Memory is more than just an archive of our past experiences. We need to forget certain things so we can more easily and rapidly remember what’s important. Because our brains are designed to navigate a world that’s constantly changing, our memories need to be malleable. What’s important is to be selective, remembering what we need to know when we need to know it. Scientists have shown that we can keep no more than three or four pieces of information in our mind at once. Most of what you’re experiencing right now will be gone from your mind in less than a day. Think of memory like a desk that’s cluttered with crumpled-up scraps of paper. If you scribbled your banking password on one of those scraps of paper, it would take a good deal of effort to find it. Memory works in the same way. Experiences that are most distinctive are the easiest to remember. So, how do we make memories that will stand out in our cluttered minds? The answer is association. It's our brain’s way of prioritizing what we’re seeing, hearing, and thinking about. The next time you put your keys down, take a minute and pay attention to something unique, such as: “The keys are in my raincoat pocket, because it was raining today.” That's how association works. A great deal of everyday forgetting happens not because our memories have disappeared, but because we can't find our way back to them. In the right context and with the right cue, memories can suddenly resurface. Walking into a room and forgetting what you went in there for is one of the biggest memory complaints there is. It can be frustrating — even alarming as we age — but it’s perfectly normal. It’s the way our brains work when they have the responsibility for organizing our memories. That’s why tips and cues to help you remember are so important.
