I’ve always been forgetful, but this month has taken my little problem to a new low.
I forgot my parent/teacher conference at my daughter’s school.
I took my daughter to a Christmas play practice…and then realized (after her part had been assigned and she’d practiced for an hour) that we’ll be out of town the day that the play runs.
I bought a decongestant for my husband at the drugstore, then couldn’t find it. He and I searched my car, the den, our bedroom, and much of the rest of the house before we found his decongestant—in the freezer.
And…I published a post on the Midnight Ink blog yesterday when I knew my posting day was the 17th. It was on my calendar and everything as the 17th. But I posted on the 16th.
Wow. What’s going on?
I think one big component to my problem is email and the way I’m processing it.And then how I’m reminding myself of the tasks I need to complete that my emails are laying out.
I’m juggling lots of different types of messages: emails from readers (which I love getting), emailed requests for interviews, review copies, signed books for charity auctions, blurb requests for upcoming books from other authors, and emails from the publisher’s publicity person—this is for the book I’m promoting.
Emails regarding revision requests, emails to obtain blurbs on my upcoming book, submitting lists to publishers regarding review opportunities for ARCs, lining up appearances—this is for the upcoming book.
And then, of course, there’s the writing for the next book, which should always be in the hopper. And some emailing to editors and agent regarding that project.
My email inbox was a disaster area. Chit-chatting stuff alongside mail from my agent. The three list-servs I’m on had emails all over the place in my inbox.
Enough!
The last couple of days, I’ve been working on making sense of the madness.
Folders for my inbox…set up with mail rules upon delivery: listservs in one folder, agent/editor mail in another, interview stuff in another. I use Gmail for work, which technically doesn’t have folders—it has labels. But you can label one email several different ways, which is nice.
Using my phone for big reminders: My daughter’s parent-teacher conference? It totally needed a phone reminder. I can set up my phone to send me a text or to make an alarm to remind me of something important.
A “Big Picture” calendar: I think one problem I’m facing is that I’m not grasping the relationship between my days. That sounds nutty, but basically I think that just because something is on my day planner, I’m not really realizing that day’s relationship to the current day. There’s nothing wrong with using a page-a-day calendar—unless you don’t know what day it is. Which I, apparently, don’t. Now I’m using both—the daily one and the big picture calendar. I need a sticker with the words “You Are Here” on it to put on today’s date.
Starring or flagging important emails: This is something I’ve always done, but it’s worth a mention to those of y’all who don’t and end up with nutty inboxes. In Gmail, you can put a star next to an important email so you can find it later. In Outlook, you flag it. You can even choose different colored flags. Later, you can sort your emails so you only see the ones that require action.
As far as putting drugstore items in the freezer? I haven’t figured out a fix for that one, yet. I guess I’ll just have to include it in my places to look when I’ve lost something.
Elizabeth – You’ve got some really useful ideas for getting organized. It really is easy to get caught up in day-to-day living so that we forget what’s happening next week. I know I’ve done that kind of thing. Of course, then there’s the matter of balancing what I’m doing with what everyone else in the family is doing in any given week….
Wonderful, and for me, very timely advice. I’ve always been pretty organized, but lately, systems that have worked for me for a long time aren’t working anymore – I’ve gotten that much busier. E-mail is probably the main “culprit,” and despite having it organized into folders, the temptation is still to respond to every single one right away.
And balance, as both Margot and Nancy mentioned, is, of course, the biggest challenge. There’s always one more thing we could be doing before we spend time with our family, or take some quiet time for ourselves. For me, it finally came down to actually putting those “down times” on my schedule. And to not feel guilty about stopping whatever else I may have been doing when it’s time for a “down time” slot.
I’ve absently put deoderant in the freezer. Can we say ICY PITS? Good tips in your post. I use some of them but I’m going to start flagging emails. Thanks.
I’m forever opening the fridge instead of the microwave. And let’s not put the milk in the pantry or the cereal in the fridge.
I have folders. Sub folders. Lots of folders. Especially for my Word docs and pictures. Only then I can’t remember which folder I put them in.
I have an Outlook Calendar (mine) and 3 Google calendars (shared). And the ‘real’ calendar which is still the lo-tech one hanging on the kitchen wall by the phone. My electronic calendars synch with each other and my phone beeps to remind me of what’s coming up — if I remembered to put it on the right calendar.
I have a dry-erase whiteboard on my office wall with important reminders of when I need to blog, deadlines, etc.
But I still forget stuff. Or what day it is. Or drive to the Post Office but forget to bring the package I’m supposed to mail.
I can so relate :) I’m always putting things in strange places because my brain is focused on something completely different. Great tips!
Was this post written for me? It’s all about overload. We expect our minds to wrap around everything. Technology is suppose to make life more efficient. Hmm… the jury is still out on that one.
Oh and…peanut butter in the fridge, milk in the pantry and I’ve shown up for a dr. appt. a week early.
After reading what you’re up against, I’m exhausted. I don’t see how you do all of it. No wonder you forget a few things along the way.
All the tips sound great. I’m the worst at writing something down and forgetting where I wrote it. I’ve tried to keep a day planner, but then I forget to keep it up to date.
I’m with N A, don’t forget to take a little time for yourself. Sometimes when we step back, we see the whole picture a lot clearer.
I forget the relationship between my days too–and I’m only twenty-five! Half the time I don’t know either what day or what date it is. I’m thankful I can just click on the time at the bottom of the screen and figure it out. Oh, look! It’s November 17th! Didn’t see that one coming… :0)
Well, I guess I feel a little better about posting a guest post on my blog on the wrong day. Seriously, though, in addition to all the organizational fixes, I’d love to hear you say you are taking some time to just “be.” It sounds like stress overload to me.
Just saying…
Karen
Good post. Probably all of us have done similar things. It’s good you’re getting your inbox organized. Mine is a major frustration for me at times. I love the folders and flags in Outlook, and I use that calendar, too, plus a week-at-a-glance one on my desk. Husband has a monthly one when things get really hectic. Once I even used different color stickies for each day of the week. Those worked great during a major crunch.
I totally get this post. I think sometimes we get so busy and move so fast it gets overwhelming. I have been thinking I am totally losing the sense of time with it all. It gets so hard to keep everything organized then reorganize it to make it even more efficient. Sigh. And there are so many areas and committments of our lives to keep straight – family (top of the list) work (in my case outside the home and writing areas and this has grown into an overwhelming time consuming area of my life – constant overtime demands which is nice with the paycheck…but you pay in other ways by losing chunks of time for other things) writing, editing and promoting all need time and attention. It is a wonderful life but it can become overwhelming. You have some wonderful orgainizational tips to try.
Freezer, huh? I lost my keys in the refrigerator at work once. I can relate.
Don’t forget to make time for yourself in it all. Have a wonderful day!
Nancy, from Realms of Thought
I am always in awe of how much you are able to juggle – a few slips are understandable and, in my opinion, normal. I’m guilty of forgetting to look at my calendar every day, so thanks to your post I’ve pulled it out and placed it strategically by my computer, where it’ll be the first thing I see each morning. I use a monthly calendar which helps keep upcoming events fresh in my mind. I also like your idea of using different color flags for email tasks.
Good advice here, as usual. I once – a couple years ago, when I was still old, lol – forgot my wife and my anniversary! But I soon remembered where the doghouse was!
Now I keep a little calander in my statchel with important dates circled and I refer to it every day – can’t let the “Half-Heimers” get me in trouble ever again.
Marvin D Wilson
Yes, I have my emails that I need to go back to in folders and I love the fact that in blogging you can give it a label and it archives there. Only trouble is that there might be one I’m not sure where I placed it! lol
I love e-mail folders. And my phone needs more space for alarms. I have to set my phone to remind me it’s time to get my oldest son. :] Otherwise I get busy and lose treack of time.
Margot-Right! Because you’re probably like me…I am the one who is the time-keeper for all the family’s activities. Poor them!
Nancy–I lose my sense of time, too. The days go by and I don’t realize where I am in relation to the rest of the week! And you’re so right…so many different responsibilities to juggle. Usually I find I’m dropping the ball for one area when I’m doing really well in another. But then, we can’t really do it all, can we? And thanks for the reminder to make time for myself, too!
Ingrid–You know, I do usually respond right away because I’m worried about the emails getting lost in the deluge! But you’re right…I need some time to just sit still and process things. And breathe maybe.
Jane–That’s the thing…we have to LOOK at the calendar. And then things change…I have to pick up middle school carpool today, unexpectedly. It’s a toss-up as to whether I’ll still remember at 3:00! I’ve put a hot pink Post-it note on my door. Hope it will help.
Glen–Oh…deodorant in the freezer would be even worse! Good luck with the flagging.
Terry–White erase board would be good. OFFICE would be good! And I have a package in my car that needs to be mailed. You’d THINK a visual reminder would be helpful, but apparently I’m blind on top of everything else.
Jemi–It makes life difficult, doesn’t it? Trying to figure out where we’ve stashed things.
Journaling Woman–Yes, TOO much info! I need to process it better–what requires just an answer, what requires action…and then write that sucker down somewhere else!
Mason–I’m kind of exhausted, too! I’m really good at writing things down, but somehow the emailed information is NOT getting written down. That’s one place I think I’ve been going wrong. By the way, thanks so much for the reviews on Amazon and GoodReads! Wow!
That’s another good tip, Marvin–take that blasted calendar everywhere! I need all the mental crutches I can get.
It feels good to know I’m not alone. I do something similar with my emails, but it’s a bit less organized than your approach. I make sub-folders, (InboxA, InboxB, etc.) They pretty much coincide with the messages I didn’t get to on Monday, Tuesday and so on. Then there’s the MUST DO sub-folder. (Sigh…)
As for the freezer? It must be a handy place we put things when our minds aren’t completely on the task at hand. Several weeks ago when I went to feed my furry her evening meal, I KNEW I had just opened a fresh can that morning. Looked everywhere for that can of food.
Have no idea why I chose, in my no doubt still-not-quite-awake state, to choose the freezer, but that’s where I found it.
Sometimes I think that the older we get and the more information that is being processed by our brains accumulates, it takes a more concerted effort to (attmept) to keep it organized. I’m still looking for the list I made yesterday afternoon…
Kristen–I’m glad someone younger is in the same boat! My son keeps looking at me like he has plans to put me in a retirement home as soon as he hits 18! Yeah, these dates have a nasty way of sneaking up on us, don’t they?
Karen–I think that sounds like absolutely the most reasonable fix for my memory issues. Maybe I should assign different days where I work on different tasks and that would give me more time to relax? Or am I still overthinking this?
Carol–Different colored stickies is actually a really nice idea. I just need to find the rest of my Post-Its! ARGH. I’ve got the hot pink ones and those are the only ones I can locate.
Crystal–Oh, different inboxes. Well, I like that in theory, but I have a feeling that it would become an out of sight, out of mind problem for me!
I’m not sure what the draw for the freezer is! It seems like a very odd place to put things. Maybe, like you mentioned, it’s us getting older and the info overload comes out in odd ways.
Looks like a lot of us know exactly what you’re talking about, Elizabeth. Time for sanity check!
Your plan to get organized sounds very…organized. Good luck! Another place to look for missing objects is the trash. I don’t know how many times I’ve left something in a bag and tossed it. I find forks in there too. A plate once and some socks…
The problem I have with starring email in Gmail is that I get so many starred that I can’t keep up with them.
I totally sympathize with you.
Helen
Straight From Hel
I love the phone reminder idea. If only I could remember to turn it on! :) Don’t be too hard on yourself; as the previous comments prove, you’re not alone. We all have forgetful moments. Maybe you need a forgetful character in one of your stories? Readers will sympathize…have no doubt.
Blogger Judy—Archives! Argh. Yes, I haven’t archived for a while because I do have some long-term projects that I feel like I need to have in front of me. But my method isn’t working for me! I think I need to just archive and make sure that I’ve flagged the emails for the long-term projects that I need later.
Tara–That’s what I’m thinking–have the phone for the MOST important things. Because it’s the most intrusive reminder.
Helen–Me too! But then I realized that I could *label* my starred emails and sort those a second time. You’re right, though…it’s all a nightmare.
I love Post-Its, I use them for the MUST DO’s. I also carry a good old fashioned Day Runner, writing things down seems to cement things into my pea brain better for some reason. Now, what to do about my eyeglasses? Where did I set them down?
Patricia–I think we all need to do what you did and go off for a writers’ retreat weekend!
Elizabeth–I’d lose those too–but I wear contacts. :) I’m about to need reading glasses, though, and then it will be a woe-is-me scenario…I’ll never find those things.
Lorel–I was really worried I’d thrown away the decongestants. :) Sounds like you and I have the same problem, there. I usually just throw away nice silverware, but I will occasionally make an exception and throw away something equally important.
Stacy–I may already have written a character like that. Maybe. Hmm…let me find my notes. :)