The 12 Steps That Transformed My Memory (and Helped Me Win Four Championships)

SMASHIN SCOPE memory principles to help you remember a whole lot better.

I want to take you back to when I first started out with memory training. I discovered things like the Memory Palace and linking method, and I thought — wow, this stuff is incredible. You start practising these techniques and you do get better. You start remembering things you couldn’t before.

For me, I thought, this is it — I’ll take on memory competitions.

Now, I did well. I could use the location method, I could memorise packs of cards, long strings of numbers. But the competitions were brutal. If you made just one mistake, you were penalised. That meant you had to memorise everything perfectly.

And that’s where I struggled. I was memorising a lot, but I’d miss one digit, or flip two correct cards, but in the wrong order. And that was enough to keep me stuck. For six years I tried and failed to win a championship. Always close, always second. It was frustrating.

Then I came across a set of principles called SmashIN Scope — twelve steps that completely changed the way I memorised. I used them in training, and the next time I competed, I won. Not just once, but four years in a row.

So what I want to do here is take you through these twelve steps — the same principles that helped me go from “nearly there” to winning — and show you how you can apply them in your own life.

Because if you’ve only been using memory techniques on their own — Memory Palaces, linking, associations — they’ll help. But combine them with these principles, and you’ll take your memory to another level.

1. Senses

When you think about memory, one of the first things to understand is this: the more senses you use, the more powerful your memory becomes.

Take a pen, for example. If you just see it in your mind, that’s one layer. But what if you imagine holding it — feeling the texture, the weight? What if you hear the scratch on paper, smell the ink, even taste it.

Now you’ve turned a flat image into a full experience. That experience is harder to forget.

Why it works: Our brain is wired to hold onto sensory experiences. That’s why we can sometimes remember the smell of rain or the sound of a song that takes us back years.

How to use it: Next time you want to remember something, don’t just picture it. Add layers. What does it feel like? What sound would it make? What colour is it? The more senses you involve, the stickier it becomes.

2. Movement

Static images are boring. Your brain skips over them.

Now, take that same pen sitting on the desk. If it suddenly jumps up, spins around, and starts raining down on your head — that’s memorable.

Movement turns an image into a scene. It creates action. It forces your brain to pay attention.

Why it works: We notice movement — it could mean danger, or food, or opportunity. That same wiring makes moving images more engaging to our memory.

How to use it: When creating images in your mind, add action. Don’t just imagine a chair — imagine the chair tipping over, collapsing, throwing you onto the ground. That little bit of movement will make it easier to recall.

3. Association

Memory is all about connection.

Think about it: you can memorise random information, but unless it’s connected to something, it won’t stick.

If I smash a pen through a whiteboard, I’ve connected the two. If I write on the board, that’s another connection. The stronger and more unusual the connection, the more memorable it becomes.

Why it works: The brain doesn’t store information in isolation. Everything is stored in networks. When you connect one thing to another, you create a path for recall.

How to use it: Link new information to something you already know. The stranger, funnier, or more extreme the connection, the better.

4. Self

This one’s huge. If you want to make something unforgettable, put yourself in the picture.

Don’t just imagine a door. Imagine yourself smashing into it. Feel the thud, the pain in your head, the embarrassment as everyone laughs.

By making yourself part of the story, you add emotion and sensation. And emotion is the glue of memory.

How to use it: When memorising, ask: how do I fit into this image? Am I holding it, wearing it, tripping over it? The more personal it is, the more it sticks.

5. Humour

Humour makes things stand out. If it makes you laugh, you’ll remember it.

The key here is not about being funny for other people. It’s about being funny for yourself. Your humour is enough.

Example: If I want to remember “milk,” I could just imagine a carton. Or I could imagine a cow breakdancing while pouring milk all over itself. Which one will I recall more easily?

How to use it: When you’re memorising something dull, make it silly. Visualise it until it makes you laugh. The funnier it is, the stickier it gets.

6. Imagination

Your imagination is unlimited. Use it.

A chicken? Forgettable.

A 10-foot chicken drooling, raging, and chasing you down the street? Unforgettable.

Imagination lets you turn ordinary details into extraordinary scenes. The stranger and more creative, the more it will stick.

Why it works: Our brains are drawn to novelty. When something doesn’t fit the pattern, it grabs attention.

How to use it: Next time you’re memorising something, ask yourself: how can I make this impossible? How can I twist it into something that could never exist in reality?

7. Number

Numbers are tricky because they’re abstract. But that also makes them powerful.

I once trained a group on TV to memorise a shopping list. Everyone could recall “three tomatoes” first. Why? Because it was the only item with a number attached.

Numbers stand out. They create difference. And if you attach meaning — 23 for Michael Jordan, 17 for your birthday — they become even stronger.

How to use it: When you see a number, link it to something meaningful. Use it as a marker, a symbol, or a hook.

8. Symbols

Symbols are shortcuts for meaning.

Think about driving. Road signs don’t give you paragraphs of instructions. They give you symbols. Why? Because symbols communicate instantly.

If you’re giving a talk on peace, picture a dove. That one image can trigger an entire concept.

How to use it: Look for simple, strong symbols to represent complex ideas. Use them as anchors in your memory.

9. Colour

Colour adds contrast.

A normal tomato? Easy to forget. A black tomato, or a glowing neon one? Hard to miss.

You don’t always need to distort colour. Sometimes making it brighter, shinier, exaggerated works just as well.

How to use it: When memorising, play with colour. Change it to something unusual. Turn the volume up on it. Make it vivid.

10. Order

Order gives memory structure.

Think of a story: it has a beginning, middle, and end. That sequence makes it easy to follow. Memory works the same way.

When you place information in order, your brain has a path to walk down. That’s why the Memory Palace works so well.

How to use it: Create a simple sequence for the things you want to recall. Put them in a logical order, or place them along a journey. The order itself will help you remember.

11. Positive Images

Emotion drives memory. Both positive and negative work, but leaning on the positive is more sustainable.

Take this pen. If I imagine it exploding in my hand and my arm falling off — I’ll remember it. But if I imagine using the pen to help thousands of people improve their memory, that’s positive, meaningful, and memorable.

How to use it: When you create your images, try connecting them to something uplifting. Something that makes you feel good. Those memories not only stick — they inspire.

12. Exaggeration

Finally — exaggerate everything.

Make it bigger, smaller, heavier, lighter, more ridiculous than it is.

If I tell you about a tomato, you might forget. But if I tell you about a tomato the size of a house, polished bright red, rolling down the street crushing cars — you won’t forget that in a hurry.

How to use it: Whenever an image feels bland, exaggerate it. Blow it out of proportion until it’s impossible to miss.

Putting It All Together

So, that’s SmashIN Scope — twelve steps that took me from six years of frustration to four-time memory champion.

The key here isn’t to use all twelve at once. Start with one or two. Play with them. Notice how your recall improves. Then layer in more.

The more you practise, the more natural it becomes. Before long, you won’t just be using techniques like the Memory Palace. You’ll be living them.

Your Next Step

If you want to take your memory further, for study, for business, for speeches, or just everyday life, these principles will help.

But if you’d like to go deeper, to train your memory like a champion, that’s where coaching comes in.

👉 Explore memory coaching with me by clicking here.