Do you constantly forget things?
By Amy
@artemis432 (7474)
Abernathy, Texas
August 18, 2007 8:42pm CST
Do you forget where you put keys, purse, etc? Long ago my sister gave me a great idea - a Remembering Table. Placed right beside the door, maybe with a pretty basket on it. The idea is to make it a habit to put your things in there every time you come in the door - so its a habit. You know how normally you may put things down unconsciously so you forget where you placed them - this way, if its a habit, even on auto-pilot it will go in one place! What do you think? Do you have any tips for this kind of thing?As far as forgetting birthdays and other important dates, there is a birthday alarm on my computer and my phone! Plus, I write it in my organizer - another great tool for remembering things...what things do you forget?
3 people like this
12 responses
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
19 Aug 07
Now the first thing you said, I do that all the time. Sometimes when we're playfully bantering, I'll bring something up that they said long ago to prove my point and of course this gets them to stick their tongues out at me.
I'm not very good with dates. They say guys are bad with that - but its my husband who remembers anniverseries and like when we met and all that. And me who forgets birthdays and such. I do remember the month though!
1 person likes this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
19 Aug 07
In my case I care, I'm just not good with numbers, never have been and dates are numbers. I'm really good with words and can memorize poetry and songs. And learn what I need to for tests. And remember friends favorite things for presents and such.
@evanpoe (122)
• United States
19 Aug 07
I used to have a problem where I didn't realize I had an exceptionally awkward memory. If I remembered something I thought was important it bothered me to no end that someone else didn't remember the same thing. Sometimes it's hard to decide if a person doesn't remember something important due to lack of memory skills or if they just don't care.
1 person likes this
@raychill (6525)
• United States
19 Aug 07
That's a great idea in theory. However, you know when I have to run in my house and grab something or run in and pee! I throw the keys anywhere. 98% of the time I throw them in the chair right in front of the door, my phone and my purse and my sunglasses too. Unfortunately there is still those moments where there is something that comes before the habit.
2 people like this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
19 Aug 07
It takes 21 days to change a habit!
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@juliefaye (1214)
• Philippines
19 Aug 07
I usually make a list of 'things to do' on my notebook but sometimes i forgot to at least have a glance on my notebook ha! ha! ha! well, maybe because of so many things in our mind we tend to forget those small ones like keys, eyeglass, purse etc. But in order not to forget bdays and anniversaries, i put it in my phone memory alarm always.
2 people like this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
19 Aug 07
You need a string around your finger to remember to look! Putting it in your phone memory is a great tip I do agree when our minds are full of work things, and our problems and our friend's problems and such - and that's what we're thinking of when we walk in the house...(and maybe about that cute jogger who just sailed past as we walked to the door) its easy to unconsciously throw down our keys or as some have done, leave them in the door!
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
19 Aug 07
I remember all sorts of things that amaze people, like 9 digit numbers, my 16 digit bankcard numbers, things from 20 years ago. On the other hand, I forget everyday practical things, probably because I don't really focus on them.
Albert Einstein never untied his shoes when he took them off because if he did, he would forget to tie them again when he put them back on. He was a very distracted person, but it was really that his mind was elsewhere.
Distractedness is usually a sign that the person is exhibiting a high level of concentration - on something else.
2 people like this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
19 Aug 07
I guess that's where the movie industry got the idea of the absent minded professor.
I actually wasn't sure how I'd do when I went back to school - afraid my brain had atrophied. My ability to remember numbers, never great, had diminished even more over time. And although I could still memorize poetry and words to songs, sometimes I'd forget simple words or the names of movie stars. And always, where I placed my chapstick. Just a minute ago. I know I just used it.
Yet, I did well, I think I could get addicted to school. For me its more likely that my distractedness is me exhibiting a high level of daydreaming.
thanks for your response...
1 person likes this
@melody08 (36)
• Philippines
19 Aug 07
after giving birth to my first child i think i got memory lost. sometimes i will go inside my room and forgot what i have to do or get. I can even forget that i was cooking and i always burn our food. I also hard time remembering instructions given to as well as prescriptions from my doctor. What i do for this forget remembering of mine is that i always put a note on my ref or just note in my cellphone and alarm or timed it. What ever events or schedules list it on a day planner so that you will not forget
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
19 Aug 07
The thing you described initially - going into your room for something, and then forgetting what you went in for - the day after a bad migraine, its like it sears through my memory. I'll go to get something, forget what it was I was going to get, go away, remember, go get it and forget again!
1 person likes this
@ethereal_flower (124)
• Philippines
19 Aug 07
i also forget a lot of things most of the time and it's annoying. keys, wallets, cellphones. i am kind of scatterbrained and i end up thinking of a lot of things all at once so i end up pushing aside current priorities and thus forgetting a lot of things. my mom advised me to keep a notebook or a checklist and it helps. it has become a habit already, that way i don't miss appointments and i also bring all the things that i need to bring on that specific event.
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
19 Aug 07
Your mom gave great advice, besides being able to check the days activities each morning, for me, writing things down cements it in my mind. Did this work right away for you - or did it take time to make it habit - to both write things down - and to look?
Thanks for your response - and great screen name.
1 person likes this
@ethereal_flower (124)
• Philippines
19 Aug 07
yeah, it sure does cement those to-do's in my head so once i've gotten used to it, i can quickly recall that i wrote something i had to do, so that even without having to look it up i would be able to remember what that thing was. sometimes the problem with me is just realizing that there are still other things left to be done, the rest of the details i can then remember because i would then remember that i wrote them down. same thing when i used to go to school, i wrote a lot of memory guides, like footnotes just to help me remember because writing them seems to cement those ideas in my head.
1 person likes this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
19 Aug 07
I had a teacher a few years ago who just handed us the notes for a couple of units. This threw me- because besides asking a lot of questions, its writing the information down that cements it. At home, I transfer it to 3x5 cards. Those cards by the way are so helpful. One teacher told us that our minds remember things in sevens - that's why phone numbers have seven digits. So I would bring the cards with me everywhere and go through seven at a time learning things. Its easier to break up information like that. I kept a high GPA, so for me, at least it works. Everyone takes in information differently though....
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
19 Aug 07
I often forget things, even appointments. I have solved the appointments problem by writing everything down in my dayplanner, and I try to remember the things I need to take by putting post-it notes on my door when I need to take something in particular.
@shyam4uall (1002)
• India
19 Aug 07
..Thanks for that great trick to remember our daily ..items which otherwise needs hours to get them....
But luckily I donot suffer from that illness...but never know when my brain becomes old..and I need to try out the trick.
@jacobn1980 (87)
• Tanzania
19 Aug 07
I sometimes forget but as soon as i can i be on the right way so several times i do not forget ,then i believe due to the nature when you forget the things like the keys that indicate you are careless.
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
19 Aug 07
Hi artemis432! Oh I don't have any strategies for that but I am going to use yours. haha..Really appreciate that idea for I do really have the habit of just placing my things anywhere. I always forget small things like keys, pens, IDs, etc because the bigger ones I can always easily see them. I always thought that when I can't find something, it is my hubby who is playing some kind of trick on me. Haha.. Take care and have a nice day.
@player618 (79)
• China
19 Aug 07
I usually make a list of "things to do " on my notebook too.There are too many things that we have to remember.It would be a burden of memory. So I get a notebook to help myself..sometimes I will go inside and forget what I have to get when I am busy, then I have to go back to take it..I tend to remember birthdays and other important dates and people'name..
@Ricko82 (584)
• Philippines
19 Aug 07
Wow! That's really great tip to avoid being late scouring the four corners of our house just to find the keys to the ignition. Some people can really use it, but fortunately for me, I tend to remember where I put the smallest of things around the house. I just pause and recall for few seconds then I got it. My memory seldom fails me. However, I have a thing about birth days and peoples name though. They just won't stick into my brain. I trust my phone to remind me on these.
