muhamedr
05-11-2010, 12:46 AM
Have you ever forgotten where you put your keys?
Is there anything more frustrating than trying to
get out the door on a rushed and frazzled morning
then having to suddenly hunt all over the house for
your keys? You could swear you left them on the
kitchen counter the night before ... didn't you?
And what's embarrassing is when you do eventually
find them - in a part of the house that you don't
remember being in last night, like the back porch
or guest bedroom.
One of the main reasons we lose things like keys
and glasses and receipts and other miscellaneous
items is because in our minds, they are just that -
miscellaneous. We don't give them enough of our
attention for the mind to assume that this is
something important, something we need to remember.
Think about the last time you did an addition problem
by hand. Do you right now remember the "carry" numbers
you needed? Probably not, for the same reason as we
mentioned above - your mind doesn't register that
information as being important enough to remember for
any length of time.
The trick to overcoming this is to really focus and
concentrate on our actions, especially things that
we'll need to remember for any length of time - or
even until the next morning. When coming in the house
in the evening, make that "mental note" of where you're
setting your keys or your purse or your wallet. Stop
what you're doing and think for a moment, even say
silently to yourself, "I'm putting my keys on the kitchen
counter because I don't want the baby to get them like
he did last time." Or, "I'm putting my keys on the desk
in the office because I want to remember to bring the
report that's sitting under them."
By giving these minor details a few seconds of your
focused attention, you're sure to spur your brain into
remembering them, making those rushed and frazzled
mornings just a little less so!
Is there anything more frustrating than trying to
get out the door on a rushed and frazzled morning
then having to suddenly hunt all over the house for
your keys? You could swear you left them on the
kitchen counter the night before ... didn't you?
And what's embarrassing is when you do eventually
find them - in a part of the house that you don't
remember being in last night, like the back porch
or guest bedroom.
One of the main reasons we lose things like keys
and glasses and receipts and other miscellaneous
items is because in our minds, they are just that -
miscellaneous. We don't give them enough of our
attention for the mind to assume that this is
something important, something we need to remember.
Think about the last time you did an addition problem
by hand. Do you right now remember the "carry" numbers
you needed? Probably not, for the same reason as we
mentioned above - your mind doesn't register that
information as being important enough to remember for
any length of time.
The trick to overcoming this is to really focus and
concentrate on our actions, especially things that
we'll need to remember for any length of time - or
even until the next morning. When coming in the house
in the evening, make that "mental note" of where you're
setting your keys or your purse or your wallet. Stop
what you're doing and think for a moment, even say
silently to yourself, "I'm putting my keys on the kitchen
counter because I don't want the baby to get them like
he did last time." Or, "I'm putting my keys on the desk
in the office because I want to remember to bring the
report that's sitting under them."
By giving these minor details a few seconds of your
focused attention, you're sure to spur your brain into
remembering them, making those rushed and frazzled
mornings just a little less so!