[originaltext] If you want to improve your memory, be confident. That may so

If you want to improve your memory, be confident. That may sound a bit ridiculous, but that is what happened when you learn to ride a bicycle or drive a car, isn’t it? At first, you did it awkwardly, but the more you practiced, the surer you were. The activity had changed from a set of awkward rules to nerve- ending responses — You had it on your finger tips.
    A while back I had each student in class learn the first and last names of everyone else, all in one fifty minute period. I had never done this before myself. And I was expected to perform when everyone else had finished. There I was encouraging everyone while I was getting sweaty hands and developing considerable anxiety.
    What if the teacher failed? It was hard but I did manage with one or two mistakes. But after that session, it got easier and easier. Now I am absolutely sure I can do it with 120 students each semester. That is 240 bits of information. Not only that, but I am not at all worried, no sweaty palms. The less anxious I am, the better I perform. That is the point. Success makes you more confident and confidence makes it easier to succeed. So try it till you succeed. Then try a few more times just to convince yourself.