I know most of you have heard this before, and you might be
like I was and not really believe it. I can
say without a doubt … I BELIEVE!
I realized I was waking up in the middle of the night,
wondering what I had forgotten to do that day.
I would almost have a panic attack in the shower over something I overlooked
earlier in the week. I would double book
myself. I was stressed and panicked all
the time that stuff was falling through the cracks. I am sure that most of you can relate.
Then, I took a task/time
management class that discussed what having good notes could do for you. I decided to give it a try. I can say without a doubt that it saved my
sanity.
I know this seems so simple, but it did take me years to marry
completely to this idea of notes. I always believed that my mind would remember
something I thought of at 1 am and then again in the shower. Yet, when push came to shove, it would totally
let me down and I would forget entirely to work on my PowerPoint when I was at
work or buy cat food on the way home.
You might be thinking, “I am not a fan of lists and I don’t
want to sit and take notes all the time”.
Honestly – I thought the same thing. But, I am not proposing you make a daily list
of things to do. This is not that sort
of suggestion. I was never good at the
whole A, B, C / 1, 2, 3 list thingy. But,
I did find beauty in a simple note. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good task list. Yet, I hated the thought of ranking them each
day and then trying to live by that list as the day went on.
I use an old fashion steno
pad or one of those cheap small spiral notepads. I have these on my desk, in my purse, on the
bedside table, in the bathroom drawer, etc.
I keep a pen attached to them at all times. Then, when I have a quick thought in the
shower about blog ideas, I can quickly dry my hands, pull open the drawer, and
jot a note. If I am out to dinner with
friends and realize I forgot to send Lynda a note asking about her vacation, I
can jot that down. If I am driving and
at a light I see vet sign, I can jot down that I need cat food. I also carry one to any discussion or meeting
with my co-workers, bosses or friends, to ensure that I capture things that I
will forget before I get back to my computer.
Once I am back at my
computer, I process these notes. I send
the email or I add the note to my task list, my calendar, my shopping list or
wherever it needs to go. I then crinkle up
the note and give a paper ball toy to my cats to play with. It is a win/win for us all.
Trust me, it did take me years to fully marry to the idea of notes. I would not want to step out of the warm shower to jot a note. But, after finally realizing the need for better notes, I find I sleep better. I don’t have panic attacks and I don’t double book myself.
