How to Avoid Needing to Remember You Forgot Something by Marc LeVine

“Keep a small spiral notebook, a pen, and a little flashlight on your bedside table, and jot down things as they come to you.” - Cheryl Barker

It’s OK to be forgetful at times.?Life is complicated. ?There are so many things going on in our lives at - any given moment - that it is difficult to keep track of all the demands placed on us.?Smaller things often slip through the cracks while we are dealing with more pressing ones.?It is very common to find yourself at home without the container of milk you went to the store to buy.?But, you DID negotiate a lower price for the used car you bought before heading off to the supermarket.?It was still a very good day for you. Drinking an evening cup of coffee – black - didn’t do much to diminish your greater success. ?So, don’t sweat it.?Cows are still producing milk, stores are selling it and you will still be drinking coffee tomorrow!?Your car payments? You want them as low as possible for as long as possible!

Forgetting a few minor things when so much is going on around you is not necessarily an early sign of Alzheimer’s, either.?It is more likely that you are on information overload and stressed out by feeling overwhelmed. ?Your mind is likely trying to make sense of everything by creating an internalized hierarchy of importance; pulling up the most critical things you need to deal with immediately. At the same time your brain is likely pushing down some minor “to-dos” that may not be as pressing.?It’s helping you lay out your priorities.

Organizing details is the best way to avoid forgetting things.?Need to remember something??Write it down.?It is that simple.?Why not always carry a pocket notebook and a pen with you? Note what needs to get done, by whom and by when. Check items off your list as you complete them.?Revisit your notes throughout the day and especially each morning, so you can better plan and adjust your daily activities. ?You’ll accomplish more for sure. If you wish, go ahead and keep notes on your cell phone, or audibly record your to do list on the device of your choice. ?Try doing this routinely to reduce your dependence on memory, which is not always reliable due to all the things we ask our brains to recall throughout day and night.

How do you reduce the amount of brain drain during each day?

1.??????Start a New Habit.?Start noting everything you need to get done each day.?Record your daily “to do” list on paper or on an electronic device of choice. Throughout the day, check in on what still needs doing and add be sure to keep adding to your list anything new that has come up as you move along. Check off what is completed and note anything you need to keep track of afterwards, such as general impressions, log in passcodes, follow-up reminders and the like.?It is very important to stick with your plan to make it a routine habit.?The more you do this, the more it will become normal practice.

2.??????Re-assess, Re-order and Remove. ?Life throws us curveballs and we don’t always get done everything we set out to do exactly on time. Some things also resolve themselves. Before you move any incomplete item forward on your to do list, be sure that it is still relevant and necessary. Conditions change and make some to do items pointless and a waste of good time. ?Keep everything you think you need to get done in proper perspective and address each according to ever-changing priorities.

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3.??????Analyze and reflect. ?Take sometime in the evening to reflect on your day.?Relive your notes.?What did you learn from completing each activity that can benefit you in the future??Or, perhaps, think about what additionally may be needed to ensure success. We are constantly evolving and learn from our mistakes AND SUCCESSES.?Give more thought to BOTH wins and losses and understand how good or bad planning may have led to one or the other.

4.??????Archive. ?Don’t toss out filled notebooks or delete e-notes.?Save them and refer to them often. There is critical and helpful information that you may need to refer to in the future to remind you how you succeeded in the past. ?Or you may find your old notes can be helpful in avoiding repeated mistakes in the future. ?You can purchase and add sticky tags to catalog your printed notes by topic to make what you are looking for much easier to find. ?And you can set them up as searchable computer files, as well.

5.??????Share.?Whenever our wisdom can aid someone else’s learning curve it is a very good day. ?Your notes may be valuable to helping others complete tasks you have already done in half the time. ?There are also many teachable moments embedded in what you have recorded. ?Why not use what you have learned and kept records of two mentor others.

The true history of the world is only known through what has been written and corroborated by those experiencing events first hand.?Everything else is mere speculation.?Your notes tell a story – perhaps not of historical importance – but certainly of practicality and progress in your areas of endeavor.

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The Author

Listen to Marc's latest interview on “Failing for You” with Jordan Yates

Marc LeVine is a graduate of Syracuse (NY) University with a degree in Industrial Psychology, Marc is currently Talent Acquisitions and Learning and Development Lead at Thermo Systems. He is the recipient of the Excellence in Talent Acquisitions Award from HR Awards in 2021.

His prior employment includes senior Human Resources and Staffing Industry management roles with Edgewood Properties in Piscataway, NJ, Brickforce Staffing in Edison, NJ, InfoPro Inc. in Woodbridge NJ and Plainsboro, NJ and Harvard Industries in Farmingdale, NJ, a former Fortune 500 company. He also served as Director of Human Resources for New Jersey Press, the parent company of the Asbury Park Press, Home News and Tribune and WKXW-NJ101.5. Earlier in his career, Marc served as Director of Career Services and Placement at Union Technical Institute in Eatontown and Neptune, NJ. In addition, Marc owned and operated Integrity Consulting Associates, a New Jersey based Human Resources and Social Media Marketing firm for 11 years. Marc also served as Council President in his hometown of Freehold Borough, NJ