Ever since I started playing badminton, I have trouble keeping score. Whose serve is it? How many points?
I came to a relieving aha-moment while I was finishing a puzzle. Another way to think about short-term memory is that you have a finite number of pieces to work with. Together, the pieces form a narrative about what the score is, how the game is played, points won and points lost.
All you need to do is rearrange the pieces until they fit together. In the murky depths of recollection, the truth of reality is often simpler than expected. Each team can only differ by one point at a time. This is another reformulation of the concept of a “mind palace”: it’s the same technique that memory champions use, on a smaller scale. Proximity, juxtaposition, and contrast are useful when painting a memorable landscape for yourself.
Sometimes, I don’t care about the score. I focus on the process, rather than the outcome. But, understanding how and why the score comes about is a tool that is not only good for improving your badminton game, but also can be transferred to many different domains.
Enjoying memories with old friends. The ways in which moments are compartmentalized modifies the manner in which they are later accessed and enjoyed.
Employing higher-level chess strategies. I’m not nearly good enough at the game for this, but I have seen tutorials for certain play styles and board arrangements.
Locating key items before they get lost. When you have a set place for something, finding it becomes a comfortable story. Just like Magic Tree House books: “Then everything was still. Absolutely still.” – Mary Pope Osbourne
As I get older, my memory gets worse and worse. But that doesn’t mean I can’t use strategies and tricks to achieve higher functionality.