Organization Tips for the Absent-Minded
by Kara Lennox, artist and founder of Memo-PauseTM
I've been absent-minded my whole life--not just since I reached a certain age. I was the kid who always forgot her field-trip permission slip. Missed dentist appointments, keys locked in the car, late bills--I suffered through them all. Over the years I've developed a few habits to help me navigate through life with fewer memory-induced mishaps. Start with just one tip. Once you've made it a habit, try another until your life functions like a well-oiled machine.
Keep a calendar. My friend
Vicki (Victoria Chancellor, who was there the day Memo-PauseTM was
born) keeps a Daytimer with her at all times. But I prefer to keep
one on my computer, since I am there several hours a day! The
electronic calendar offers the added benefit of being able to
schedule recurring appointments (standing nail appointments, etc.)
with one click. Also, my calendar program reminds me when I have an
appointment coming up, with a gentle chime.
Develop routines. Get in
the habit of removing your car keys and tucking them into a special
pocket of your purse the moment you turn off the car engine. That
way you won't lock your keys inside, and you'll always know where
they are. Likewise, perform morning rituals in the same order every
day. Shower, deodorant, moisturize, dress, brush teeth, take
vitamins. If you do it the same exact way every day, you won't
accidentally skip something (like those blood-pressure pills!)
Get a car charger for your
cell phone. And if you don't have a cell phone, get one. A cell
phone can save your life (like when I had a blow out at 10 p.m. on a
busy freeway overpass in a TERRIBLE neighborhood. If you have a car
charger, you'll never be caught with a dead phone because you forgot
to charge it up.
Pay your bills at a set
time. I do it every Friday afternoon. Also, put all of your
bill-paying stuff in one place. Bills to pay should go in a special
basket, which should be near your checkbook, stamps, envelopes,
address labels. Better yet, pay bills online when you can. Once
you get this set up, you'll love it.
Plan your meals on a weekly basis, and do all the shopping at once. I confess, I don't do this as well as I should. But when I do remember to do it, life is much easier. You'll eat healthier, and you won't have to waste time and energy trying to figure out what to have for dinner and how to get that last serving of fruits and vegetables into your body.
Remind people to remind you. Once you start using your Memo-PauseTM, this won't be as much of an issue. But if you promise someone you'll do something for them, ask them to remind you if you haven't done it by a certain date.
Put things away. Have a special place for every single thing you own. When you pay for purchases, always take the time to put your credit card, or change, or your receipt, in that special place in your purse before you move on. I used to lose money, receipts and my credit cards at the bottom of my purse all the time before I became more disciplined about it. When you get home, put your keys, sunglasses and purse in their places. Again, if you develop a routine, you're less likely to walk off and forget your wallet!
Take the time. Whenever you get up from a restaurant or get out of a car, take five extra seconds to be sure you have everything! This goes for after unloading groceries from your cart into your car, too. (I once left my purse in the cart. Horrors.) Don't be in such a hurry.
Focus on the task at hand. Stay in the
present. If you're thinking about what you have to do later, or
worrying about yesterday, you'll get distracted from the thing you
should be doing right now. That's when
disaster strikes! Slow down and enjoy your current activity.
Remember, life is a journey, and with a little planning and thought it
can be a well-organized, low-stress trip!
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