And as we all know, the older we get, the worse our memory seems to become. Can you do anything about it? Of course you can!

If you want to have a more powerful memory you'll find these tips to be absolutely indispensable.

Being able to focus and use your full attention is imperative if you want to give yourself the best chance of remembering something. If possible, make sure your surroundings are as quiet and distraction-free as possible when attempting to memorize something.

Being interested in what you're trying to memorize is definitely an asset. If you don't have any immediate interest in the subject matter, focus on the benefits you will gain by remembering it - you'll pass that exam which will give you the best shot at a good job, your girlfriend or boyfriend will think well of you etc. This will give you the motivation to put your full attention on what you want to memorize.

Use some creativity. Conjure up some vivid mind pictures linked to what it is you need to remember. This is a technique used by all the professionals who entertain us with their prodigious memory feats.

Here's a quick example. Suppose you are trying to memorize a shopping list. You need to buy a new hat and this is item ten on your list. Ten rhymes with hen. Imagine a hen wearing the most outrageous hat you can think of. Make the picture big, bright and bold. If you do this correctly you certainly won't forget to buy that hat!

Practice makes perfect in this as in other things. Set yourself memory challenges. It's vitally important that you exercise your memory on a regular basis if you want to see tangible results.

If you really work that memory regularly, you'll soon find that it's better than you think. Think of your memory as being like a muscle. Any muscle that isn't exercised frequently will atrophy due to lack of use. It's the same with your memory. Use will strengthen it, and you'll soon be dazzling your friends and family with your amazing memorizing ability!

Here's another useful tip. Whenever you're studying something really important that you want or need to remember, play some Mozart in the background. Studies have shown that the brain synchronizes itself to sound frequencies it's subjected to. If you need to concentrate, the frequencies found in the music of Mozart are amongst the best to harmonize the brain to.