How am I Supposed to Remember All That?!

Is it possible to attend an IDEA convention, spending multiple hours in sessions and remember, recall, and reuse all that great information? The answer is YES! By activating the mind’s conscious and non-conscious crossover connectors you can return to your club or business even weeks later and begin to use that great information again.

How big is your plate?

For most people, attending an IDEA convention and expecting to remember everything, is a lot like going to an excellent Las Vegas buffet and expecting to remember every salad, entree, and dessert. With a buffet, you know you’ll be using more than one plate.  You don’t have to remember all your choices or pile them up until they begin to fall off, because when you’re ready, you can return with a new plate.

With memory for example, you know your plate is full when you quit taking notes in a session for no apparent reason. And like the buffet, your memories should also be kept on separate plates. You wouldn’t put your chocolate cake next to your mashed potatoes and gravy, any more than you should put your session information together in your mind as one big learning experience.

Your conscious mind is active, what it perceives as important, it keeps on the plate right in front of you – so to speak. If you want your mind to pick up on something, simply give that subject a little preparatory thought. This pre-thinking triggers the Reticular Activator. The Reticular Activator is the part of your mind that decides what stays in immediate conscious memory and what goes unnoticed, into the non-conscious mind. The Reticular Activator is what enables you to notice all the shoes, after you buy a new pair, that look like yours. Those shoes were always out there, but now you have a reason to notice them.

An IDEA convention will expose you to millions of bits of information. Since not all of it is deemed important, your Reticular Activator will allow it to drift down from the conscious to the non-conscious mind. You can organize what’s important consciously and allow them to drift away intentionally, making room for new information, by doing these simple activities before, during and after your sessions.

Set Your State – Before Your Session

You wouldn’t walk through a buffet without a plate, hoping to hold all you need in your hands any more than you should sit with an unprepared mind before your session.

Begin by standing or sitting tall with your eyes closed, then take a deep and meaningful breath, and let it out slowly – do this until you feel calm and centered. Keep your eyes closed and breathe normally as you say to yourself, “I have an open mind. I can get the most out of this session.” This exercise will set your state and focus your Reticular Activator on what you want and expect from this session. If someone talks to or touches you while you are setting your state, just keep your eyes closed and hold up your pointer finger in the non-verbal communication that says “just a moment please.” Finish or restart your breathing until you feel you have completed your intention. When you open your eyes you can explain what you were doing, and if this is not your first session of the day, tell them the highlights of your last session while referring to your notes.

Once inside, review your handout. Write statements or questions about what you expect to learn on the handout. Then, get out your notebook and put the session title, number, presenter, date and time at the top. All session notes will go in this notebook instead of on the handout. If there is still time, take a breath and imagine yourself holding a new plate, with the session title on it that is ready to be filled. Try to avoid talking about past sessions during this time. You want to keep your memories separate so they are easier to remember and less likely to become confused later.

Mental Flexibility – During Your Session

Keep your mind agile by using “mindful” breaths, and crossover activation during all your sessions.

Since oxygen is a catalyst of brain function, it makes sense to remember to breathe. Of course you breathe but we are talking about “mindful” breaths like those used in Yoga. A simple “mindful” breath can be accomplished by keeping the mouth closed while breathing deeply through the nose, concentrating on expanding the lungs, and then exhaling slowly, longer than you inhaled. This breathing will help oxygenate the blood, enabling the brain to function at a higher potential. If you are in a workout session, when you step aside to write your choreography notes, momentarily change your breathing from “aerobic” to “mindful.”  After each conscious “mindful” breath, say to yourself, “With each breath, I am remembering what I need to know. You will take many automatic unconscious breaths, so only make the statement with each intentional “mindful” breath. This statement will trigger the Reticular Activator and act like a bridge between the conscious and non-conscious minds, allowing your learning to crossover to the non-conscious mind in an organized manner. During a lecture, occasional “mindful” breaths help keep your mind from drifting.

Activate even more crossover retention by setting up a physical trigger that differs from session to session. Triggers are especially helpful in lecture sessions. A trigger is anything physical you do repeatedly while learning. Try tapping your pencil four or five times rapidly on your forehead or palm before and after you hear or write something important. Or, drum your fingers together often during a lecture. Remember to be respectful of fellow participants so your trigger is not a distraction. Write your physical trigger in your notebook above the session title and do it each time you review your notes.

Important! Bring a notebook to each session and use it for your note taking. Writing notes on the handout minimizes retention for several reasons. 1) You’ll write less (or not at all) because you think the handout tells you enough – remember, writing activates crossover learning and retention. 2) You may confine your notes to the space available by writing small which makes it harder to decipher over time. 3) Handouts can get lost or ruined. A notebook adds a cover for protection and binding for organization.

Layered Learning for Closure – After Your Session

Your mind (believe it or not) is a place of order. Everything has its place. It helps to literally tell your mind that the session is over and the learning can be kept on one plate. This is accomplished by taking two minutes after your session to do two things. 1) Stand or sit tall against a wall with your eyes closed, reviewing the session highlights in strong visual images from beginning to end. Finish by seeing yourself walk into your position at the wall. Then say, “that is now complete” and open your eyes. 2) Review your notes for 60 seconds while using your “trigger” and “mindful” breathing. When you get in line for your next session, ask your neighbor if you can tell them what you just learned. At the end of the day, tell your roommate everything you learned (use your triggers and notes) starting with your most recent session. If you don’t have a roommate, review your notes and call or email someone about what you just learned. Even an abbreviated overview layers your learning enough to assist in long term retention.

Finally

“Use it or lose it” is more than just a saying when it comes to retention. To help layer your learning after the convention is over, remember THE three follow up procedures (Train – Highlight – Email). 1) Set up training as soon as possible to teach others what you learned. You will discover that teaching anchors long term retention. 2) Review your notes ASAP, especially if you have a flight home. Imagine you are going to present when you return. Use a highlighter and prepare the things you want to put into your presentation. 3) Email an overview of what you learned to colleagues as soon as you return home. This is a creative way to review and help retain your newfound knowledge through repetition. Also, email those presenters who gave you their addresses with follow up questions and comments on what you specifically liked about their session.

Getting the most out of your IDEA experience takes preparation and commitment. Prepare before you arrive by purchasing a notebook.  Prepare during the convention by allowing yourself enough time to get from session to session in order to set your state and share what you learned. This means strictly managing the three S’ – Shopping, Socializing, & Sleeping. Contrary to popular belief, knowledge is not power - until it is applied. Commit yourself by choosing to use “mindful” breathing, crossover activation, layered learning, and THE follow up procedures. How much you retain is up to you, so grab your plate and enjoy!

(Sidebar)

But wait, there’s more!

Before – Create a colorful Key

 Purchase a journal sized, spiral bound notebook, colored pens (scented ink is even better!) and highlighters. Create symbols you can draw while taking notes to help you remember the session. Use different colored ink for symbols and sessions. Occasionally doodle your colored symbol for that session on your notes and handout. Your mind will associate this symbol with your experience when storing it in the non-conscious. Draw this symbol a few times when you’re ready to help pull it back up into your conscious mind. You can also use ink color to separate sessions by lecture, key-note, workshop and workout. Or by order, with the first session of every day red, the second, black, the third blue and so on. Highlighters can be used in the same manner. Keep it simple. Colors and symbols bring together right and left brain learning.

During – Seek Out Clues

Use mnemonics to assist you in recalling multiple or chronological pieces of information. RICE is a common mnemonic for post injury care (Rest – Ice – Compress – Elevation). Be creative and look for hidden words in what you are learning that can help activate your memory recall.

After -Tell Yourself All about It

If you have trouble remembering what you have just read or drift off while reading, try reading it out loud instead. Today, many personal electronic devices have record capabilities. Your mind will not drift while recording aloud, and you can listen to it later while cleaning, driving or doing anything that would normally be difficult review time.