Memory fades a little with age, but did you ever wonder why you've misplaced the keys, struggled to recall a name, or even remembered an event completely differently from someone else. The Seven Sins of Memory explains how our memory fails us. Many commercial memory improvement products rely on an overly elaborate system of imagery cues that are impossible to use in everyday life. Some herbs, hormones, and genes can influence memory, though only slightly. If you often forget things at some point during your day, the problem is likely the cues you use.
Good cues are distinctive and informative.
Most of us have had the feeling that the word or name we are searching for is on the tip of our tongue. Often, you are able to remember some letters of the word. Use them as a starting point. You can also try to recall similar situations in which you saw the person or used the word to help trigger memory. Finally, be proactive and link images to the word or name before you are likely to need them.