Tricks To Remember Something Before You Forget It

You are only as good as your list. So if your list is missing a few items, you’re in trouble!

Lists are there to jog your memory, so how can you remember something if you didn’t write it down? Sometimes we can be talking to friends and then we have an “Aha” moment, and we remember a task we’ve forgotten. Often it’s completely unrelated to the topic being discussed.

Below are some tips to help you have more “aha” moments!

Put Up Post-It Notes – Is there a task you’re supposed to do regularly, but still manage to forget? Stick a Post-It note in places you often see but won’t ignore.  Make it a place that is kind of in your way so you don’t just overlook it.  Sure the bathroom mirror is a fine place but you might just use the other side of the mirror.  Instead put it on a door handle or  in the cutlery draw so you have to physically move it to use that item. Plus the bonus is the more you remind yourself the harder it is to avoid that task.

Set Phone Reminders – If you make an appointment that’s quite far in the future, most people will set a reminder in their phone. But you can also set a reminder to go off every week before that. It’s good to remember what you upcoming plans are to avoid double booking yourself.

Get Drunk – Countless studies have shown that it is much easier to remember something when you are in the same state of consciousness you were when the memory was formed. Which basically means that if you made a promise or commitment when you were drunk, you’re only hope of remembering it is to get drunk again! Just make sure to write it down before you sober up and forget it again.

Use Your Senses – Don’t you hate it when you can remember exactly where you were when someone told you something important. You just can’t remember what that was! Try to recreate the smells and sounds of the event and it should jog your memory.

Make it Rhyme – If you need to remember to pick up milk after work, wear a silk scarf. That way when you look at your scarf you’ll think silk… milk. This is also a good way to remember the names of people you just met. Look at them and notice a characteristic (red hair) or an item of clothing they’re wearing to help you sear their name into your head.

How do you remember tasks and to-dos?