Link Method - Tying Things Together

Once you understand the concept of using association and substitute words to memorize individual items, the first advanced memory tool is the Link Method.

The Link Method is one way to quickly connect items that may or may not be related, such as lists of any kind.

How the Link Method Works

The easiest way for me to illustrate how the Link Method works is to give you a specific example.

Suppose you want to memorize the names of the 10 greatest NBA players of all time, the guys who really built the league into an empire. According to MSN's Encarta Encyclopedia, the top ten players (in alphabetical order) were probably:

1. Charles Barkley
2. Larry Bird
3. Patrick Ewing
4. Magic Johnson
5. Michael Jordon
6. Karl Malone
7. Hakeem Olajuwon
8. Scottie Pippen
9. Isiah Thomas
10. John Stockton

Now, whether you know who these player are or agree with the list is not important. The point is that if you want to memorize this list, you can use the Link Method to do it!

Starting the List

Let's take it step by step. First, you need a way to start the list. In other words, a way to link the "concept" of the list with the first item in the list.

The concept in this case is a list of great NBA basketball players. If you could remember "great basketball", that would probably be enough to remind you of the concept. So imagine an outrageous or impossible image for this phrase.

To me, "great" is very similar to the word "enormous" (as in large). I might imagine an absolutely huge orange basketball rolling down the street, crushing cars and houses along the way. Really try to picture this.

Then we need to connect this image with the first item in the list, Charles Barkley. For this list, and since this is an example to teach you how to use the Link Method, I'll assume you just need to remember the player's last name. What does "Barkley" sound like? To me, his name sounds like "bark lean" or "bark leave" or "bar key". (As with all the memory systems, what an item makes you think of is what you should use for your image - that's what's most memorable for you!)

So I imagine the enormous basketball rolling down the street finally smashing into an also-gigantic tree, whose bark is covered with giant green leaves. (The branches of the tree don't have the leaves, the leaves are growing out of the bark - silly, and memorable.)

That's the first "association" - connecting the list itself with the first item, Charles Barkley. Now for the linking part of the Link Method.

Creating the Links

We want to link the first item, Charles Barkley, with the second item, Larry Bird. Happily for this example, "bird" is an easily visualized object. But as usual, we need an impossible or bizarre image to make bird memorable. And to form the link, we will associate our "bark leave" with the "bird".

Note that this pair of associated images should not be "connected" with the first set of mental images of the ball rolling down the street into the tree. If you put too many associations into one mental image, you may become confused. Keep them separate and distinct, and you'll remember the items much better.

So I might go with an image of millions of bluebirds flying into a forest of trees that have green leaves growing out of the bark of the trees. The birds fly so fast they SMACK into the tree trunks (fooled by the misplaced leaves), which gives each of them a headache.

Again, a very silly image, but ordinary objects are too, well, ordinary and therefore too forgettable.

If you've followed along with the visualizing - and if you haven't, I highly recommend you go back up and do so because you don't want to miss out on this powerful technique - then you've got the list started and the first two items memorized.

Now make the next link. We need to connect #2 Larry Bird with #3 Patrick Ewing. "Ewing" sound a bit like "you ring" to me. So imagine yourself standing in front of a giant door and ringing the doorbell - but the doorbell is actually the new bluebird model that looks like a bird and squawks at you when you push it. Imagine this as clearly as you can.

Let's do the next link - #3 Patrick Ewing to #4 Magic Johnson. I'd use Magic's first name in this case, since it is so unusual. Of course, "magic" is reminiscent of a magician and a magic show. So we need to connect "you ring" (Ewing) with magic in a mental image. Perhaps a magician pulling you out of a big hat by grabbing you by your earring (ouch!).

A Quick Review

Let's stop at this point and review. Suppose your friend comes up to you tomorrow and says, "I bet you can't name me 10 of the greatest NBA basketball players of all time." At this point, he'd be right - but you could easily name four, without even thinking about it. Here's why:

Your friend's phrase "greatest NBA basketball players" should make you instantly picture a gigantic orange basketball rolling down the street (crushing cars and houses) and running into a what? A giant tree, whose bark is covered with green leaves (which the ball no doubt knocks loose from the tree).

That's the beginning of the list plus the first item: Charles Barkley.

The leaves growing out of the bark make you instantly see in your mind's eye a forest of such trees, which triggers the image of millions of bluebirds flying into that forest and smacking into the leaf-covered tree trunks.

The bluebirds! Yes, that's your second item: Larry Bird, who else?

Oh, yes, and of course bluebirds make you think of pushing your finger into and ringing a doorbell in the shape of a bluebird. "You ring" - Patrick Ewing!

And who could forget someone pulling you out of a hat by your earring (you ring, ouch!) - someone who is a magician - Magic Johnson, of course.

See how easy and even fun this memorization stuff can be?

Finishing the Rest

If you followed along above, the power of using visual imagery to remember items should really be clear to you now.

For the rest of the list of NBA greats, let me just give you some hints to get started. If you are serious about improving your memory, you'll finish this exercise right now. Then go find a relative or friend and ask them to quiz you. You'll find not only that you can remember the entire list of 10 without trouble, but that you can even say the list backwards without flinching!

Because images can fade if you don't set them firmly in mind, review your image associations to make them permanent. Try reviewing once after 10 minutes, then 30 minutes, then try 2 hours later. For information you want to remember long-term, add an additional review at 1 day, 3 days, and 1 week. (Basically spreading out the reviews over longer periods as time goes on.)

Here are the hints:

• Michael Jordan - sounds like "jar done" or "chores done"
• Karl Malone - sounds like "I'm all alone" or "mall own"
• Hakeem Olajuwon - sounds like "a large one" or "old age, you won"
• Scottie Pippen - first name is like a Scottish Terrier (dog), last name is like a "piper" or "pie pen"
• Isiah Thomas - first name is like "I say ah", last name is like "too much" or "toe munch"
• John Stockton - sounds like "stock town" or "stork ton"

The links between the images I'll leave up to you. Give this a try and amaze yourself!

These Methods Get Easier and Easier

It takes a little while to explain the Link Method in words. What you will find with practice, however, is that the process of forming the images starts to come easily, naturally, and quickly.

You may be able to see at this point that using the Link Method is even fun. Compare this method to simply repeating the list over and over to memorize it. Not only is that not fun, it is actually incredibly boring. In addition, your retention of the list will be much better with the Link Method compared to rote memorization, because of the use of visualization. This has been proven by numerous research studies on memory.