Forget About Forgetfulness

We have all been there. There’s something you had to do this morning, but for the love of everything that’s holy you can’t put your finger on it. But you’re sure there was something! However, what usually happens is that you remember what it was when it is way too late.

Scientists enumerate a whole list of causes of forgetfulness: lack of sleep, stress, anxiety, medications, and many more. But that doesn’t have to be about you for you to still forget things. Our biggest challenge is that our brains weren’t designed to remember everything.

According to Paul King from Berkeley Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience, our brain works to optimize its performance. Storing information requires a lot of resources, so our mind just has to get rid of some. “If we did remember everything, we would likely drown in a sea of detail and be less effective. Success comes from seeing the forest for the trees, not from memorizing all the trees,” he says.

So forgetting is natural. But how can you help yourself to organize your thoughts? We have compiled a list for you.

Never say “I’ll remember that” without writing it down somewhere

Everybody does this. Someone says “Please call Jane later today”, and you go “Sure, I’ll remember that.” And then you don’t, because you get sidetracked by something like an e-mail or a phone call. Simply jot it down. That’s how you not only make sure you have somewhere to look for that information later; your subconscious mind will note it as something of importance and will let you easily come back to it later. Use a simple notebook. However, if your lifestyle is far beyond sitting at the desk, try using your voice to make notes. There are solutions to take notes even while you’re driving or jogging.

Make lists

Getting things off your mind is a great strategy. That way you free space in your memory for other important thoughts and plans, and don’t have to worry about overloading your head. Paula Rizzo, the author of “Listful Thinking: Using Lists to Be More Productive, Highly Successful, and Less Stressed” says that such famous and successful people as Madonna, John Lennon, Ellen DeGeneres, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison and many others are (or were) listmakers.

Organize

Usually, most memory troubles occur due to lack of organization. Take some time to make a calendar, filing system, or anything else that can help you sort your thoughts out. And don’t be afraid to be creative! Use colors, stickers, doodles or anything else that draws your attention.

Put everything in a schedule

How many things you put in your schedule depends on how much free time you have, how intense is your workday is, or how many things come up unexpectedly. However, if you do have a problem with remembering meetings or assignments for every class you attend this semester, put them on your agenda. You can also assign time for different tasks and events. That way you won’t miss any, will know how many of them you have, and will know exactly how much time it takes to complete them all.

Delegate

If you cannot afford a personal assistant, you surely can get yourself a piece of technology. And it’s awesome. It’s getting smarter every day. And in comparison to humans, who are prone to errors, it will surely wake you up or remind you about things. Make sure your device beeps when something important is coming up.

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