A good memory means success... seven ways to sharpen memory.

* Julius Caesar's memory was so superior and disciplined that he could dictate four letters to his secretaries simultaneously, reported Pliny the Elder, a Roman writer and scholar. On days when his schedule was especially hectic, Julius Caesar stepped up the pace to seven secretaries.

* Winston Churchill could recall, from memory, so much Shakespeare that he would mouth the bard's words from the audience during performances distracting the actors on stage.

* Blind John Milton composed "Paradise Lost" in his mind 40 majestic lines at a time and then recited them to a scribe.

* Arturo Toscanini, conductor of the NBC Symphony for 17 years, knew every note of more than 400 scores, from Bach to Wagner. At 87, he momentarily forgot a passage from Tannhauser in mid-performance. After he left the stage that night, he never returned.

* Bill Gates, founder and chairman of Microsoft, amazes colleagues by his ability to remember hundreds of lines of source code for his original Basic programming language.

If you're concerned about yourself because yesterday you couldn't find the keys or forgot an appointment, consider this encouraging news. Memory experts are quick to point out that anyone, at any age, can improve memory. In fact, Harry Lorayne, a world authority on memory training, says, "The older you get, the better your memory can be. The more experience and knowledge you have, the more you have to which you can connect new pieces of information." According to Lorayne and other memory specialists, the key for better mind retention lies in following some simple memory strategies. Here are seven ways to sharpen memory at any age:

No. 1 - Motivate yourself by knowing the benefits of a good memory. A strong, retentive memory is a powerful tool for experiencing greater professional success and increased personal fulfillment in life. In his book, "Remembering People: The Key to Success," Harry Lorayne notes that history is filled with people whose success increased because they trained their memories to remember hundreds of names, faces and other important information about people. Some people known and respected for their prodigious memories include George Washington (reportedly able to call every soldier in his Army by name), James Farley, Franklin D. Roosevelt, General Charles de Gaulle, General George Marshall.