John’s Blog

No more excuses. You have decided everything that you currently have and where you are in life.

Your life is BUILT on your DECISIONS…or lack thereof.
Don’t be afraid to make the “wrong” decision.
Choose and proceed.
Do not sit and do nothing because you can’t decide.

Everything in your life is based on a decision or series of decisions YOU made:
-how much you TRAVEL and do FUN things
-WHERE you live
-what you EAT & if you EXERCISE (your state of HEALTH right now)
-who you’re FRIENDS with
-your CAREER

Don’t like it? Make a decision and change it.
It’s simple (but not always easy).

Today and tomorrow, notice the simple decisions you make (or are afraid to make) and think about how they ultimately impact where you are in your life.

If you realize that you are in control, you will make better decisions for yourself.

Do you want FREE mental performance & memory enhancement tips (from a USA Memory Champion…me!) sent to your email?

Then, enter your first name and email below!

Leave this field empty if you're human:

This lesson took me a long time to realize:

Your motivation is NOT reliable.
Do not rely on “feeling motivated” to be productive.

Instead:

Realize that MOST times you WILL NOT “feel like doing it”
(exercising, writing, being an entrepreneur, training, whatever “it” is for you).

Accept this fact and embrace it. Yes, we are all lazy and look for the easy/comfortable way.

The secret is to learn how to push through this AND STILL get things done. 

How do you push through when you don’t feel like it?

Short answer: Do it anyways.

Longer answer: You need to create a “system” for getting things done. All that means is you set aside time in your calendar on a consistent basis for doing only that 1 thing.

Then you build the habit of “doing it” by starting VERY VERY small….and slowly building up.

For example: If you want to start flossing your teeth every night, start on night #1 by flossing only one tooth. 
On night #2, floss 2 teeth. That’s it. 
Build up each night until you get all teeth done.

Small chunks and steps build SUSTAINABLE habits and systems.

When you sustain your habits and are consistent (doing it EACH day), you still may not “feel like it”…BUT you will have momentum pushing you to do it.

Then, do it anyways. 

Tired, unmotivated, overwhelmed?
Do it anyways.

There really is no other answer.

Do you want FREE mental performance & memory enhancement tips (from a USA Memory Champion…me!) sent to your email?

Then, enter your first name and email below!

Leave this field empty if you're human:

I got asked this weekend: “I’m starting to forget everything, are my long term memories gone forever?

The look on her face kinda scared me. I could tell she was frightened at the thought of losing her memory.

This is a common thought as we age. So I want to help out with a few powerful suggestions on how to keep your memory sharp long term. 

How do you retrieve long term memories and keep them fresh?

1) Belief
If you believe you forget everything and can’t remember anything, you will suffer from confirmation bias.

You will notice all the times you can’t remember and think you’re always that way.

Do not believe you have a bad memory. Believe you can remember. Believe it’s there.

2) Find the right connection
If you forgot a memory, here’s how to recall it:

Relive it: Mentally go back to where you were when it happened. Try to retrace your steps. Who was there? Where were you?

The more connections you can piece together, the more you have to work with.

Memories love connecting to as many things as possible (places, emotions, people), so the more you uncover, the more you can use to piece together the puzzle.

Sometimes, you just need to remember 1 “thread” or 1 strong link for everything else to come flooding back in your mind.

Ask other people involved: Sometimes other people chiming in with their memory of an event will make you go “Oh yeah! I remember…and then this happened ____”

Incubate your mind: If you dwell on the memory (using the last 2 steps), you may not remember right away. That’s ok.

Dwell on it, then let your mind work. Go on a walk, take a nap, take a full night’s rest. Your subconscious mind will work on retrieving it. Many times the memory will come back to you after a mental break (sometimes right away, sometimes a day later).

Do you want FREE mental performance & memory enhancement tips (from a USA Memory Champion…me!) sent to your email?

Then, enter your first name and email below!

Leave this field empty if you're human:

I posted on Twitter a learning tip that was really popular:

Learning/memory tip:
Study in a place you’ve never been before (new library, coffee shop, park).

The new info will be forever associated with the memory of that place…and you’ll remember it more.

This works because your mind loves associating physical locations to your memories to anchor them. 

Studying or reading a book in a nook of the house you don’t normally sit is powerful too.

Likewise, if you can’t remember something, mentally “return” to the place you were when you experienced the memory. 

If you want to have a more memorable night, use this to your advantage.

Change locations throughout the night.

That’s why bar hopping can be memorable.

Even if you’re hanging out at home; change rooms throughout the night. Start with games in the dining room, them move to the living room for a show, then the basement for drinks…

The night will be a journey…you’ll have multiple locations to link the memories too.

Do you want FREE mental performance & memory enhancement tips (from a USA Memory Champion…me!) sent to your email?

Then, enter your first name and email below!

Leave this field empty if you're human:

If 20 Russian models walked up to you on the street, could you remember all of their names?

That’s what I experienced on the season 3 finale of the Russian TV show I was on.

Except, I also had to remember their ages and all of their Fitbit stats (steps, calories, pulse).

Did I succeed? Or did I get distracted by their beauty?

The video is now on Youtube, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-yM2wE3vEs

If you want to see if I won the finale and became a Russian millionaire (1 million rubles)…click here:
https://youtu.be/toGbRQwtclg?t=7718

A few years ago, I did not believe any of this was possible (to be able to remember so much information OR to succeed on a huge TV show).

I’m not gifted in any way. 

Memory for me started with a simple interest after reading a book on memory techniques.

This became a hobby after I tried out the techniques and saw how fast they worked for me.

That hobby became a passion when I saw how good I could be at it (the defining moment was when I got 6th place in the 2015 USA Memory Championship after only 6 months practice).

That’s when I tried out for my first TV show (SuperHuman)…which launched my career.

It’s been a process, but I built myself and my abilities.

The truth is…YOU can too. Everyone has immense potential.

Don’t limit yourself or tell yourself that you “can’t”.

Believe in yourself and work at your vision every day.

In case you missed it: here is the first episode I was on: https://memoryjohn.com/american-memory-champ-on-the-russian-tv-show-удивительные-люди-amazing-people/

Do you want FREE mental performance & memory enhancement tips (from a USA Memory Champion…me!) sent to your email?

Then, enter your first name and email below!

Leave this field empty if you're human:

My secret is out.

Remember that trip to Russia I just took?

Well, I was filming for a TV show…and it just aired. It’s a competition show called УДИВИТЕЛЬНЫЕ ЛЮДИ (which translates to “Amazing People”).

It’s basically like a talent show for people with incredible abilities.

This is Season 3 where they premiered international talents.

You can watch my performance here: https://vimeo.com/291732652

*In case you don’t speak Russian, my challenge was to memorize 20 flights.
(Flight number + time + departure city and code + arrival city and code).

Also watch the end to see how I did in the final voting.
There were 7 amazing contestants and the winner moves on to the finals for a chance to win 1,000,000 rubles!

See Part 2 Here:

American on the Russian TV Show FINALE of “Удивительные люди” (Amazing People)

Do you want FREE mental performance & memory enhancement tips (from a USA Memory Champion…me!) sent to your email?

Then, enter your first name and email below!

Leave this field empty if you're human:

People who react, lose. They are led by other influences.
People who lead themselves, win.

Bzzz! Bzzzz!
*Stacy D. commented on your Facebook post*
Bzzz! Bzzzz!
*rich_blaine liked your Instagram post*

Serious question:
Do you let your phone tell you when to check it or what to do?

Are you sure?

I think your phone notifications are turning you into Pavlov’s dog. You know, the dog was conditioned to drool every time it heard a bell.

Here’s the thing I realized:

• If you pick up your phone when it vibrates or rings, you are REACTING. Your apps are literally dictating what you do. This is not good.

• If you turn off notifications and CHOOSE when to pick up your phone, you are LEADING yourself. You CONTROL your decisions.

Simple solution: Turn OFF all notifications for all apps.

Let this be a theme in your life too.
Don’t allow yourself to always REACT to things…be in CONTROL of your life and CHOOSE what you do, when you do it, how you do it… 

Take pride in your decisions (even when you make a mistakes or are wrong).

This is a conscious choice you can make to shape the life YOU want for yourself. 

Are you reacting to things or are you leading yourself?

Do you want FREE mental performance & memory enhancement tips (from a USA Memory Champion…me!) sent to your email?

Then, enter your first name and email below!

Leave this field empty if you're human:

The most powerful memory technique in the history of mankind is…

THE MEMORY PALACE

It’s also known as:
-The Method of Loci (Loci means locations in Latin)
-Roman Room
-Journey Method (as I like to call it)

It became popular recently in the BBC show “Sherlock”
Memory champions (like myself) use the memory palace to achieve superhuman feats.

It’s how I can remember a 296 digit number in 5 mins or a deck of cards in 28 secs.

BUT it’s simple enough for anyone to use.

A QUICK HISTORY

The Greek poet, Simonides of Ceos, invented the method around 500 BC.

According to legend, Simonides was at a banquet of honored guests. 

During dinner, he went outside to receive a message. 

When he stepped out, the roof collapsed, crushing everyone inside beyond recognition.

Simonides was able to identify each of the mangled bodies for burial by mentally reconstructing the seating arrangement from memory.

He discovered that by using LOCATIONS to arrange MENTAL IMAGERY, the mind could remember incredible amounts of information…in order.

HOW TO CREATE AND USE YOUR OWN MEMORY PALACE

1) Pick a PLACE you know well:

-your home, where you work, a park, 

2) Choose 20 specific LOCATIONS within this place:

-mailbox, fireplace, stove, sink, etc.

3) Number these 20 locations in a logical ORDER/path

  1) mailbox, 2) front step, 3) front door…

4) To store information: Place mental images, that represent each piece of information, at a location.

For example, here’s how to remember the periodic table of elements in order:

At Location #1, imagine a fire hydrant.
    Hydrant sounds like Hydrogen.
Location #2, imagine a helium balloon = Helium
Location #3, lithium battery = Lithium

Imagine these images interacting with the locations of your memory palace.

-Fire hydrant blasts water and knocks over your mailbox.
-Helium balloon popping on your front step.
-Giant lithium batteries inserted in your front door.

Fun Fact:
It’s believed that the phrases:
“In the first place, in the second place,…”
come from the memory palace technique.

You can create memory palaces with as many locations as you wish.

I have 100+ memory palaces (but this is extreme. I’m a memory athlete after all).

I recommend you create ONE and try it out. You will want to make more once you realize how powerful this is.

Use them to remember long lists in order (US presidents, bones of the body, 118 elements) or memorize a presentation/speech.

Do you want FREE mental performance & memory enhancement tips (from a USA Memory Champion…me!) sent to your email?

Then, enter your first name and email below!

Leave this field empty if you're human:

The Part 1 post I sent out 1 week ago has been one of my most popular yet…and I’ve received several follow up questions to it.

This email will have 4 questions and answers related to learning a language and the software/apps I use. 

Q: I noticed sometimes you start with the English word and then associate that with the foreign word and sometime start with the foreign word and link to the English. Does it matter or does it confuse?

A: You’ll have to know the word from English -> foreign AND foreign -> English, so it doesn’t really matter which way you associate the words together. What you have to be aware of is seeing the connection both ways.

So I practice seeing the link both forwards and backwards when I’m studying my flashcards. 

Q: You don’t use Location (or memory palaces) to memorize languages?

A: I don’t use locations in a memory palace to memorize these words. 

But I do sometimes associate these images/stories that I make to random locations that pertain to the stories I make. It helps personalize it.

So, if I memorize the word for “jacket” I might imagine seeing my jacket hanging in my closet to create the story.

Q: I have started using Duolingo and created my first page of words on Google sheet and downloaded Anki. I am now stuck.

How do I insert my spreadsheet into Anki?

Do I need to do anything to stop it Anki from duplicating flashcards from previous words on my spreadsheet?

A: (This is basically a tutorial on setting up the system I use to learn Vietnamese.)

The screenshots in my last email are from the Anki software on my Mac. I use it both on my phone and computer.

So, I download the Google sheet onto my mac, then import it into the Anki app on my Mac. I tried doing it on mobile and it doesn’t work (as you’ve found out). Give it a try it on a computer.

First, I export my google sheet (each day) as a .tsv

Then I open Anki and go to File -> Import.

I select the file that I just exported from google sheets, then this is what my screen looks like:

– I make sure my Deck is correct: Vietnamese

– Fields separated by Tab 

– Update existing notes…(this will update only the new data you add or change. This answers your question about not duplicating cards. This option makes sure you don’t duplicate.)

Now, I’ve already created the way I want my cards to look like. That’s why Field 1, 2, and 3 in that picture are labeled.

You will probably want to create the layout of your flashcard (how you want it to look) unless the default works for you.

I’m not an expert at Anki. But I managed to figure out how to customize my flashcards to my preference.

I did it by clicking “Add”.

This is what it looks like:

First, you want to click on “Fields” and add the Fields you want (for example: Spanish words, Sounds Like, English Word).

Then, you want to click on “Cards” and create the layout.

This is the Anki tutorial for how to do that: https://apps.ankiweb.net/docs/manual.html#customizing-fields

There are also videos on youtube that you can search for that will show you how to do this.

Q: Can u tell me if I need to install the Spanish keyboard on to my phone so I can use Spanish lettering?

A: I would definitely install a Spanish keyboard (or whatever language you are learning). I installed the Vietnamese keyboard and I’m glad I did. It really helps me learn.

I can easily switch between the 2 languages by swiping left or right on my phone’s spacebar.

Do you want FREE mental performance & memory enhancement tips (from a USA Memory Champion…me!) sent to your email?

Then, enter your first name and email below!

Leave this field empty if you're human:

I’ve gotten several questions about my process for learning Vietnamese and the memory techniques that I use.

So, today I will explain my approach to how I’m learning Vietnamese.

**You can apply this to any language you want to learn!

Current Status:
I’m 27 days in and have comfortably learned 275 words so far. That’s about 10 words a day (I’ll explain why that is important).

The reason I’m learning Vietnamese is because I am the coach of the Vietnamese Memory Team.

HOW I’M LEARNING VIETNAMESE

– Duolingo
– Google Spreadsheet
– Anki app
– Mnemonic link! 

First off, there is no perfect source/book/app to learn a language. That is the first trap most people fall into. They research too much. They get overwhelmed. They never actually start.

My approach is to pick a solid method and dive in. Figure it out and adjust along the way. Just go!

I chose the Duolingo app to start learning Vietnamese. They have many languages to choose from. It’s good for several reasons.
– It has a voice that reads new words
– It has pictures & translations
– It builds new words you learn into sentences.
– It quizzes you English to Vietnamese AND Vietnamese to English (or whatever language you choose)
– It keeps track of how many days in a row you practice and notifies you if you haven’t trained (optional)

This example shows French on Duolingo.

When a new word that I haven’t learned pops up, I put it into a Google Spreadsheet on my phone.
– In the first column, I write the new Vietnamese word.
– Second column, I write a phonetic hint to remind me of the pronunciation (optional).
– Third column, I write the English translation.

Then, I import this sheet every day into Anki. Anki is a free, spaced repetition flashcard app for learning. 

I setup Anki to automatically create flashcards from this spreadsheet data. It also automates which flashcards are shown each day. 

Actively quiz yourself!
Repeat the words out loud.

The reason Anki is so amazing is that it automates spaced repetition. Spaced repetition is probably the #1 best way to learn anything long term. It just means you review the information more frequently in the beginning…and less and less over time. It’s based on scientific studies of how to learn effectively. 

Ok, now for the part you really want to know. 
How do I learn/memorize/remember foreign words and their meanings?

For most of the words I learn, I create a mnemonic link.
Basically, I create a story or image in my mind that links the foreign word to the English meaning.

Here are a few examples (in Vietnamese):

đọc (sounds like doc) = to read
Link: I have to use a doctor’s stethoscope to read.

xe đạp (sounds like se dap) = bicycle
Link: When I ride my bike I look carefully to avoid the dips. I see dips.

nghe (sounds like ney) = to hear
Link: I constantly hear a horse “neigh“.

vì sao (sounds like vee sow) = why
Link: V Sauce (he is famous on YouTube) always asks “why“? in his science videos.

tại (sounds like tie) = because
Link: Because always ties a sentence together.

These links help you retain the word initially. Some will stick immediately, some you will have to change or review a few times for it to be memorable.

In case you’re wondering, the mnemonic links fade over time. That’s a good thing…so you don’t have to think of these weird stories every time for every word. Eventually you will just know the word.

To make your own links:
My advice is to JUST USE THE FIRST IDEA THAT POPS INTO YOUR HEAD. Do not think of the “perfect” link. It doesn’t exist….and it’s a waste of time. The weird ideas, that you think don’t make any sense, are the best links!

Summary

This entire daily process (Duolingo -> Google Sheet -> Anki -> Mnemonic Link) takes 20-35 mins a day for me.
I learn on average, 10 words a day. That doesn’t seem like a lot. But remember, I’m also reviewing past words I’ve learned.
10 words a day for 1 year = 3,650 words. Enough to be anywhere from conversational to proficient in that language.

Don’t overwhelm yourself with learning languages. Less is more (10 words a day). Think long-term. 

20 mins every day is way better than doing 4 hours just 1 day a week. Consistency is key with learning a language.

Read Part 2 of How I Learned Vietnamese with Memory Techniques here: https://memoryjohn.com/how-im-learning-vietnamese-with-memory-techniques-part-2-of-2/