There are also ways to use the abc list for creative problem solving.
It works on the principle that any word can trigger the mind to a solution so The ABC list are usually groups of words so you have some great potential triggers. This is better than a dictionary because you selected the word for the list and added it in some way to your memory web. At the same time you're not distracted by or limited to the dictionary meaning. Rather than lenghty explaination I'll give a couple of suggestions. We can probably explore for more uses by discussion.
For example you have a problem that you've been trying to solve for some time. You notice that you looping over the same path and you need to trigger outside the box thinking. You have an ABC list from a book that sort of relates to that problem. Before you look at the card think of a number from 1 to 26 or find a technqiue for choosing the number at random. Use that word to come up with words that are possible answers to your question. Like calling on a brain storming session solo.
Alternately you could pull out 3 ABC list and using the same letter for each describe what each of those words have in common with your problem. It helps if you have a listener or tape recorder for this. It's what you can see that is in common.
By selecting 3 words starting with the same letter you can trigger yourself to start writing if your stuck on an essay or writing something.
I know my explainations haven't been in full colorful detail. I'll go further into discussion about them if there is an indication that people would like me to do so.
I see little point in writing a longer post if there is no interest.
Alex
Make an ABC list.
Here is an example. About six months ago I started doing a form of yoga that just happens to involve a series of 26 postures, and two breathing exercises. How perfect! The English words for each pose were fairly easy to remember but I wanted to be able to identify the Sanskrit name for each pose, not easy to remember because for one, I’ve never done any other kinds of yoga, and two, Sanskrit is totally unfamiliar to me, so I didn’t have anything to tie the names into.
Before the Memory Optimizer course, I’d have written each word out and by repetition, gone over each name until I knew them. I think it would have taken me weeks to learn them. For one thing some of the names of postures are so similar it’s difficult not to get them mixed up.
Using the ideas in the Memory Optimizer, I wrote down the numbers one through 26. Number one was the first posture because it’s the first pose. That’s easy. The second was the next pose in the series, which has two parts to it. For the Sanskrit name I broke down the words into smaller units to make a sentence or story that I would remember. This took some time but it worked! If I came to a letter/number and nothing came to me, I’d go on to another and then come back to it.
I did the first 8 one day, then a few times that day and the next day I mentally went over my list. When I experienced a gap, I’d look back at my written list. This reinforced my learning. Later I’d mentally go over the list again. I just treated it like a game.
In short, I learned the Sanskrit and English names in a few days. Now I know them. I don’t even need to use the list I created, but it was in the process of making the list that I memorized the names.
This is just one example. As Vera says if you just do the work, your memory will improve.
[This message has been edited by Sandy Millies (edited November 24, 2003).]
Remember that ABCs represent numbers the first 24 would represent the first 24 hours of a day. Consider having a unique anchor list for attaching the schedule.
Frankly though for short terms things I'd just use a diary.
Alex
but what is wrong with making an abc list for short articles?
i mean there might be some words i can quickly think of auxilary threads for as opposed to just doing analograffiti and besides analograffiti still needs to be reviewed as well
Ms Birkenbihl made it a strong point to atleast fill 20 letters of an ABC list, but why?
If you have less than 20 words on your ABC list it is no longer a list and what I've been suggesting with analograffiti is really using a modified ABC list... instead of the list form and order from our alphabet the list takes the order of a significant word. Instead of writing it in list form and because we have fewer than twenty words we draw out our ideas and make further associations. This makes up for the lack when we cannot get 20 words onto an ABC list froms something like a "short" article. The reason 20, probably thats because its 4 5ths of the list and as far as an ABC list anything less doesn't have enough connections to make it memorable to help fill in the gaps of your memory web. Given that 95% of the ABC list will have problems with X y and most of all Z, many ABC list are as complete as they can get at 20.
With a list of 20 you have more associations than if you only made a list with 11 or 15. In which case you would be better served to have used a cue word rather than the ABC list.
Remember also that ABC list can be and often are creater over days rather than minutes.
Actually once you've created an analograffiti you don't need to look at the original creation to review it. You only need to spell out the letters of the cue word and like with ABC list you can play at recalling it during your piggy bank times.
Alex
[This message has been edited by AlexK (edited October 31, 2003).]
[This message has been edited by gelvecron (edited October 31, 2003).]
Alex