If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered

If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered. – Edgar Allan Poe

Why do you write things down?

What does that mean?
I literally laughed out loud when I saw this one. It is amazing, and so true (at least for me). I regularly tell people, “I don’t know, I wrote it down so I wouldn’t have to remember it!” That said, I would have forgotten it anyway, so by writing it down, I now also have to remember where I put that piece of paper. 8)

While this quote is humorous, it also reminds us that there are ways to besides our minds to help us remember things. The quote implies making a note on some paper, but there are other things we can use. These include diaries, notebooks, planners, calendars, cell phones, tablets, notebooks, and computers. Whew!

Why are reminders important?  
How often do you forget things? While some people have very good memories, most of the people I know need some help, myself included. Reminders help us keep track of the things we need to do and when we need to do them, as well as what we need to remember and why that it is important we remember them.

Imagine your life with nothing to rely on but your brain. Would you be able to remember the birthdays of everyone important in your life? What about the things you need to remember to do today, this week, or this month? Could you remember the details of your client at the lunch meeting, or do you write some of the details on the back of their business card as soon as you get to your car? Reminders help us remember.

Where can I apply this in my life?
As an ADD type person, I am easily distracted and sometimes lose track of what I should be doing. I use reminders to keep me on track. Social networking programs help me keep track of birthdays. My cell phone helps me keep track of my regular appointments, as well as anniversaries and other special occasions.

To keep track of our busy family, there’s a 2’x3′ calendar on the pantry door where planned outings, travel dates, Doctor appointments, family outings, camp-outs, dance recitals, and school events are recorded and planned around. I also keep to-do lists on my phone and in a daily planner. How about you, do you use any of these methods?

Diaries, to me, are best used as a reminder of what happened on a specific date in the past. You can record your thoughts and feelings, note your failures and accomplishments, and anything else you wish to be able to remember later.

Notebooks, to me, are places for general purpose information storage and doodling. If you want to be able to sort the information later, lose-leaf paper and a binder might be the way to go. In other instances, like a lab book for work or school, needs to be kept intact. I find these useful for recreating an experiment after the details have faded from memory.

Planners, a form of pocket calendar, phone book and to-do list, are my lifeblood. I use a paper version, and it goes everywhere with me. This allows me to keep track, at a glance, what’s going on today, the rest of the week, who I need to call, what I need to get done, and has space for me to check off daily tasks, like exercising and eating properly. It doubles as a form of diary, so I can keep track of everything except my feelings.

Calendars come in all sizes, and planners are a form of calendar. My biggest use of a calendar is a really big calendar, where everyone writes down their important dates, events, appointments and anything else we need to plan around, remember and otherwise be prepared for.

In the technology corner, we have cell phones, tablets, notebooks, and computers. All serve the same basic purpose, to remind you of things. They differ in the user interface, power, and portability. There are applications for diaries, notebooks, planners and calendars for all of them, and which works best for you depends on the right mix of portability, power, user interface and useability.

Time for a brainstorming session. Do you need to make a list to keep track of all the things you need to accomplish? Do you need a single, central calendar to make sure you make your appointments and not double schedule events? Take a moment and look at your personal strengths and weaknesses when it comes to remembering and reminders.

Then take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each system and try to determine what kind of reminder system (or systems) might work best for you. If you like something, but can’t find exactly the right details, make your own. That’s what I did. 8)

From: Twitter, @BecomingALC
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/e/edgarallan386163.html
Photo by rob helpychalk