In the past, I’ve written about the high-profile mistakes that politicians like Rick Perry and Sarah Palin have made in key moments when they’ve been unable to remember important statistics, or even basic pieces of their own arguments. As the new debate season is underway, we can expect that more of these gaffes will fill the news.

I mention this not to embarrass the candidates, but to point out that a lapse in memory can cost you a lot of credibility if it happens at the wrong moment. When you’re making a public presentation, it’s absolutely critical that you be able to recall the key points you need. So why haven’t any of these politicians called me, or another memory expert, to get the help they need?

The easy answer, of course, is that they don’t read blogs like mine. Looking at things from a deeper angle, however, the issue is probably a lot more complicated. Most people don’t bother working on their memory because they either don’t know that there are options to help them, or simply feel that it’s something they just don’t need.

The second point is an important one. We can all use a better memory, but the highest achievers in any field tend to be confident in their own abilities. And why shouldn’t they be, when they have already reached the amount of success that they have using their natural mental talents?

That type of thinking is understandable, but it also holds you back from bigger things. The fact of the matter is that memory training isn’t just incredibly useful, but also remarkably easy to get and use. In my seminars, I regularly show attendees (in a fun and entertaining way) how to accomplish memory feats that they would have sworn were impossible for them only a few minutes before!

The moral of this story? It’s never a bad time to check out memory training, especially if you are growing in your industry or spending time in the public eye. Remember that, and if you run across any presidential or vice-presidential candidates, be sure to refer them my way.