Enhance Your Memory

The title of this post may give the impression that I am offering some magic pill for memory enhancement. While that is not the case, I will show how self-tracking can be an effective way to improve your memory. In this post, I will explain why.

First, it's important to understand that we will enhance your memory by supplementing it. Memory refers to the ability of the mind to store and recall information. Sometimes we are good at that, and sometimes we are terrible. It can vary significantly from person to person, and there are many theories as to why this may be the case. However, it is a common characteristic among all humans.

In contrast, computers have exceptional memory. They have almost a perfect memory. By recording information about past events on a computer, we can ensure that our memories will not be forgotten. Recording on a computer is the first step in enhancing or supplementing your memory. By transferring the task of data storage from your brain to a computer, you can free up space in your mind for other things.

Step two focuses on retrieving the stored data. Now that the information is securely stored on a computer, we need an efficient way to retrieve it. There are several ways to think about data recall, such as using keywords, geographical location, time, and photographic images.

Keywords allow for quick and efficient searching, geographical location helps recall information related to a specific place, time is useful for recalling information based on when it happened, and photographic images can be useful for people with a strong visual memory.

These methods for organizing data are the starting points for recall. The human-computer interface is how we use these methods to retrieve stored information from the computer. A user-friendly computer interface will provide various ways to access the stored data, such as through search, timelines, or maps. This allows you to easily recall the information you need with minimal knowledge about past events.

Now that we understand how computers can enhance your memory by supplementing it through the process of recording and retrieving past events, the final step is to ensure that you are consistently recording information. This can be done by taking many pictures, writing things down at the end of the day, using devices that automate the process, and using an app like Druck to consolidate all the information and provide user-friendly interfaces for easy recall. It may not be a magic pill, but it is a real and effective solution for memory enhancement that exists today.