Whether you believe in “mom brain” or not most of us, (not just moms) could use a little help with our forgetfulness!

Sometimes life gets busy and our

“to do” list becomes super long, resulting in several forgotten task.

We have all heard of people sticking notes all over their fridge, tying a string around their fingers etc. and I’m sure these ideas work great but, being raised in the 20th century, as sad as it sounds, I can’t even find a sticky note at times ????. Believe me, sometimes I do good to find my trusty notebook & pen. And on the crazy days that I forget those at home ….????‍♀️ I always, ALWAYS have my phone, and so do you!

So, here are a few of my personal tips on how to daily “remind yourself” in the 21st century.

Because sometimes, a little reminder was all you would have needed to simplify your day!

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4 Of My Favorite Reminding Techniques

1.My To Do List

Yes, the “to do” list is a very traditionally used item. But every time I let mine “slip” so do my task! No more frantically forgotten task to accomplish!

I have always been overly exuberant in list making of all types including “to do” list.

In the past, I would write a new “to do” list every single day. At bedtime, I would feel like a failure any time my list wasn’t 100% accomplished.

I eventually realized that I often made my list bigger then my day. I also didn’t know how to shorten it without forgetting important task.

After discovering a totally different approach for “to-do” list online, I began to brain storm and tweak, eventually coming up with my own version shown below.

So far, my “to-do” list operates much smoother, I now get more done, and most of all, I have no more “unfinished” guilt!

This below is exactly what you get with the printable. It prints great in black & white too! I myself like to print one, then use my printer/copier to resize smaller to fit inside of my notebook. Also saves on ink ????.

Instructions- Tap on image, click share then print. OR tap on image, click save. When ready to print go to your images and print from there, unless you choose the option to save under a file.

Here is what my downsized (65%) black & white version looks like, paper clipped to my notebook. (It is about a half of sheet).

You could also laminate a full colored version, and use a fine tip WET erase marker for some real efficiency!

How My “To-Do” List Works

I add anything and everything that needs to be accomplished to my “To Do” list organized in these 4 categories.

1.To Do (general task)

Things like clean bathroom, mop, walk dog etc. go here.

2.Organize & Declutter

Anytime I organize, I also declutter. This saves me time by combining the two activities and keeps decluttering as continuous habit in my life. I try to keep a continuous rotation in this category, constantly organizing/decluttering helps things from getting out of hand with my housekeeping.

3.Projects

A project is anything that takes a good chunk of my time and is not part of my daily activities. Example would be, painting a crib, making a diy gift, washing the car etc.

4.Town

Anything needing done away from home goes here. Weekly groceries shopping, package drop off, Target return, dental app, storage building run etc.

Instead of rewriting my list each day, I keep an ongoing list, only updating it when needed. (usually once every week or two).

This saves time in writing and rewriting .

It also insures that tasks outside of ‘daily duties) are not forgotten.

Lastly, its flexibility allows me to accomplish so much more. I always accomplish my “must be done task right off” then I work the others in as my schedule permits. For example, when my day is full of surprises and I’ve just got a limited 30min free to get something done, I can quickly scan my list via appropriate category, looking for anything that fits in my 30min time frame.

Another example would be an unplanned town visit. I can quickly check my (always with me) notebook to see if there’s any task I can do while out . Saving me more time and even gasoline money. ❤️On the other hand, if I have a slow day and I realize I have the time to take on a bigger “job” I can search my project list and decide what task needs done most and fits my day best.

A few additional ideas I use combined with my “to do” list are to ..

2.Schedule

If you have a project or duty that must be be done ASAP, consider scheduling it into your day as you would an appointment.

3.Leave Items Visible

Need to mail a letter? Or sew a pair of pants? Leave the letter on top of your purse, or lay the pants somewhere you pass frequently through out the day.

If you are typically a tidy person, this tip may work wonders.

Tidy people will constantly notice out of place items.

Not letting yourself “put it away” until the “to do” project is finished, can quickly become a great incentive!

4.Set Alarms

Setting an alarm to remind you to do a specific task is a simple but very reliable option.

This idea also works great along with scheduling. You can schedule a duty from your “to do” list, then set an alarm on your phone to remind you to do it . (Don’t forget to label your alarm accordingly)

Hope these tips help & motivate!

What ways do you remind yourself?

Please share in comments below! And don’t forget to

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Erica,

@ A Simpler Life

Don‘t forget to scroll back up and save your FREE printable!

Erica,

@ A Simpler Life