ML66: Nelson Dellis on Mastering Your Memory, The Art of Mountain Climbing and How To Train Your Mind

Nelson Dellis is a 4x US Memory Champion and one of the leading memory experts in the world. He’s also the Founder of Climb For Memory, a non-profit charity that aims to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's research through mountain climbs around the world.

Memory is a critical part of learning anything but we’re never taught how to use it properly. In fact, many people simply assume they have a bad memory when the truth is that all of us have the capacity to remember astounding amounts of information.

Nelson is a perfect example of someone who started out with an average memory like the rest of us and trained himself into one of the world’s leading memory athletes through consistent deliberate practice.

In this conversation we discuss a range of topics including:

- The techniques Nelson and all competitive memory athletes to memorise everything from names and faces, to decks of cards
- The importance of regular mental training for mental health
- The life lessons Nelson has learned from mountain climbing

You’ll also learn what it’s like to climb Everest and Kilimanjaro, compete at the World Memory Championships and memorise 200 names in 15 minutes. So whether you’re a beginner just looking to remember more names at work, or want to memorise huge quantities of information, this episode will give the principles and techniques needed to succeed.

Podcasts

🎙 ML33: How to Understand Your Brain

🎙 ML25: Ed Cooke on Using Memory Techniques, the Future of EdTech and The Limits of the Mind

🎙 ML3: Anthony Metivier on Using Memory Palaces, Learning Languages and How To Remember Anything

Selected Resources

📖 I Forgot Something (But I Can't Remember What It Was) - Nelson Dellis

▶️ TEDx - Dinosaurs Reading Books: The Power of Memory - Nelson Dellis

🖥 NelsonDellis.com - Nelson's Personal Website

Credits

This episode was edited by George Drake Jr.