It’s happening to
me more and more. Everybody tells me it just goes with growing
older. I hope that is not an easy excuse for it. What am I talking
about? Remembering someone’s name.
I talk to many people in church weekly, perhaps I talk to you every week and then it happens. We bump into each other at the grocery store and panic hits. I can’t remember your name. I act like I know your name, know you well, but my mind is blank.
So what can one do to get better with remembering names? Well, the good news is that you don’t have to be a genius. Everyone can remember names if they work at it. Most of us just don’t know how. So here are some tips I’ve learned along the way. Remember, you have to work at these.
Step One: Repeat names. Repetition builds memory. When you meet someone for the first time say their name as much as possible.
Step Two: Read names. Read a person’s name in your mind. Visualize it. Spell it in your head.
Step Three: Record names. Write new names down as soon as possible. Add a note by the name like, “tall, blonde, salesman, works at…” Keep a database or application with people’s names in it. Review it occasionally.
Step Four: Relate names. Our minds remember images, not words. Turning a person’s name into an image is the best way to instantly recall it. Let’s say you meet John Baker – imagine an actual baker in a kitchen putting a toilet (a john) in the oven. It may sound bizarre but it works.
Step Five: Remember to remember names. I know what you’re saying, “Duh!” Most often, the reason we don’t remember names is simply because we do not consciously make an effort. We hear the name, but we are too busy thinking about what we are going to say next.
If you think you can’t do all five steps at least concentrate on step four. If all else fails just honestly say, “I’m sorry, my mind is having a relapse, I forgot your name.” When they say it, go through the steps. You only get to use that line one per person. Have fun remembering names.
Blessings,
I talk to many people in church weekly, perhaps I talk to you every week and then it happens. We bump into each other at the grocery store and panic hits. I can’t remember your name. I act like I know your name, know you well, but my mind is blank.
So what can one do to get better with remembering names? Well, the good news is that you don’t have to be a genius. Everyone can remember names if they work at it. Most of us just don’t know how. So here are some tips I’ve learned along the way. Remember, you have to work at these.
Step One: Repeat names. Repetition builds memory. When you meet someone for the first time say their name as much as possible.
Step Two: Read names. Read a person’s name in your mind. Visualize it. Spell it in your head.
Step Three: Record names. Write new names down as soon as possible. Add a note by the name like, “tall, blonde, salesman, works at…” Keep a database or application with people’s names in it. Review it occasionally.
Step Four: Relate names. Our minds remember images, not words. Turning a person’s name into an image is the best way to instantly recall it. Let’s say you meet John Baker – imagine an actual baker in a kitchen putting a toilet (a john) in the oven. It may sound bizarre but it works.
Step Five: Remember to remember names. I know what you’re saying, “Duh!” Most often, the reason we don’t remember names is simply because we do not consciously make an effort. We hear the name, but we are too busy thinking about what we are going to say next.
If you think you can’t do all five steps at least concentrate on step four. If all else fails just honestly say, “I’m sorry, my mind is having a relapse, I forgot your name.” When they say it, go through the steps. You only get to use that line one per person. Have fun remembering names.
Blessings,
P.S. Ever lied and gotten away with it? Ever been overlooked by others? Need to extend some forgiveness to someone who has wronged you? Would your friends say of you, “She is a person of integrity”? We will be addressing some of these questions this Sunday at 9:15 and 11:00. Bring a friend and discover how to be a person everybody trusts.
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