How to Remember Your PIN at the Checkout

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Find numbers that are meaningful to you.

   If you have the option of creating your PIN, this is perhaps the easiest and most common means of recalling it.
   
   Find a set of numbers that have some kind of significance to you and will, therefore, be easy to remember.
   
   These numbers can be important dates, the numbers of your favorite athletes, an old phone number, etc...
   
   Be sure to avoid using numbers that will be easy for a criminal to obtain, like your birthday or the last four digits of your phone number.
   
   Make it a number that you’ll remember but that is obscure enough to not be evident to a criminal.
   
   If you are 18 and your favorite grandparent is 90, you might use
   1890.
2. 2

   Step 2: Use bizarre imagery.

   This technique uses strange or funny visuals that will help you remember your PIN.
   
   Try to find an association between certain numbers in your PIN.
   
   These can be associations with individual numbers or groups of them.
   
   Try to create an association that will be particularly absurd or strange and, therefore, easier to recall.For example, if you want to remember 0285, think of a two-year-old whose best friend is
   85. , Use the first letter of each number in your PIN to create a mnemonic device for recalling your PIN.
   
   Mnemonics are excellent devices for remembering various kinds of information.
   
   Simply take the first letter, find a word that starts with that letter, and create a mnemonic that will stick with you.
   
   For example, 2275 is “two, two, seven, five.” Take the first letter of each number, which is TTSF, and create a sentence, like Two Toads Smell Funky.
   
   You can also use the first syllable of each number to create your mnemonic.
   
   This may help you create a stronger mental association. , This method is similar to the bizarre imagery but can be more detailed.
   
   You should think of a backstory for your number that either explains it entirely or parts of it.
   
   Is your number the secret code name of a secret agent or the birthdates of two star-crossed lovers? Develop a rich background for your number.
   
   For example, if your PIN is 2333, think of Michael Jordan playing one-on-one against his teammate Scotty Pippen.
   
   Their numbers were 23 and 33 when they played together on the Chicago Bulls. , Associating your PIN with important people in your life is an easy way to ensure that you remember your number.
   
   Find numbers that are connected to the people that you care about.For example, your grandmother was born in 1922 and your mother in 1975, so your number will be
   2275. , Practice the movements you make while entering your PIN to sharpen your muscle memory.
   
   Through repetition, your brain will remember the movements you make when you enter the number.
   
   With enough practice, you should be able to enter your number without even thinking of it.
   
   Your body will guide you to the right numbers.
   
   Because it is unlikely that you will want to spend hours practicing your movements are your local ATM, this method may be the least practical.
3. 3

   Step 3: Make a mnemonic.

4. 4

   Step 4: Create a story.

5. 5

   Step 5: Connect numbers to people you know.

6. 6

   Step 6: Practice repetition and mapping.

Detailed Guide

About the Author