7 Simple Ways To Avoid Forgetting Things

Everyone forgets things once in a while, but forgetting things often can become a major hardship in your life, especially if you forget things like important projects or meetings at work. You will probably always forget something occasionally, but there are some things you can do to minimize your forgetfulness.

Do It Now

It seems simple, but one of the best ways to avoid forgetting something is to do it as soon as you know that it needs to be done instead of waiting and doing it later. This works because you cannot forget to do something if you do it right away. Sometimes it’s inconvenient to stop what you are doing, but getting small things done now means that you’ll have more time to do other things later, and you won’t forget what you were supposed to be doing. This tip obviously doesn’t work for everything you do, as you have little control over the timing of things like business meetings and doctor appointments.

Write It Down

Writing something down helps to ingrain it into your brain. It also gives you a tangible reminder to refer to later. It’s best to write down everything, even the small tasks that you are sure you will remember. People tend to write down the most important things they have to do and assume they will remember the small things. This technique doesn’t work because you are much more likely to remember to do something that is big and important that something that is smaller or more insignificant. Writing everything down also gives you more things to cross off your list, which leads to a greater sense of accomplishment.

Set an Alarm or Reminder

Many people use the alarm clock on their cell phone to help them wake up on time, but they rarely use the alarm for other purposes, such as reminding themselves when they have a meeting or appointment. For example, as salesperson who told a customer that they would return their call by the end of the day can set their cell phone alarm for 5 p.m. as a reminder. Your cell phone may not allow you to write a message that will be displayed when the alarm sounds, but it probably has a calendar where the name and phone number of the client can be recorded, along with the nature of the call.

Reminder Tools

Use your cell phone calendar for tasks as well as appointments. Some calendars even allow you to set a certain reminder for the same time every week or month. This forces you to set a date and time for every task you put into the calendar, even if it doesn’t really have to be done at a certain time. Giving yourself a deadline is a good way to motivate yourself to get things done quickly. You can also use several websites to send yourself reminders through email. These reminders are great for tasks that happen at the same time each week or month. These reminders are great for periodic tasks that you may forget, such as sending an invoice to a client or setting your trash can out by the curb.

Ask Someone To Remind You

Sometimes delegation is the best way to remember, especially if you are trying to remember something that involves someone else. It’s easy to ask your sister to remind you while you are setting up a lunch date for next Tuesday. This only works if your sister remembers, so only ask people to remind you if you are sure that they will not forget. Most kids have great memories, so asking your kids to remind you of something usually means that they won’t forget. They will probably remind you too often, especially if what you are trying to remember involves them.

Create a Habit

It’s easier to remember things if you do them in the same order every time. For example, you may put on your shoes, gather your cell phone and keys, and grab your purse before heading out the door. If your brain is used to doing these things in the same order every time it will feel odd if you forget one of the steps or complete them in a different order. The odd feeling gives you a chance to stop and think about what you are doing, cutting down the risk of forgetting one of the items.

Automate It

There are some things in your life, such as bills, that you can set on autopay and not have to worry about individual due dates. Most banks allow you to enter the information once to have your monthly bills automatically drafted from your account before they are due. There are also shopping websites that will automatically send you a specified supply of an item every month, three months or six months so that you never run out. Autopay can make your life easier, but you do have to keep your bank account balance high enough that your automatic payments don’t cause you to overdraft. You should also check your statements as they come in the mail to make sure that you are paying the full amount and there are no billing issues that have come up during the month.

About the Author

OnlineClock.net is one of the leaders when it comes to online reminder tools. Try any of their free online alarm clocks, countdowns, stopwatches or timers to help you remembering important times, dates and events. All of their tools are web-based, simply designed and free, so try them today!