Things that surprise us are easier to remember. I was in high school at a Sadie Hawkins dance. Afterward, I took my date for a drive in my Mom’s car. When we stopped, we were leaning against the car. We both commented about how quiet the desert was that night. All of a sudden, above our heads we heard this incredibly loud screech. Thinking back, I’m sure it was an owl, but at the time, my teenage sized brain told me it was a ghost and we were very close dying. I was so scared in fact we were both terrified. I could barely put the key into the ignition.
Here’s my takeaway. It was so unexpected and surprising that every detail of that night is etched into my memory. Surprises tend to do that. Your senses are heightened and the “hard drive” in your brain remembers just about everything in the moment. In the book, Made to Stick, Chip Heath and Dan Heath tell us that unexpectednesssticks. To put it another way, surprises are sticky. You remember them. The word for “surprise” is found 46 times in the Bible. Each time was memorable.
So, as you go through your regular routine, consider asking yourself a couple of questions. Ask, “What did I learn that surprised me?” or “What did I learn that I didn’t expect?” “Find the surprise.” You’ll find it easier to remember.