Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
I Don’t Recall
Sometimes a client will call me and say, “Do you remember where we put the return address stamp?” I can never remember. However, 90 percent of the time, I can tell them where to look and they find it because I know that I would have put it in a logical place, and I know where I tend to put whatever it is.
The fact is, I have a terrible memory. At 50 this would scare me, except that I have always had a terrible memory. Unlike some of my clients, whose minds are like steel traps, I have had to develop good habits to function, and in the long run it turns out that habits are more reliable than memories.
For me, the whole point of being organized is to take some of the pressure off of our overtaxed prefrontal cortex and transfer the burden to our less complex, but more efficient basal ganglia. By creating habits, we don’t have to think too hard about where to put the keys, or try too hard to remember where we put the keys: We know that if we always put them in the dish by the door, then we will always be able to find them, so that is what we do, and voilà: They are there.
So rather than worry that you are getting forgetful, put your energy into being consistent (keys on the front hall table, check book in the top right drawer of your desk and so on) and developing good habits: Your prefrontal cortex will thank you.