Mompreneur Management Tip – Stop Forgetting!

Do you forget things?

If you struggle with time management due to forgetfulness… I have a quick fix to your problem.

Figure out why you’re forgetting…

If you forget your appointments you have to focus on fixing the root causes that drive your forgetfulness.

Stop Forgetting!

If you tend to forget appointments and pre-promised scheduled events, you need more reliable systems!

First, examine your Recording System…

If you’re constantly grabbing the most available piece of paper to scratch down an appointment so you remember – you likely need a consistent, paper-based system. WHY? Because if you’re grabbing for a pencil, your brain is asking for a written record to help you remember and refer to later. If this is your go-to natural behavior – you need a better recording system.

OR Perhaps you’d like to convert yourself to a virtual system.  If so – pick one… ANY ONE. There’s Google, iCal, Outlook, Cozi, or the million other scheduling tools and apps available. Find one you like, take time to understand it – and just commit to USING IT CONSISTENTLY. You MUST DECIDE first, then create a system that is consistent, then use it consistently for you to bet better at recording your appointments.

The root cause of your forgetfulness is because you haven’t decided on your ‘recording system’ so pick one, and use it to record everything for the next 7 days.  THEN decide if you like it.. You have to build in some behaviors for success before you pitch an idea before you’ve even really tried it.

Next, your Scheduling System…

Another way to overcome your forgetfulness is to focus on a consistent scheduling routine. Whether you create a daily routine in the morning to review your schedule for the day, or create a time at the close of the day to review the next day – make a SCHEDULING ROUTINE.  DATE!

Now your Reminding System…

If you’ve chosen an electronic component, this is perhaps the BEST feature of the online tools… the ‘Pavlovian’ alarms that you can set for anything and everything. For me – it’s a life-saver, and I have reminders going off everywhere… on my phone, in my social media platforms, with my agenda/calendar… the key here though is to differentiate your alarms and make them meaningful. If you have the same alarm for every type of message, it won’t be long before your brain will simply ignore them all because you haven’t differentiated the tones and alarms. Use your phone or peripheral and set up a unique ring tone for incoming calls, family and friends, social media posts, your tweets, your calls, and your voicemails. Differentiating these tones will help your brain to remember better using powerful auditory tones.

Finally your Maintenance System…

YOU NEED TO MAINTAIN YOUR SYSTEMS OR THEY WON’T WORK.

Yep, I’m raising my voice here so you see this… Maintenance is key.  If your system is hard to maintain – or if you DON’T do the maintenance, nothing is going to work. Consistency is key to your success…

Consistency is key to remembering & your scheduling success

Isolate your particular  “Forgetfulness Gaps” by looking at what is NOT working for you and you’ll be able to better determine which area you need to focus and what you think you’ll use most consistently. Understanding root causes to problems enables you to reclaim your time!

What helps you remember?  Which area is the most important for you to focus on so you’ll remember better? Please share in the comment box below!  Have a question? I’m happy to give you some suggestions to escape your pain below! Just write them into the comment box!