Is there someone in your life who seems to effortlessly fly through training classes, courses and tests? Who can volunteer to speak the morning of a Toastmasters meeting and deliver a speech that would take you a week to prepare? Who can reply to a surprise question from the boss at a meeting with a perfectly coordinated reply that actually makes sense?

As I read Scott Young’s guest post “How I was Able to Ace Exams Without Studying”, I was struck by how the ideas he suggests to boost memory come naturally to many iNtuitives (greens and blues). The post is definitely worth a read, and here are three tools he suggests that I use every day. You can apply them, too – no matter your personality type.

Metaphor

How do you describe complex or unfamiliar ideas to others? Okay, now how do you do it so that they understand?

I was first exposed to the value of metaphors when I read Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. In the book, Chip and Dan Heath describe the power of making an idea stick by comparing it to something the audience already knows.

For example, one of my family members owns some farmland and was offered a chance to purchase the easement that cut through the property. I was given a copy of the offer letter and my six year old, ever inquisitive, asked what the letter said. How would you explain it?

I ended up talking about two birthday cakes – one with a strip of sand running across it and the other without. I asked him which he would rather have. Of course, he said he’d choose the cake without sand. I then explained that this easement ran through the land, splitting it in two and making the easement part of it unusable. Suddenly, a six year old could understand the impacts of a real estate decision.

Harness the power of metaphor. Exercise your ability to compare complex ideas to simple ones. Communicate those ideas to others using comparisons and see whether you see the light of understanding dawn in their eyes.

Mind Mapping

Do you get writer’s block when you sit down to write that article, that report, that research paper? Blank paper (or a blank screen) can be awfully intimidating. Even trying to write an outline can be a challenge. Insert the power of mind mapping.

Mind mapping, simply put, is creating a diagram of circles and lines to brainstorm ideas. You start with one central circle and write the main idea inside it. Then draw a spoke and another circle and, in it, the first related idea that comes to mind. Then the second – either related to your second circle or as another branch off the main idea. As new things come to you, you simply add circles and connecting lines. If you use paper and pen (or pencil), as I often do, you will end up crossing out or erasing lines and connecting the circles in many ways as you re-organize your thoughts. If you do this a lot, you might want to invest in an online mind mapping tool or software like MindManager by MindJet.

The next time you are faced with a blank screen, a timeline, and a product to create, give mind mapping a try. Watch your ideas take shape as your mind jumps from related idea to related idea, unencumbered by outlines or hierarchical bullet points.

Use Mnemonics

Ever take piano lessons? How did you learn the scales? Does the phrase “Every Good Boy Does Fine” ring a bell (for the notes E, G, B, D and F)? How about math class? Did you memorize the order of operations by the phrase “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally” (for Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition then Subtraction)? If so, you used mnemonics to memorize material.

Acronyms are one of the most common uses of mnemonics. If you are like me, you go to the store often and return carrying all sorts of stuff – yet forgetting the one thing you went to the store to buy. Next time, try using an acronym. For instance, a list like milk, eggs, apples and bacon might create the word BEAM.

Never underestimate the power of an acronym.

Why do I say that iNtuitives often use these tools naturally? Because people who use iNtuition the most usually take in data by understanding connections or fitting it into the big picture. Painting word pictures (metaphors), connecting ideas and relating concepts (mind mapping), and creating word puzzles (acronyms) are natural strengths for most iNtuitives. Those who prefer Sensing (golds and reds) will benefit from using them too.

What helps you remember? Have you applied anything from this article? Let me know in the comments below.