I am incapable of remembering mobile phone numbers the way everyone else does. I think I’m too governed by the way Sydney phone numbers used to be. In Sydney phone numbers used to be seven digits, by universal agreement expressed as xxx xxxx. So when mobile phone numbers came along, I used the same system – (04x) xxx xxxx. But everyone else in the universe (or at least the people I swap mobile phone numbers with) says (04xx) xxx xxx. Which completely confuses me, and means I am unable to remember theirs, and they can’t remember mine. I’ve tried a few times to tell them my number the “normal” way. But if I do that, I can’t even remember my own.
You would think, as a person who has loved numbers all her life, I could switch my thinking. But it seems to be impossible. Maybe I will have to get a new mobile phone number to do it.
Just push the button on the phone for retaining the number of the incoming caller when someone new rings.
A friend who read one of those improve your memory books told me that 7 (or maybe it was 8) numbers or items to remember are the most the brain is happiest with.