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keepthetips t1_j6m5roi wrote

Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips!

Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment.

If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.

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bigby2010 t1_j6m6cb5 wrote

Yeah, no kidding. I have 3”x5” cards on my desk for this reason. Put a little circle next to the task, and tick it off when done.

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wildadragon t1_j6m74le wrote

Some things I'll never forget, I'll take it to my grave and beyond. However those are the things I'll never share with another human being.

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pixeequeen84 t1_j6mb8sq wrote

But in which of the 22 notebooks did I write it? And will I be able to decipher it later? I always have notebooks and pens around (we're stationary whores, good pens, nice notebooks), but for shit I need to remember, samsung notes on my phone. Good tip, just adding to write it down in a place you'll remember.

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icome3rd t1_j6mbeqd wrote

Everytime i think of something i tell siri to create a reminder.

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RandomActsOfKidneys t1_j6mbx95 wrote

I do. I have 48 notes in my notes folder.

Except I forget they're there until I make another note to not forget the new idea/thing I have to do.

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TheN1ght0w1 t1_j6mc5vy wrote

I swear i wrote it down on a post-it note somewhere! Now i only need to find it..

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mcshadypants t1_j6mc890 wrote

me missing gam-gams funeral

"now I know im forgetting something"

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Ruhh-Rohh t1_j6mekvb wrote

A dull pencil is better than a sharp mind, my grandpa said.

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Empire2k5 t1_j6mgmst wrote

Doesn't work that way, I'll still forget

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SynbiosVyse t1_j6mhpvx wrote

Replying to killerklixx (#1,651,987)

I despise post-its for this reason. They're a very inefficient way to maintain notes.

Most people probably don't use them correctly. Use them for ephemeral reminders on your keyboard or monitor and throw them away after a day.

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DeftTrack81 t1_j6mlofd wrote

Or use the magic rectangle in your hand. Mark it on your calendar, set an alarm and name it what you want to remember. So many options that don't require keeping up with tons of sticky notes.

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zeke1220 t1_j6mq18c wrote

I'll be sure to remember this the next time I need to remember something.

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JGSolorzano t1_j6msf7k wrote

This is dumb, I remember stuff just fine

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valdemiro t1_j6mug0c wrote

I've got to remember to write this Life Pro Tip down later.

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AnybodySeeMyKeys t1_j6mveq8 wrote

I always keep a small notebook with me. I was a little self-conscious about it at first and thought it was goofy. But it's crazy how many things I remember simply because I take the time to write it down.

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0x077777 t1_j6mvjin wrote

I had to write this LPT down

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Anarimus t1_j6mw9w6 wrote

I’ll take Resetting passwords for old people for 200$

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Bemxuu t1_j6mzqj7 wrote

"The dullest pencil remembers better than sharpest memory".

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leolacakes t1_j6n0wvq wrote

You didn’t have to call me out so viscerally

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kjm16216 t1_j6n2ltx wrote

I would expand on this to say even if you are young and do tend to remember, there will come a day when you won't. Develop good habits now.

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RamenHa1 t1_j6n2lzl wrote

As a standup comedian who is constantly thinking of new stuff to laugh at just from talking to myself. These are really words to live by

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Vospader998 t1_j6n2nmi wrote

I've learned this lesson the hard way too may times. And continue to learn it all the time. Maybe I should write it down...

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knowbodynows t1_j6n2uwr wrote

Or, stare at specific thing in your present view which you know that you will see later, such as your external doorknob, the shoes you will put on in the morning, your toothbrush, your gas cap, etc. Say, "when I see this again I will remember ______.’

It works.

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AllenRBrady t1_j6n37af wrote

Replying to pixeequeen84 (#1,652,707)

It might not even matter if you remember where the note is. The simple act of writing things down has been demonstrated to improve your chance of remembering the content later. Research shows that adding a sensory component to information greatly improves the ability to recall that particular memory. Writing information down adds two sensory cues to the memory: visual and tactile.

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mrparoxysms t1_j6n3pg5 wrote

On the flip side, when I'm giving someone directions and they're not writing it down, I begin to expect they will forget something of what I asked them to do. It typically pans out that way.

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nucumber t1_j6n5y0o wrote

Replying to bigby2010 (#1,651,404)

i wrote stuff down on a legal pad. i rarely left my desk without it because i would often be stopped and asked for something (i was the data and reports guy on a floor with several hundred people)

i crossed stuff out when done or add a short note if it was a work in progress and i had taken an action or was waiting for someone

every few days i would transfer all the open items to a new page with the date at the top, prioritizing as i did so.

i may not have been the best and brightest data and reports person but i would have to be asked for something only once, while others with jobs similar to mine who didn't write stuff would have to be reminded again and again

now, there were some people who would ask for stuff without thinking it through, or really needing it. i would ask them to send me an email request, and asking them to put that little bit of work into making their request often ended it.

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_Eklapse_ t1_j6n5zhr wrote

"dumb remember; smart write down"

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AsashinDaka420 t1_j6n66pu wrote

Or just do what Sleeping with Sirens did and Do It Now; Remember It Later

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PlagueDoc22 t1_j6n6c7c wrote

I knew u should've written my name down as a 4 year old.

Now I'm 30 and just go by man man.

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WarriorNN t1_j6n6hyw wrote

Just forget stuff, like a cool person. /s

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ROADHOG_IS_MY_WAIFU t1_j6n6km8 wrote

If you're unable to write it down (e.g. you have a good idea while driving) say it out loud! You're more likely to remember something if you say it aloud. Obviously, writing it down is the best but this is a good alternative if needed.

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Patiod t1_j6n86av wrote

I always tell young colleagues to keep a running list of the projects they worked on, disease category, clients, and notes on what they contributed or learned. Then, when they go to look for another job, they aren't rummaging through their memory for this information. Employers will ask for that, and it's nice to have right in front of you in a spreadsheet.

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ComradeFausto t1_j6n86fi wrote

I don't remember it now, much less later.

I swear the worst part of getting older was going from having instant recollection to barely remembering my name most days.

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anniecet t1_j6n8caw wrote

Of course I am not going to remember it until the middle of the night when I cannot do anything about it. So I will lay awake worrying about it, get up late and rush to work forgetting all about it.

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sebadc t1_j6n8ckq wrote

You can even send it to yourself as a message via WhatsApp or Signal.

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erikieperikie t1_j6n8klp wrote

Oh yes I will, because if I won't, it's not important enough to remember.

If otherwise, I'd have memory issues.

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mariposa654 t1_j6n8r98 wrote

Ha! In WHICH notebook? And WHERE is that notebook? Notes on my phone? Which of the 430 should I look at?

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tnsmaster t1_j6n8rl0 wrote

This is why I have 50 post-it notes on my work desk and another 50 on my personal desk, and I don't know what about 90% of them are trying to tell me...

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plausibleturtle t1_j6n8tzj wrote

Replying to icome3rd (#1,652,743)

I use google - it's also been a huge help to my anxiety. I'm setting aside space later to think, do or worry about something when I can take my time.

"Hey google, remind me in xyz hours/days/on Thursday to do ABC."

Amazing.

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NoBSforGma t1_j6n9lgl wrote

Oh, absolutely! We all have so many things swirling around our heads that when something comes up that you need to remember -- write it down! Stop whatever you are doing and WRITE IT DOWN. You will be glad later.

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crispyLechon_qwq t1_j6n9pn6 wrote

Screenshotted.

I'll wait until 3 years when I inevitably see this image in my phone again

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Sheila_Monarch t1_j6n9s3x wrote

LPT Addendum: You don’t even necessarily have to write it down. If you’re, say, driving, showering, or tucked in bed just about to fall asleep (the 3 big ones for me when these thoughts occur to me)….say “Siri make a note that Jennifer said she likes orchids instead of roses” or “Siri remind me at 3pm tomorrow to call Steve” or “Siri add coffee to my grocery list”. The latter requires you have a Reminder list named “Grocery”, but the others will happen automatically.

I believe Androids have the same function, I just don’t know the magic words for Android.

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7Jers3y2 t1_j6n9sjp wrote

Where do I write this post down?

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Skullerprop t1_j6n9tiy wrote

Where did I put my pencil? I should have write it down where I put it.

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DukeFlipside t1_j6n9xqs wrote

I will absolutely remember it later - but whether that's in six hours, six weeks, six months, or six years is anyone's guess.

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Punisher41 t1_j6na7tb wrote

glances over to the 47 post-it notes on the wall nervously

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Josh-Greene t1_j6naonc wrote

Best productivity tip ever. We think we will remember for sure, but just like that those golden ideas are gone! 😂

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NegaJared t1_j6nb1wm wrote

#i will not remember the note later, remmeber it now

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YeltsinYerMouth t1_j6nbe2w wrote

Similarly, you won't remember to leave early to refuel your car; do it now.

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tokeyoh t1_j6nbugl wrote

Replying to pixeequeen84 (#1,652,707)

Definitely write detailed notes with context haha. I write jokes occassionally, and when I have a funny idea I'll put it in my phone. But then when it comes to write I have no idea what my notes mean

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kwxl t1_j6nbwlj wrote

If I get an idea or a thought I need to remember a little later I usually say (or sing) the thing out loud a couple of times, sometimes I stamp my foot or pinch myself or do some other physical thing at the same time. This somehow makes me remember it better.

Now try visualizing a tall, 48 year old bearded man stomping his foot and singing “buuuuuy butter” a couple of times….

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Ekublai t1_j6ndfhk wrote

Some things are worth forgetting

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real_bk3k t1_j6nffow wrote

Replying to The_Real_Raw_Gary (#1,663,383)

I write stuff down on my computer, which at least helps if I'm in front of it.

Otherwise, write down on paper, take a pic of your note with your phone, move picture to dedicated folder for notes (or individual folders for subjects).

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hknewt t1_j6ntw3r wrote

You don't even have to write it with a smart phone

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chaot1c-n3utral t1_j6nvy1q wrote

Let me see if I will still remember it later to write down this LPT.

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Materias t1_j6ny2j6 wrote

Replying to AnybodySeeMyKeys (#1,658,635)

If you don't mind me asking, what kinds of things do you write down? I've thought of doing this before, but I always think it would seem out of place to pause mid conversation or whatever it is you are doing and write. I wouldn't think it's goofy as I'm someone who forgets a ridiculous amount of things that people tell me. I think it's a good idea, just curious on how I could implement it well.

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SailboatAB t1_j6nzy1h wrote

I write down a lot of stuff. But I'm plagued by people asking me to recall it off the top of my head. I tell them "Just a moment, I have notes," and the invariable answer is, "Oh no, don't bother, just off the top of your head/whatever you remember."

The idiots never seem aware that I write things down specifically so that I don't have to carry them around in my head constantly.

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AnybodySeeMyKeys t1_j6o9btm wrote

Replying to Materias (#1,670,952)

Aside from the obvious such as meeting notes, I keep a running To-Do list, crossing things off as I do them. I also am a writer, so random notes that I later type into documents and the what not.

There are just times when you can't whip out your phone and type things in. Plus, I believe that the physical act of writing tends to imprint things in your brain more readily

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sc00bydoobyd00 t1_j6ohtod wrote

That's a great tip! I'll make sure to remember that.

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