Try this mnemonic memorization trick to keep your brain sharp

You may consider the idea of memorization old-fashioned. Who needs to memorize facts when Google and Siri can find information so quickly? Despite having information at your fingertips, it is still helpful (if not vital) to be able to memorize certain pieces of information. For example, can you remember the names of your new neighbors? Do you remember your schedule for the week? Or even the grocery list?

The mnemonic “peg list” is a simple tool to help memorize information. I first heard about it from a memory expert on a late-night talk show. Later, I learned that teachers are using it to help students to memorize.

How it works

You start by assigning a word to each number of items you’re trying to remember. Below is a brief list to illustrate:

• One–Run
• Two–Zoo
• Three–Tree
• Four—Door
• Five–Hive

Next, for the items, create a mental scenario, pegging each item to the Number/Word combination that you assigned. For example, if you want to memorize Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, you will want to break it down into sections—starting with the first sentence:

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. 

To memorize, simply break down the first sentence: 

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, … 

You might imagine yourself running down a basketball court, and the score is 4 to 7. You might also imagine the basketball as being a globe with continents. You can imagine that the players on the court are priests or “fathers.”

You simply repeat the line in your head, laugh at how ridiculous it is, and then move on to the next part of the sentence. This time use a zoo as the scenario for your imagery pegged to the second item—such as monkeys playing on the Liberty Bell (…conceived in Liberty). Then progress to the third item, a tree, for the visual of …and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. You could imagine an animated tree that is making this speech and declaring that all trees are created equally. Yes, that is a bit of a mental stretch, but also the key to how the technique works.

The genius behind the peg list is that it is fun and effective. After successfully memorizing something using the peg list, you might forget your visual images, but remember the item you were memorizing. You can use this system for memorizing passwords, birthdays, itineraries (such as for your next vacation), shopping lists, and even aisles in your grocery store. It may not have occurred to you that remembering that pickles are in Aisle 14, peanut butter is in Aisle 17, and cookies are in Aisle 25, but it may help to make grocery shopping both faster and easier.

Here are the keys to the mnemonic peg list system:

1. Develop your peg list of numbers and associated nouns/imagery. You can use this same list over and over and is the foundation for the system. 
2. Start with something you would like to memorize.
3. Use visualizations that are full of action, color, and humor, and then tie in your visualization to the number and noun/imagery.
4. Practice and evaluate yourself until the list or item you want to memorize is in your brain.

The benefit of having a developed peg list and using it routinely is that is helps keep the memory sharp. It is like an exercise workout for the brain. The ability to remember information helps with maintaining financial independence and “growing old gracefully.” While you may not feel compelled to memorize a famous speech or a Robert Frost poem, this fun little memory device may come in handy for years to come.

Kristina Bolhouse, CPA/PFS, CFP®

Vice President/Shareholder

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