Chapter 9. Five Little Words That Help You Remember Better

The ten key words you already know are the ones you are going to use most. But knowing fifteen will help you remember even more, on a daily basis. For real efficiency, you should have this many ready for instant use. Here are key words 11 through 15.

KEY WORD NUMBER ELEVEN

11. SIDEWALK. This is easy to visualize, for the two side-walks on the sides of a street form two parallel lines, just like the figure 11. ELEVEN is SIDEWALK.

KEY WORD NUMBER TWELVE

12. ELEVATOR. See a light in the elevator, flashing the number 12 and a sign reading CAPACITY 12 PERSONS. At twelve o'clock the elevator is always crowded with at least twelve passengers. TWELVE is ELEVATOR.

KEY WORD NUMBER THIRTEEN

13. FLOOR. Thirteen is considered an unlucky number, so many skyscrapers have no thirteenth floor. When you get off at the thirteenth floor, you step out and promptly fall on the unlucky thirteenth floor. THIRTEEN is FLOOR.

KEY WORD NUMBER FOURTEEN

14. DOCTOR. What a man this doctor is! At the age of fourteen he has fourteen degrees, fourteen letters after his name. He charges you fourteen dollars a visit. FOUR­TEEN is DOCTOR.

KEY WORD NUMBER FIFTEEN

15. BED. See an enormous bed, fifteen by fifteen feet. It's an antique bed, with the date 1500 embroidered in gold on the canopy. Louis XV once owned it. It cost fifteen hun­dred dollars. FIFTEEN is BED.

We can fit key words eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen into a sequence. After you leave the general-delivery window (10), you . . .

walk on the sidewalk,

enter an elevator,

get off at the thirteenth floor,

go in to see the doctor, who

sends you to bed.

Study these key words, adding any personal associations you can think of, until you know them as well as the first ten. And it will help you remember the previous ones as well. When you feel you do, fill in the following test:

Write the key word against its number:

13…………………………… 
11……………………………
12……………………………
15……………………………
14……………………………

Double-check by placing the right number against the key word:

BED………………………………………
SIDEWALK…………………………….
FLOOR………………………………….
DOCTOR……………………………….
ELEVATOR……………………………

If you are certain you now know these new key words as well as the old ones, prove it by the following time test. You should be able to fill all the spaces below, without the slightest hesitation, in 1 minute. Time yourself with a watch.

10……………………………
2……………………………..
11……………………………
6…………………………….
9…………………………….
14……………………………
1…………………………….
8…………………………….
3…………………………….
12……………………………
7……………………………..
15……………………………
5…………………………….
13……………………………
4…………………………….

How long did you take? 

At the first opportunity have a friend write down, slowly, fifteen different details for you to remember, telling you the number and detail as he writes it. You will amaze him by re­calling them and you’ll see how these techniques help you remember things better.

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