THE WORLD'S MOST IMPORTANT GRAPH

Writing in his wonderful book, 'Unleashing Genius with the World's Most Powerful Learning Systems', Dilip Mukerjea introduces the world's most important graph, the Graph of Recall.

There are five major points at which we recall items easily:

PRIMACY:

This is the term used for the first things we recall. Most people can come up with at least a few items at this stage.

REPEATED:

This is the traditional way of recalling. Repetition reinforces recall!

OUTSTANDING:

We find that it is easy to recall items that suddenly pop up out of the blue. It's the same as if a pink and purple dinosaur crashed through the ceiling of your home; you'd never forget it, even in ten thousand reincarnations!

PERSONAL ASSOCIATIONS:

Different people recall different items at different times. It is personal, since we are all unique. This is why the starburst of personal associations occur at various points on the Graph of Recall.

RECENCY:

This is the term used for the last few items we recall. Like the other phenomena above, it comes naturally to us. And it keeps on working away in our brains, silently, until suddenly, much later, it helps us connect with other stuff in our heads, and whoosh! we come up with fresh ideas."

Because the Graph of Recall addresses the natural points of recall, it has an infinite range of applications, addressing all aspects of life!

Some examples:

GIVING A SPEECH

Make a star start! This is when your audience is wide awake! Even if you are nervous, go for it, because they'd ready to listen to you. Repeat, in different ways, what you have to say to them.

From time to time, throw in some stuff that wows! them with outstanding features, such as humour, suspense, shock, and sparkle. Don't try to impress, express! Remain who you are and remember that your audience consists of unique individuals. Speak to them all, as well as to each of them. This is how they will personally associate with what you have to say.

Finally, make a star finish, and zap them with something to remember you forever!

STUDYING

Never study in looooong stretches. Take regular, brief, "brain b-r-e-a-k-s", every thirty to sixty minutes. Start with a quick preview of your material. Take a short break. review your material at regular intervals. Personalise your text with your own notes in the margins and on separate paper.

Make your material outstanding by using colours to highlight, to underline, and in your images that correspond to the written passages.

Before ending your study sessions, pay special attention to the recency effect so that you make a running start when you come back to your sessions later on. That way, when you return, you do so with your memory at a high level of 'recall availability'.

MEETING PEOPLE

Once again, follow the formula given on the graph. You have only one shot at making a first impression, but . . . don't TRY to make an impression. Be yourself, and make an impact by approaching people with:

(1) a happy smile;

(2) your arms open, and your heart facing them;

(3) eye contact that shows them you are there, and not spaced out;

(4) your senses alert to what they are saying, indicating that you are listening carefully;

(5) your voice warm and sincere, enthusiastic when appropriate;

Repeat their names so that you are able to remember them easily. This also emphasises a feature of 'personal association'. Look for some outstanding features om their faces to make them effortlessly recognisable.

And, when you leave, do so with goodwill and respect towards them. the time that you have spend with them should be a precious part of your life. Pay special note that the last things you say or do will be remembered, so do so with love and sincerity!

[All the images in this post are the intellectual property of Dilip Mukerjea.]