I think I have a pretty good memory. If I dial your phone number few times, I will likely remember it. I remember many stories and random details people tell me.  However, I cannot remember everything I want or need to, and neither can you. For this reason, I regularly write things down, makes notes in my phone, or email myself. I try to do something to make sure I remember things so they don’t slip through the cracks.

You can put in systems that work for you to help you remember things. I have emailed myself while hiking many times on tasks, to-do items, ideas on matters I am working on, or even ideas for this blog. Sometimes when I am out there, even though I likely am listening to music or a podcast, something comes into my head or I have the space to think something through, and then I don’t want to forget. The little computers we all have in our pockets, purses, or backpacks sure come in handy for this. Taking advantage of the resources at hand to help you remember makes things easier. When I am at home or at my office, I may use post-it notes or even an old school piece of paper.

One thing that works for me is keeping a single calendar for professional and personal meetings, deadlines, and obligations. Another is keeping a to do list for all the matters I am working on and for items I want to complete in my personal life. When things fall through the cracks it really is because I didn’t keep up with a to do list or calendar something in the moment. Sometimes I feel too busy to do so, but I know if I don’t, I may miss things by mistake. I try to avoid this, but it does happen occasionally.

Think about what you do to remember things and see how you can improve to make things easier on yourself. In the long run it will save you time, prevent missing something you need to complete, and avoid spending your time apologizing for not getting something done. Figure out what works for you and invest time in yourself to stay on top of your life.