These examples point to another feature of memory, the way it can
engage all of your senses. I can still, for example, remember the
strong smell of the polish on the floor of my first school; with the
remembered smell, a flood of childhood memories comes back to
me. Memory is multilayered and often works like this.
Do you have memories that are triggered for you by sensory input?
Muttering
Many people find it helpful to fix processes in their mind by mut-
tering—speaking about their constituent elements out loud as they
go through them. While this may seem a strange thing to do at work,
don’t worry! It’s not as crazy as it seems at first and it gets results.
A good example of how this can operate is when you need to
learn a new computer skill. Think for a moment of how often you
ask someone to help you do something new. You do it once while
they are there, anxious to get on with the task in hand and only half
listening to what they are saying. Then they go back to their work
and you are left on your own, It is a sure bet that, as soon as they
have gone, you find that you can’t remember how to do the new
task. Next time this happens, say that you would like to talk the
task through as you do it to help fix it in your memory: “I’ve
opened my email. Now I am looking for xunder theymenu. Now
I am going to check on z, etc.” By muttering as you do something,
you are continually reflecting on what you are doing, analyzing it,
applying it, asking questions about it. This undoubtedly helps you
develop a vocabulary to describe and then fix your learning in your
mind.
There are two logical extensions of muttering: creative visu-
alization and teaching.
Creative visualization enables you to anticipate new experi-
ences by rehearsing them. This is widely used by athletes and
theatrical performers. You close your eyes and imagine yourself
going through the experience, mentally talking yourself through
each stage. I find this especially helpful before:
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