I am extremely busy today! How to get rid of laziness and to be successful if you are tired.
Our memory often plays tricks on us, since we receive a huge amount of information. Some of it is useful, some of it is indispensable, the other part is absolutely useless, while thanks to some pieces of information you can build up a new life. When these information streams pass through myself, I often feel like a “sieve”, because it flows away and I can not keep it in my head. Look! Right now I need to choose a new blender and memorize the main characteristics to take account of, to find the best websites to order it, to prepare a shopping list, to browse some information regarding my passport, to activate a new card and, of course, write this article. So, how did I start? 🙂
At some point we are full of incoming information, so that we can memorize only a part of it. Here you can find 10 best ways to never forget anything:
- Do not keep in your head all incoming information; write it down, fix it in your phone, make notes, stickers or use voice records. Once you think of something that needs to be done or remembered – fix it somewhere. It is always better to use automatic applications. To create several different lists, I would recommend you Trello.
- Use only 2 or 3 agendas (files, reminders, etc.), you do not need more. More papers you use for your notes, more chances you have to lose it forever and never find it again.
- What to do if you never have an agenda and a pen with you, and all applications to make notes are not practical? Find new methods for you and take advantage of the progress. It is very practical to make voice records – it is often faster that to write down something. Modern programmes can easily recognise the words and create a text file. Browse the market to see what’s new you can find in terms of electronic agendas and to-do lists and use it!
- Set precise time when you go through your notes and decide what to do with. Even if you have a whole bunch of stuff, you can do it fast thanks to time management. Put a reminder on your phone in order not to forget.
- Making lists – an old method, but very effective one! It is hard to recognize for some people, but lists are really very helpful, especially while preparing for holidays or trips. I always make a list for presents where I note down my ideas about gifts. When holidays come, I never have a rush in searching «something special». The electronic helper can always advise what and where to buy. I create my to-do lists in TickTick, while for shopping lists I use Quicky Free (the last one is available only for iPhone and iPad users).
- If you have no possibility to right down, but you absolutely need to memorize something, use remarkable associations. Invent stories, use objects around you: the number of the buildings on the street, of the trees, of the traffic lights. Count these objects to memorize the numbers. For example, on the 9th street there are 10 buildings, on the way to 7th there are 3 traffic lights. Such bright examples give a better result than just repeating the numbers.
- Imagine, you are in the desert and apart from the sand you have nothing around you. In this case, play with the words! The little sayings in which you use the first letters of the words can help a lot. As an example, the well-known: “Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain”.
- The secret for those who, like me, poorly memorize names! Just sing them (of course, silently! 🙂 Every time you are told a new name, sing it silently in a few different ways. Do not forget to give a smile to your interlocutor. 🙂 Although he would better not to know about your manoeuvres, especially at business meetings.
- The lifehack for numbers is visualization! This technique is called mnemotechnology. For each number imagine a remarkable association. So, two transforms in a swan, eight – in a Russian matryoshka doll, four – in a chair.
- For foreign words it is better to create an association in your own language. In fact, for the most part of the words we can easily find associations. Then when needed, these words will pop up in your head.
These are my favourite ways to never forget anything. Planning a day is much faster and easier using these tricks. Try it yourself, because it is incredibly easy!
Share with me, which methods do you use?
Good luck with your day planning!
