For temporary purposes, such as lists, errands, or things you wish to recall once and then discard, do not review but once.
The difference between temporary and permanent information is in the amount of review. Every repetition of your visual association deepens the impression.
Start your new lists always with a new series of code words even though you have not used all of the previous list. Begin always with Tie, Dot, Net, Meat, Heart, or Lady, etc.
To forget, refuse to allow that with which you have finished to re-enter your mind. Do not recall the old pictures, even for an experiment, let them fade away after they have served their purpose.
Value of Forgetting
The reason that you find it impossible to forget certain incidents and circumstances of life is that you have allowed your mind to go over and over these incidents and thus to make the impression upon the brain so deep that it has become a lasting one. Each review deepens the impressions and makes them more and more indelible. For filing information permanently in the mind this is the proper process. For all temporary purposes, simply make the visual impression: review it to see that it is properly filed, recall it when you wish to use it and then refuse to review or again to see the picture.
To forget means to get-for. You must get some other thought or picture into your mind in place of it. Do not waste time trying to force thoughts or pictures from your mind. Get some other picture or thought in its place as quickly as possible.
Alphabetical Hitching Posts
The list of code words given here is not the only thing which can be used for this idea. The only essential is a series of easily pictured objects which can be recalled quickly, with little effort, and in accurate sequence. There is however an additional reason why these particular words of the Child's Code List are better adapted to this purpose than any others. This reason you will fully understand later in this book.