I don’t know about the rest of you, but the older I get (and that’s a disconcerting phrase to use in ones twenties) the more I struggle to remember everything. I used to be able to remember whole conversations word perfectly, organise my social life without a diary, and remember what people were called.

Nowadays, I’m still pretty good at the conversations thing but I walk around with a diary and notebook at all times. At last count I have two A6 notebooks, one A5 diary/notebook, and an A4 work notebook, all made by Moleskine and hence terribly pretentious.

The names thing appears to be a lost cause, but I’ve learnt a number of tricks for overcoming my poor memory.

1) Repetition (internal)

When someone tells you their name, repeat it in your head 5-6 times until it sticks. It raises the chances of you remembering it

2) Repetition (external)

Repeat the name out loud:

Me: Hi, nice to meet you, I’m David

Tim: Hi, I’m Tim, I’m a phlebotomist

Me: Hi Tim, that’s an interesting job. How long have you been doing it Tim

Tim: Oh, about five years

Me: So Tim, what does a phlebotomist do

Tim: *waffles*

Me: That’s really interesting Tim

As you’ll note there, in my imaginary conversation with our friend Tim, I’ve used his name at every opportunity – this makes it much more likely that I’ll remember him

3) The business card trick

An extension on the normal business card trick (where you write a few interesting things about the person down for future reference), take Tim’s business card and write a description (Was wearing a funny tie, has straw coloured thinning hair, about 5’3 and reminded me in a strange way of my mother”). I then copy this information into an excel spreadsheet on my computer and refer back to it sometimes and try to picture the person in my head, so that if I run into them I might remember their name.

Hint: Write the name down with whatever you write normally with. If you rarely handwrite (like me) then type the name. If you handwrite a lot, write it down. Read it back to yourself to build on auditory and visual memory.

4) Write it down immediately

A trick that works for me (and please let me know if the comments section if it works for you too, because this is my number one go-to method for remembering names), take out your notebook and write down their name. I find the act of writing it down helps me remember in a way that repetition doesn’t.

Sometimes I’ve even written someone’s name underneath their own name on their card just because it helps my memory!

5) Pretend they’re calle [blank]

If in doubt, just go “It was very nice to meet you” and just don’t use their name. Most people do this, and you don’t come across as rude. Yet neither do you come across as one of those special, caring individuals who remember people’s names

And if all else fails?

Guess their name and use it. If it’s wrong you can look a little sheepish (no one dislikes someone who occasionally makes a mistake) and they’ll correct you, and you’ll be embarrassed enough to never forget it again! If you’re right, then you’ll be so relieved that you’ll also never forget it.

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3. A Tribute To The Loved
4. I Think I Love You (But I’ve Betrayed Myself)
5. My First Feature Article: Better by Degree