FAQ

1. How do I know the technology will work for me?
Belief plays a part in whether or not the prescribed PALIROY learning system will be effective. If you don't give a system a chance to work on you by you taking action, then there is no way that you will see improved results. Believe that this works. I have had thousands of clients and have never experienced any for whom my methods did not work. So believe that this works, take the necessary action and reap the success that you are looking for. Many people believe that they are an exception and think that although this system works, it will not work for them. This is simply not the case. What is at work here, more likely than not is a case of embedded commands that people believe to be true statements about themselves. Such as, "I've never been any good at learning", or an excellent one that I heard a writer friend of mine say "I can't write". Follow this learning system and you will see improved results.

2. How do I know that this is better than other methods?
Attempt to make a go of it and see the results for yourself. As the saying goes Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible... and this is not impossible. Apply what you have learned in this book to material that you have to cover and it will come. I encourage you to suspend any disbelief for as little as a week until you start to see measurable results. There are many systems out there that talk about accelerated learning. I am not saying that they do not have their place. What we have dealt with in this book is specific - if you are trying to acquire a body of knowledge of retain pieces of information for either short- or long-term, then the PALIROY methodology prescribed by me will help you. I have been there and I have done it. I have passed finance exams with no prior knowledge, within the space of one week. I have competed on a world level of memory experts. The systems in this book are the ones used by both myself and all other memory experts.

3. Does fear come into it?
Failure is not something that we naturally gravitate towards. Often we make it mean things about ourselves like we are not good at something. I encourage you to fail. And to fail many times. That does not mean make the same mistake repeatedly, but failing is a sign of being in action and attempting to progress. Of all the different types of people I teach, I usually find that children are far more willing to attempt something irrespective of the possibility of failure. As people grow up, there is often the conditioning to think that failing is a bad thing. It is an unusual situation I find when I come across a group of adults that freely attempt to play around with their imagination without any sense of self-consciousness. So, whether you are working in a group or working your way through this book on your own (you can still feel self-conscious around yourself), give it a go - it doesn't matter how ridiculous your stories are or what your imagination comes up with. It is yours to play with, so make the most of it!

4. What is the green grass syndrome - other newer techniques?
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race”

Calvin Coolidge said that. It has a lot to answer for. Keep going and see the results that you get over a period of time. Our culture (and I don't think that this is simply an aspect of the culture today) has us striving for instant gratification - high speed technology, mobile phones, instant communication, ordering anything you can care to imagine to be delivered via the internet. And why not, if you can? Yet some things in life take time to accumulate (or depreciate). Gaining muscle mass, reducing belly fat, increasing bank balance. All of these things take time to evolve. But not that long. So it is with these techniques. You will not be a memory wizard overnight. You already have access to the tools. Now you just need to diligently apply them on a daily basis in areas of your mental life that need attention.
Persist with the PALIROY system. Give it a week and really do give time and attention to it. Not much. Just consistently. Give it maybe 10 or 20 minutes per day. Be resolute to improve your mental capacity and commit to taking this new skill on board. You will see the results take effect in all areas of your life.

5. is it going to be faster than other methods?
Your ability to take on board new information will increase in both capacity and speed. Also the length of time by which you are able to retain your learnings will go through the roof. It may seem as though the technique takes longer than if you simply learn something by rote. This may well be the case initially. And I really do mean initially - in time you will notice the difference between information that you have learned using this memory technique and information that you learned otherwise. Where you are learning a large body of knowledge, for example passing a set of law exams to become a lawyer, then the first step as previously detailed is to build a foundation or mental filing cabinet in which to store knowledge. This may seem a gratuitous waste of effort to someone coming to memory principles for the first time yet you will reap the dividends.

6. I don't have a good imagination? Will it still work for me?
Now you have been shown how to have a good imagination whether or not you already "thought" you had one. Everyone does. However, it is one of the most common barriers that I initially face when coaching people. It is exactly the same as believing that you have never been any good at learning. How can this be so? Never? Really? Well how come you have managed to learn to speak and read? The fact that you are reading these words at all is surely proof enough that you are more than capable of learning and creating. So, throughout the book, you have worked through various exercises and the exercise that was used to expand your imagination was the "A" part of the PALIROY system. It followed the mnemonic MENS CHOPS that served as a mental check list for ways in which you can play around with an image to make it instantly more fun and therefore memorable. Like any other skill, developing your mind so that you have a good imagination is something that can be learned. You can train yourself to do it and i have shown you how. It is up to you to decide to follow through and implement the tools.

7. what is the learning curve like?
Tools make processes more effective. However, in the early stages of using a new tool, the process seems less effective as you are having to consciously think about doing it. Just think about learning to read. Initially, the process was slow and difficult, yet now you can read a book without much struggle and in fact enjoy the process. It has become something that you can do unconsciously. Learning to use news tools follows the conscious competence model (AKA - The 4 stages of learning theory):



Like with any other tools, there is a learning curve to using memory techniques too. You will be slower using these tools, compared to your old way of learning for about 2 weeks at the most, provided you are in action for around 20 minutes per day, trying to learn information that is relevant and urgent.
The area that most people struggle with is the process of codifying information into memorable imagery. This is simply a matter of exercising your imagination until your free association occurs naturally and without any hesitation. After this initial 2 week period, you will find a significant shift in your ability to create strong visualisations very quickly.

8. do I have to have definite goals?
Learning is a process that happens in many ways; by immersion, by socialisation and conversation, by practice, testing and regular study. This is widely accepted. What we are concerned with here is the rapid processing of information, whether it be in a social environment or in regular study. If you are undertaking a course of learning that has a component that is information based, then these techniques will prove useful. To propel you through an academic text, it is crucial to have clear distinct learning goals set up. It isn't ultimately essential to have your entire life mapped out ahead of you (although some people prefer to operate this way). Rather, what are you up to right now that is exciting and what is compelling to you over the course of the next 3 months, 6 months or a year? From here, you can work your way back to figure out what your goals are for the course of the next month, week and even day. Without specific learning goals, it is harder to commit to structured learning.

9. what is the best approach to this technique?
Work through the exercises as quickly as you possibly can. the more mistakes you make, the more results your produce. This means you are getting feedback about what you are doing that really works and what you are doing needs to be looked at differently. Do not get caught in the place of analysis paralysis. This doesn't just apply to trying out a new memory tool, but across all areas of your life. Take action, get feedback, then you can refine your approach to a situation. The key is working quickly and producing results. This way, the new learning process becomes unconscious as fast as possible.

10. can you get imagination burnout?
Imagination is a beautiful thing. Your mind is a wild beast that you can choose to point in any direction you want. It is limitless. If you find that your imagination dries up, then simply take a break. In any case, you should be breaking from work every 30-40 minutes or so, in order to take advantage of the primacy/recency effect. Optimise the number of breaks that you have so that you have lots of beginnings and lots of ends.

11. Does it require discipline?
You are going to the trouble of learning these tools. Put them into practice immediately. One of the most important aspects of the learning process is converting short-term memory into long-term memory. To do this, follow the 5-stage-review process. Otherwise any effort that you put into learning is a waste of time and serves no better purpose than mental masturbation. Obviously, it helps significantly if what you are learning is immediately relevant to something you are about to go and do. However, with large exams, this is not always the case. So following a disciplined approach to following through on all 5 stages of review will ultimately streamline the process of learning. I cannot stress the IMPORTANCE OF THIS PARTICULAR MESSAGE ENOUGH!!! COMMIT to going through the 5 stage review process for every piece of learning that you undertake and it will transform the way you learn, forever. Lying to yourself is very easy to do. I have noticed it as being quite prevalent amongst clients of mine that tend to exude confidence. In the learning process, it manifests itself through not carrying out an active review, or simply not reviewing at all - under the illusion that you can simply remember everything. If this sounds like you, then I encourage you to take heed and pay particular attention to the review process. Be straight with yourself. When you have said you will engage in a process of review, go through that process! Also make sure that you really test yourself. Be strict with yourself and you will reap the rewards of having a finely tuned memory - being able to remember information for the long-term.