Many of us desire to be able to memorize a speech or blocks of texts and do it fast.

Fortunately, anyone with an average brain can do this if he/she follows certain rules. This article is written to provide you with certain rules to follow to memorize passages of a book, a speech, or any blocks of texts.

We have written this article to solely achieve one thing: We want you to able to perform memory feats that seem reserved for memory champions. We want you to be able to memorize a speech and to be able to do it fast!

However, please note that you will need to put in efforts (by practicing over and over again) before it becomes easy to memorize speech/texts using the methods we are about to discuss.

Let’s get started!

Memory Techniques for Memorizing Speech or Blocks of Texts

There are three memory techniques that can be used to memorize a speech or blocks of texts and they are:

A. Method of loci

B. Spaced repetition

C. Mind Map

Let ‘s now explain these techniques one by one.

A. Method of Loci (the Journey Method)

This is a method to use if you want to memorize your speech fast. From observation, the method of loci will let you memorize your speech faster compared to a mind map or spaced repetition style  discussed below. However, please note that you will need to practice repeatedly before you can use this method fast.

We will recommend you take time and read more about the method of loci here.

To use the journey method to memorize a speech or blocks of texts, please follow the steps below:

1. Find the keywords in your speech or blocks of texts that will help you remember the rest of the text. Make sure you list the keywords in each paragraph (i.e.) itemize the keywords in each paragraph.

2. Convert these keywords to memorable images. If you can’t find a memorable image for a keyword, you can use something to represent the keyword. For example, you can use your wife to represent love.

Hint: If you don’t know what image to use to represent a keyword in your speech/texts, you can use a search engine to come up with image/imaginative ideas for the keyword.

3. Select the place, route or community that you want to use as a peg to store the information in question. This will serve as a storeroom to save all the new information.

Your chosen place may be as small as your house, bedroom or even your car. It may also be as big as a shopping mall or your community. You could also select a route to your favorite place. For example, you could use station stops along a railway.

The simple rule is that you should really know the place you are selecting. You have to be very familiar with the place, route, or location you are using.

If your speech or blocks of texts contain many keywords, it is a good idea to use a place like a shopping mall. This is because a shopping mall has many storage locations that can serve as markers or landmarks to store a new piece of information.

Also note that the places or routes can be imaginary, just make sure that this imaginary place or route you create is very familiar to you. For example, you can use the beautiful homes in a magazine to store your memories.

4. Mentally highlight the landmarks or markers in the place you have selected in step three above. For example, if you selected your bedroom in step three above, the markers could be your bed, wardrobe, curtain, mirror, box, etc.

If you have selected a route to a place, the markers or landmarks could be a filling station, a restaurant, a public toilet, etc.

Please note that the markers or landmarks should be arranged in the order in which they occur. For example, if a public toilet appears before a filling station, then you should follow this order and not the other way.

Also, make sure the markers you are using can easily be followed. For example, the markers in your bedroom can be a bed, a closet, but not a bath.

5. Using your mind’s eyes, visualize each keyword in your speech/blocks of texts. Make this image as clear and memorable/funny as possible. Please note that we have already written a comprehensive article on visualization. Please learn more here.

You may need to close your eyes for better visualization. Equally, when visualizing the object you want to remember, it is necessary you give it all your attention. Try to see the object clearly with your mind’s eyes. See it, smell it, taste it and hear it (if possible). The more of the sensory organs you use, the better.

When you use more than one sense organ, and you give it your full attention, the object becomes “super” memorable.

Don’t also forget to try to mentally animate the objects you want to remember. Making the object move, jump or sing is a good way to remember them.

6. Using your mind’s eyes, carefully associate each of the visualized images in step five above to each marked location you created in step four above. This is like placing each mentally visualized object on each marked location. Please don’t forget that what you want to remember (the keywords) are the visualized objects.

Note: Some of the steps mentioned above are culled from our article titled Using the Method of Loci (Memory Palace) Like a Pro: The Definitive Guide

To understand how to use the method of loci to memorize a written information word for word, we will use an example.
Let’s say you want to memorize the blocks of texts (a short speech) below:

“Many of us want to live a life that is full of great achievements, but we are not ready to pay any price to achieve this. Many of us want to eat our cake and still have it.

What we don’t know is that true success comes with some form of self-discipline. We need to be able to make ourselves do what we should do,whenwe should do it, whether we feel like or not.

Self-discipline is one attribute you can’t do without if you want to live a successful life. If you have ever believed that you can truly live a successful life without some form of self-discipline, now is the time to drop that belief.”

Let’s attempt to memorize the blocks of texts above word for word. To do this:

1. List the keywords in each paragraph. We have already boldened the keywords in the statement above, so we will not bother to list them again. Please note that the keywords highlighted above are just to guide you. You might find it better to use different keywords in your case.

In addition, you should be able to remember other words in the text (i.e., those words that are not keywords) easily after reading them a few times. Your knowledge of the English language should assist you in remembering the words easily.

2. To memorize the first paragraph, we will use a living room. We will use a bedroom to memorize the second paragraph, and we will use a kitchen to memorize the third paragraph. Please note that you can use what work for you, it is not necessary you use the same thing we use. For example, you can use a lab, a car or even your body.

Let’s us now memorize the statement paragraph by paragraph

Paragraph 1 (Using Your Living Room as the Memory Peg)

Imagine that as you want to enter your living room, you saw that an animated form of live a life is boldly engraved on the door. Make sure you vividly see it with your mind’s eyes.

Imagine that as you open the door to enter your living room, you notice that you can’t because the living room is full of great achievers. You can use the top men in your field to represent the achievers. Then imagine that you start negotiating with them, telling them that you are ready to pay any price to enter your living room.

Imagine the achievers telling you that for them to create a space for you to enter, you need to bring a cake as big as the size of your living room for them to eat.

Paragraph 2 (Using Your Bed Room as the Memory Peg)

Imagine that as you open your bedroom instead of finding your wife, two (delicious) sausages come towards you. Make sure you see it. Two is to remind you of true, while sausage is to remind you of success.

Then imagine that you are using self-discipline to try to avoid eating them. Imagine yourself grabbing these sausages and putting on a shelf beside a book titled do what you feel like.

Paragraph 3 (Using Your Kitchen as the Memory Peg)

Imagine a big fat man with no self-discipline and bad attributes uncontrollably eating sausage. Lack of self-discipline makes him eat uncontrollably. Sausage reminds you of successful life.

Imagine putting the fat man in a dishwasher to truly remove the bad beliefs and sausage and replace it with self-discipline.

Imagine that as you remove the fat man from the dishwasher, every bad belief started dropping from your body also. Make sure you see all these actions with your mind’s eyes.

Although it may take some time to create the memory journey when you begin to use this memory technique to memorize a speech, we believe you should spend less time as you practice more.

Also, creating a memory journey will force you to think more about the keywords in your speech, and this will make it even easier to remember this speech.

Go over this text a few more times, make sure you rehearse the memory journey we have created as you go over the text. You should be able to remember the blocks of texts after reading it a few times. Besides, try to revise the blocks of texts from time to time throughout the day to make it stick well.

Furthermore, writing a speech by yourself will also make it easier to memorize.  Although it may be quite challenging to come up with memorable pictures when you first start to use memory journey to memorize texts or speech, it should become really easier after practicing it several times. Remember, you really need to be creative to be able to successfully use the method of loci to memorize blocks of texts or speech.

B. Spaced Repetition

Now, let’s explain how to use repetition for memorization or spaced repetition to memorize a text or speech.

To use this spaced repetition, please follow the steps below.

1. Slowly read the text/speech you are trying to commit to memory. Make sure you pay attention to the meaning and sound of the text/speech as you read it. Make sure you give the texts all your attention. Proper attention helps memory.

2. Repeat step one above at least more than 15 times, pausing for a few seconds after each repetition. As you approach the 15th trial, try to repeat the information from your brain. This should help the information stick better.

3. Take a break (like 15 minutes break or more). You can use this break to rest or sleep.

4. Read the text/speech you are trying to memorize again. Make sure you read it carefully, paying attention to meaning and tone/sound. Read the text at least five more times. Try to read the information from your mind as you repeat the information. This will allow you to know the exact place to focus on.

In all, you should carefully read the text/speech you are memorizing for at least 20 times (at least 15 times in step 2 above and at least five times in step 4 above).

5. Try to recall the information from your head a few more times throughout the day.

Note: If what you are trying to memorize contains many blocks of texts, then we will recommend you break the texts into smaller units so that you can memorize each unit per memorization session.

In addition, you will need to revise your speech or blocks or texts after some time. You can learn more about how to revise like a pro by reading the article found here.

Note: the steps discussed above are culled from our article titled Using Memory Songs (Singing for Memory) And Repetition for Memorization (Spaced Repetition) As Memory Techniques.

Pro-Tip: To make a speech/block of texts super sticky to your brain, use both spaced repetition and method of loci memory techniques to memorize it.

C. Mind Map

A mind map can simply be defined as a diagram used to organize information visually.
In a mind map, the major idea is first represented centrally with a word or picture and all other ideas (sub-ideas) will branch out from this central (major) idea.

We will recommend you read our article about mind map to know how to use this memory tool.
We will assume you already know how to create a simple mind map, if you don’t please read this article.

Note: Mind map is best used when you simply want to memorize the main keywords in blocks of texts or speech, and you are ready to flesh up these keywords on your own. We will recommend you use the spaced repetition or method of loci to memorize your speech or blocks of texts if you are very keen about memorizing it word for word.

To use mind map to memorize a speech or blocks of texts, follow the steps below:

1. Find the ideas or keywords in the text you are trying to memorize.
2. Use these ideas or keywords to form a mind map.
3. Make sure you associate mental images to the ideas used in the mind map. Besides, make sure you mentally visualize the images representing the ideas. This will make the mind map sticky. You can learn more about visualization and association here.
4. Go over your mind map many times and make sure you have it in your head.
5. Revise it mentally a few more times throughout the day.

Conclusion

You should be able to memorize your speech or just any blocks of texts using the methods mentioned in this article. Don’t forget that you need to practice repeatedly before it becomes easier using the method mentioned in this article.

Besides, we recommend you give a mock speech to know whether you have been able to memorize the speech very well.

Please share this article with friends and family if you find it useful.