1. LINK YOUR MEMORIES
ALDRIC TINKER (http://www.aldrictinker.com)
LINK YOUR MEMORIES
B Y A LDRIC T INKER , C ERTIFIED NLP P RACTITIONER (NFNLP, USA)
GIVING YOURSELF THE CHANCE
Your ability to remember principles and parts, and later express them, affects about
everything you do. Whether you‟re a student, hoping to ace an exam or a working adult trying to
deliver your job. The more information you can retain and apply, the better your chances in
advancing.
However, „how to remember‟ is not engraved in stone. Sadly, it‟s rarely exposed to
students and adults alike. As a result, you may be armed by a limited number of memory
methods! These methods which you picked up as you go along in life may be useful in some
aspects, but in other times, you need different tools.
Imagine your memory methods as tools, like a hammer, knife or pencil. A knife may be
useful at cutting the vegetables, but try writing with it on your finals paper. If you need to
remember the three items, though, because you need to buy them – for instance – then it would
be a good idea to think of just that: writing your final examination answer script with a hammer
and knife while your friends are using a pencil!
That leads us to the memory enhancement method you will discover in this article: the
link system.
WHAT IS THE LINK SYSTEM?
This is the most basic of all memory systems – the ideas and techniques you take out
from applying the Link System would benefit you when using other memory systems (Buzan).
Before you dive deeper into the details, allow me to share with you some perspectives of
neurolinguistic programming (NLP) on the principle of association. The principle stipulates that
your ability to remember something is because you link, or associate, an emotion, thought or part
of that to the thing your remember. In NLP-speak, you anchor or attach something to another
thing. In the most basic sense, you give whatever you remember meaning. That makes it worth
remembering.
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2. LINK YOUR MEMORIES
ALDRIC TINKER (http://www.aldrictinker.com)
And according to Buzan, “psychologists have come to the conclusion that we remember
things by joining a certain part of them with other things”.
So, when you see that object in the future, you would remember what it is you attach to it.
In my case, it‟s the opening for all Disney movies: the scene of Cinderella‟s castle which
transports me for a brief moment to my childhood. Listening to a particular song may remind you
of your former lover, is another example.
A more extreme illustration is the sea: terror may strike some people to the bones when
they think of the sea. It could remind them of a deep fear or phobia.
Here‟s the thing: you apply the principle of association with or without effort. Throughout
your day, you remember stuff because it‟s meaningful to you.
THE LINK SYSTEM IN ACTION
For example, you want to remember the following:
The Factories and Machineries Act 1967 governs the safety and health in four industries:
quarries, mining, building and construction, and factories.
Most students would remember part of it and forget the rest. If you haven‟t already spent
time to remember the statement, close your eyes now without looking at the statement again,
and see how far you can remember, giving yourself the extra credit if you can remember the year
and four industries in order!
By using the Link System, you can do it easily, naturally and almost effortlessly! Relax and
have fun with it. When you see statements and ideas or lists, quickly and decisively link the
objects together.
Here is one way you can put it:
Link 1: You remember Malaya gained its independence in 1957. Well, this Act was
passed 10 years later, in 1967.
Link 2: It’s for Factories and Machineries – lots and lots of them, whether it’s noisy and
loud or quiet and silent, whether it’s blue or grey, whether it’s electrical or manual
powered. All forms of shapes and size.
Link 3: Quarries give stone while Mines produce metal. Both used to construct and build
factories!
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3. LINK YOUR MEMORIES
ALDRIC TINKER (http://www.aldrictinker.com)
As you realise it by now, you can add on colours, shapes, sounds, feelings, tastes, smell
as well as pictures to enhance the image. Weave a story, if you want, of what makes sense to
you. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to apply the Link System immediately!
With practice, you‟ll be amazed to find out how fast and easy this is for you! Not to
mention effective. So, make it a habit!
If there is a random list, you can also apply this Link System to boost your memory!
FOUR WAYS YOU CAN MAGNIFY THE EFFECTIVENESS FOR YOUR
BENEFIT – AND CUSTOMISE YOUR LIST
As you progress through life, you use your five senses to make sense of the chaos around
you. What are they? If you haven‟t already known:
 Visual - Your sense of sight and your imagination;
 Auditory - Your sense of hearing and the love for music, rhythm as well as tempo;
 Kinaesthetic - Your sense of touch, your feelings and movement;
 Olfactory - Your sense of smell as well as memories of it; and
 Gustatory - Your sense of taste – sweet to sour, salty and bitter.
Using the five senses, apply it in the following four ways to get the most out of this Link
System.
1. EXAGGERATE YOUR LINKS
You most likely remember things that are exaggerated: perhaps you can imagine yourself
worrying about your 500th factory in Malaysia. You want to remember what law that applies. Your
factory may have pretty pink machines that run on sugar and spice!
2. MOVE YOUR LINKS
When you run the list through your mind‟s eye, make it move. You can imagine yourself
walking through that factory – perhaps you‟re in the air tunnel when it got accidentally switched
on! Feel the wind against your body.
3. SUBSTITUTE THEM
Your skills to remember are influenced by many factors. For weak associations,
substitute the object with another that is more strong and solid for you. Let‟s take the year. To
remember that the Act was passed 43 years ago may be daunting. We replaced it with a
meaningful year: 1957. But if you‟re more comfortable, you can also use “4 years after Malaysia
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4. LINK YOUR MEMORIES
ALDRIC TINKER (http://www.aldrictinker.com)
was formed”. The substitution itself made the association and the movement links more
complete, and thus more readily recalled.
4. BE ABSURD!
How you choose to apply this Link System, you have the freedom of imagination. The
creative licence is yours! Why limit yourself when you need the link to work for you? The more
restricted you are, the weaker the memory will be. When something more powerful and
overcharged comes and flood your short term memory, it‟ll all be wiped out!
Go all out – you have the tools, freedom and ability! To cite Tony Buzan, if you need to
use vulgar or sexual imagery are among the strongest form. If you need it, use it! Just stay
onboard and keep it to yourself.
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5. LINK YOUR MEMORIES
ALDRIC TINKER (http://www.aldrictinker.com)
WORKS CITED
Buzan, Tony. Seed Memory. Aylesbury: Sphere Books, 1971.
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