The day that I forgot pajama day was the worst! How could I forget when I just looked at the calendar!
Even better was when my husband took my son to school in pajamas and it wasn’t pajama day!
Mom guilt really got me. Finally, I learned to plan for events and special days. Now, I want to help you do the same.
Want to be better about remembering events and other things in life, check out this post where I help plan so that you don’t forget.
Get a planner
The way that I plan things so that I can remember all of the events that are happening in my home and with my son is with my planner.
I cannot remember anything from unless it is written down.
So, first things first. Get some type of planner that works for you. Whether it is a day planner, bullet journal, or a small calendar. Get something to write down all events and stay organized.
Next, use your calendar and write down all of your events including special work functions, doctor’s appointment, your kid’s school events and activities.
Plan for the week
Once you have all of your events in the calendar, look at the upcoming week and double check if there is anything that you may have overlooked.
Double check child’s school calendar to see if there’s anything that you need to be aware of. For instance, my son has a folder that the teacher puts a monthly calendar with events and themes that the kids are learning each week. I try to check the folder daily because she will typically send forms of communication this way.
Always double check to see if there is a special day, like pajama day so that you don’t miss out.
Every Sunday review all the events on the calendar. Then look at everything that’s coming up for the week.
Review the week for any scheduling conflicts that you need to resolve now so that there won’t be any hiccups throughout the week.
Get it in the car
The night before, check your schedule for the next day.
Check to see if there is anything that you need that you don’t want to forget, like your kid’s hockey uniform or a poster for a presentation at work.
Instead of leaving the items out, go ahead and put them in the car so that you don’t forget.
For example, I have to go to a Navy event right after work. I will go ahead and put my uniform in my car the night before.
Now there’s no reason for me to forget anything when it’s time for me to rush out the door the next morning because I got breakfast all over my work clothes.
Use alarms
Use your phone to help you not to forget. Set alarms to help you remember things.
For instance, you need to call the school about a particular issue by 3 pm. Put an alarm in your phone to call the school by 2 so there’s enough time to make the call by 3.
Sometimes I have to have several alarms or notifications go off because I know I will see the notification and have a squirrel moment.
Don’t be afraid to set multiple alarms so that you are sure you see the notification.
Make a to-do list
Make a to-do list for the day. Don’t just put the big task that needs to get done. But also put the small task like wash your daughter dance uniform or pick out socks for Wacky Wednesday at school.
Make sure to refer back to your to-do list throughout the day to make sure that you have all task completed.
Use weekly reminders
One thing that gets me in a bad mood is forgetting to put the trash out. I hate having a full trash can at the beginning of the week.
What has helped eliminate this problem is putting weekly reminders on my phone. Every Sunday evening, I will get a notification on my phone to put the trash out so I don’t miss Monday pick up.
For all of the weekly task or events, put them in your phone to repeat weekly indefinitely so that you don’t forget.
Get it done now
Easy way to remember to get things done is to get it done now.
Why you still remember, don’t just put it on your to-do list and forget it later. Especially with something that can be done in less than 2 minutes, go ahead and take care of it right now.
Stop procrastinating because it never helps with getting things done on time or does it help you remember things.
Accountability
Have someone help you be held accountable.
For me, I know my six-year-old doesn’t forget anything when it comes to gifts or something special that I promised him.
So I will tell him to remind me to do things, especially for him so that I get the best mom award.
For instance, when I drop him off to school I will tell him to remind me to make cupcakes with him after school. 100% of the time he does not forget. And will remind me endlessly until it gets done. Therefore I don’t forget.
You can even have a co-worker or family or friend help you with reminding you about things so that you remain accountable.
Say no
You don’t have to agree to do everything that people ask you to do.
The problem with saying yes many times is you overload yourself with tasks. Then it leads to you forgetting things because you have so much to do.
If you have a problem with saying no, there are ways of telling someone no without saying no.
Try saying:
- maybe later
- let me get back to you
- say nothing
- not right now
- let me think about it
Delegate
Remember to refer to your to-do list throughout the day so that you’re not forgetting anything.
If you’re finding that you still have many things to do on your to-list try to delegate. Even if it is at home with the kids or at work. Get some help. This will make it not so much of a burden on you in the long run.
I hope that these ways to remember and forget help you to get more done. Let me know what has worked for you!
