put it. Homework Practice being attentive in daily life, especially when you’re placing objects down. If there’s an object you often lose, practice encoding it more memorably. Lesson Notes Directory Remembering Lists Remembering Names Vocabulary and Spelling Recalling Facts Remembering Speeches Remembering Numbers Remember Dates Remembering Sequences Learning Foreign Languages Body Memory Remembering Misplaced Things Remembering the Past

How to learn and remember physical activities like sports and dance. Context: I’m currently taking the Recall Masterclass from Kwik Learning right now, and as part of the homework, I am to teach what I learned each class to other people. The class is taught by Jim Kwik, a renowned brain coach. Since I’m a blogger, I’d like to share my notes with all of you. I hope you can use the knowledge and practice the methods to improve your memory as well. Class 10: Body Memory Image Source: Unsplash This session is all about learning and remembering physical movements, such as sports, martial arts, and dance. Jim asks us to think of some physical activity that we want to learn. If we can’t think of one, he recommends juggling because it’s a good metaphor for life. This lesson has three key ideas: FAST 5 Levels of Change 10 C’s for Motor Memory Key Idea 1: FAST FAST stands for forget, active, state, teach. We need to apply FAST to learn things more effectively. F = Forget. For get anything you already know. Start with an empty cup so that you can fill it. Also forget about your limiting beliefs. For example, if you want to learn dance, but you tell yourself, “I’m just not a dancer”, then you won’t learn it well. Jim says, “If you fight for your limitations, you get to keep them.” A = Active. Active means participating and doing. It could mean actively taking notes or asking questions. It means actually practicing. S = State. Your state is your mood. It’s best to get into the state of an excited child because children are the fastest learners. Bring playfulness and fun back into learning. Think, “What would the 10-year-old version of me think about this? How would they approach this?” Sit, stand, and breathe the way you would if were totally interested. T = Teach. The best students are also the best teachers. Think about someone you really care about, and think about how you will teach them this knowledge afterwards. Having the intention to teach will change the your focus and the way you take notes. It will help you be more active. When you teach something, you get to learn it twice. Key Idea 2: Five Levels of Change All learning is change. You are learning something new, so there is change happening. Jim shares this model from neuro-linguistic programming: When we learn something, we want to change at all five levels. The higher the level, the deeper the change. When we learn some new skill or physical activity, we want to use all 5 levels to help us change and learn. Level 1: Environment = Where and When What’s the optimal learning environment for that sport or activity? For example, if you want to learn dance, do you have access to a dance studio? Mirror? Video cameras? A dance coach and classmates? All these external factors create a good learning environment. Level 2: Behavior = What What actions do you need to do? Can you make these actions a habit? Level 3: Capabilities = How How do you do the actions most effectively? What skills do you need to build or can you build to support you learning this physical activity? Level 4: Beliefs and Values = Why Why are you learning this new activity? What’s important to you about learning this? What beliefs would be useful for me to have to learn this activity better? Level 5: Identity = Who I am _______. Whatever you fill in the blank with, that controls your destiny. Something who identifies as a fast learner will learn faster than someone who identifies as dumb. Your identity is about how you think of yourself, the vision you have for yourself, and what you stand for. You can also ask other people who know you very well to describe you in 5 words. That’s other people’s perception of who you are. Be conscious of this. See if it aligns with what you want to be your identity. Key Idea 3: The Ten C’s for Motor Memory The 10 C’s are Competency Chunking Choose Combine Consequences (getting feedback) Character Consistency Commit Coach Celebrate 1: Competency This step means picking the competency (skill) that you want to learn. 2: Chunking This step is about breaking down the skill into small pieces. For example, a dance choreography might have 30 different steps. If you look at all 30 at once, it feels overwhelming. Chunking means breaking it down to small pieces that you can label and organize. You might end up for 10 chunks of 3 steps. Learning chunk by chunk is much more manageable than learning a 30 step dance all at once. 3: Choose This step is all about the 80/20 rule, which states that 80% of your results come from 20% of efforts. After you chunk the steps, find out the 20% of steps that have the biggest impact or that are most important. Focus on learning those and mastering those first. 4: Combine This step is about putting the chunks into a sequence. It’s like a recipe: you have to follow the recipe in proper order. When you practice the movements, go through them step by step and slowly, because slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Pay attention to the timing of the actions as well. Don’t think about breaking the steps and rules when you’re just learning. Only experts are allowed to do that. As Picasso said, “Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist.” 5: Consequences This step is about getting feedback. It’s about being aware of the consequences of your actions so that you can improve. For this step, you want to have a mirror, or record yourself practicing, or have a coach to watch you and give you feedback. 6: Character In this context, character is not about integrity or honesty, it’s about acting. Before actors get on stage, they get into character. If you want to learn a basketball for example, you can think of Michael Jordan. Close your eyes and imagine you’re merging with Michael Jordan. Play the role of Michael Jordan. That will help you learn basketball much faster. 7: Consistency Consistency is all about consistent effort. Use every opportunity you have to train and practice. For example, when Jim was learning yoga, he would practice the moves when waiting for the bus or when brushing his teeth. He used every opportunity he could to practice. This spaced repetition also helps him remember the movements better. 8: Commit Here, commit means committing to excellence. Jim says that we rise to the level of our beliefs and fall to the level of our training. Committing means putting this new activity or skill as a priority. Actually put it on your calendar. It should get first dibs on your calendar. Commit to it long-term, or at least long enough to actually get results. 9: Coach The fastest way to accelerate learning is to have a coach. The coach is an expert in the skill, and the coach keeps you accountable to your daily practice. The coach can challenge you, give you feedback, and put you into character. If you don’t have access to a live coach, then watch YouTube videos and practice in front of a mirror or record yourself practicing. Be your own coach. 10: Celebrate Celebration gives you the positive reinforcement you need to keep going. People are too quick to beat themselves up and too slow to celebrate successes. Celebrate the little successes like how you celebrate when a child is learning to walk. Have some fun time at the end. For example, when Jim was taking martial arts classes, they would train hard for 90 minutes, then they’d have 10 minutes of free time at the end. Students can use this time however they want. It’s time to relax and celebrate the progress you’ve made. Homework Apply these lessons to learning a physical activity. Teach these lessons to someone else. Lesson Notes Directory Remembering Lists Remembering Names Vocabulary and Spelling Recalling Facts Remembering Speeches Remembering Numbers Remember Dates Remembering Sequences Learning Foreign Languages Body Memory Remembering Misplaced Things Remembering the Past

How to learn and remember foreign vocabulary in a fast and fun way. Context: I’m currently taking the Recall Masterclass from Kwik Learning right now, and as part of the homework, I am to teach what I learned each class to other people. The class is taught by Jim Kwik, a renowned brain coach. Since I’m a blogger, I’d like to share my notes with all of you. I hope you can use the knowledge and practice the methods to improve your memory as well. Class 9: Learning Foreign Languages Image Source In our interconnected global world, more and more people are interested in visiting other countries and learning foreign languages. This lesson will talk about how to learn and remember foreign languages easier, specifically how to remember vocabulary. Jim gives the following advice to learn foreign vocabulary easier: Spaced repetition: review after an hour, a day, a week, a month Immersion: through a book or a seminar or a culture Use it (or lose it): use those words in the context of your daily life Organize it: have flashcards or a language journal Personalize it: turn it from foreign to familiar Emotionalize it: the stronger the emotion, the stronger the memory Movement: write out the words, add body movement Visualize: Turn the word into a picture He then goes into detail about three different methods or remembering foreign vocabulary: Keyword Association Loci Method Kinesthetic (Body) Movement Method 1: Keyword Association This is a review of the TIP (Turn Into Picture) method from class 3 on remember vocabulary. You can use it to remember vocabulary in your own language or for foreign languages. For review, here are the three steps: Take the word and turn it into a picture (pretend you’re playing Pictionary) Take the meaning and turn it into a picture. Link the two pictures together. To link the two pictures together in a memorable way, use the 5 vowels: A = action E = exaggeration and emotion I = illogical O = outstanding U = unique Example 1: Polemic = argument Turn polemic into a picture. Imagine it’s Pictionary. How would you make someone guess the word “polemic”? You can draw a pole and a microphone. So you can imagine a pole with a mic on it. Next, turn argument into a word. Imagine someone shouting at you and arguing with you on the mic on the pole. Next time you see the word polemic, you remember this image to remember polemic = argument. Example 2: Para Cantar = to sing in Spanish Turn para cantar into a picture. For para, you can imagine a parachute. For cantar, you can imagine a car full of tar. Imagine in the sky, there’s a car full of tar falling with a parachute, and it’s singing all the way down to you. Example 3: Pato = duck in Spanish Turn pato into a picture. Imagine… patting the toe of a duck. Do ducks have toes? Well, if it’s illogical, it’ll be easier to remember! Example 4: Poulet = Chicken in French Turn poulet into a picture. Poulet is pronounced pool-lay. Imagine a pool full of lays potato chips, and there’s lots of chicken in the pool pecking on the potato chips. Example 5: Merci = thank you in French Turn merci into a picture. Merci is pronounced mare-see. Imagine a mare (a female horse) lost her glasses. You find it and give it to her. She says thank you. Example 6: Ni Hao = hello in Mandarin Ni sounds like knee. Hao sounds like ow. Imagine you say hello to a Chinese person, and they hit your knee and you say “how!” instead of ow. It doesn’t have to be exact. The process of working out a story or an association will help you remember it. Method 2: Loci Method To review from class 5, the Loci Method is when you create a path in a location, such as your house, that you walk through. As you walk through the path, you notice specific objects in a specific order. You use this path to memorize a sequence of things by turning those things into pictures and then attaching those pictures to your objects. For example, here’s my Home Loci List: First is my shoe mat. Then I walk past my couch. Then I open my refrigerator. Then I take something out of the fridge and put it in the microwave. Then I take it out of the microwave and put it on the table. Etc. Let’s say I want to memorize this list: Good diet Positive self-talk Exercise Brain nutrients Positive peer group I would imagine myself entering my front door, and as I take off my shoes, I see lots of healthy food like apples and avocadoes and broccoli on my shoe mat. Therefore, #1 is good diet. Then, as I walk past my couch, I see a proton telling an electron to talk more positively to himself. #2 is positive self-talk. Then I go to the kitchen and open my refrigerator, and inside, I see celery sticks and carrot sticks exercising, doing push-ups and sit-ups and running around. #3 is exercise. I take some carrots and open the microwave, and when I open the microwave, out comes a big plastic brain, and the brain opens and out comes pills and multivitamins. #4 is brain nutrients. I put the plastic brain on the table, and for some reason, I notice my table has a new table cloth with cheerleaders on it saying positive messages like “You can do it!”. #5 is positive peer group. Now that we’ve reviewed the Loci Method, let’s talk about applying it to learning foreign vocabulary. Since a lot of vocabulary are things we can see in everyday life, we can use turn those words into pictures and then attach them to things we see in our daily life. For example, let’s say you want to learn vocabulary related to food. You can go to the grocery store. You see eggs. Egg in Spanish is huevos, pronounced wave-ohs. You can imagine yourself putting waves with capital Os on the eggs. The next time you come to the grocery store and you see eggs, you can see waves with capital Os, and that reminds you eggs = huevos in Spanish. You can apply the same idea to a clothing store, or even items in your own home. Method 3: Kinesthetic (Body) Movement Jim teaches us how to count from 1 to 10 in Japanese in under 3 minutes by using body movements. Stand up and say “itchy knee” while scratching your knee. 1= ichi. 2 = ni 2 = ni Point to the sun and say “san”. 3 = san Point to the nearest woman and say “she”. 4 = shi Walk two steps and say “go”. 5 = go. Pretend you’re rowing a canoe and say “row ku”. 6 = rokku Sit down and say “sit chi”. 7 = shichi. Stand up in shock pretending the seat was really hot and say “hot chi”. 8 = hachi Pretend you’re rocking a baby in your arms while saying “kyu” (cooing sound). 9 = kyu Pretend you’re putting a jewel ring on your ring finger while saying “jyu”. 10 = jyu By doing this series of body movements (kind of like a dance), it’s really easy to remember how to count from 1 to 10 in Japanese. The idea is to get creative and link sounds or words to different actions. Homework Practice using the Keyword Method to learn foreign language vocabulary. Practice using the Loci Method to recall foreign language vocabulary in everyday places Try making body actions for foreign vocabulary Lesson Notes Directory Remembering Lists Remembering Names Vocabulary and Spelling Recalling Facts Remembering Speeches Remembering Numbers Remember Dates Remembering Sequences Learning Foreign Languages Body Memory Remembering Misplaced Things Remembering the Past