Remembering with Purpose

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In our house, we pass through the laundry room to get into the garage, and my wife often left me things to take with me, such as documents or packages, right on top of the washing machine or the dryer.  Except that, as logical as it was for her to put these things there, they didn't work for me, at least not initially.  I do a mental check of what I need to bring, and what I need to bring I put on my desk in my study upstairs.  So long before I reach the laundry room, I already have things on hand.  It wasn't difficult of course to shift my mindset, according to what worked best for my wife.  Putting things on the washing machine or dryer helped her make sure not to forget what she had to bring with her.  But it is important to consider what works best for you or a family member.

One time, I must've been going through a stressful stretch, and I seemed to forget to bring my wallet regularly.  It is illegal to drive without your license, so going off in the car without my wallet was a concern.  I am mindful enough that when I am under stress, or when I must absorb myself in work, I avoid little things that can be a minor disaster.  In general, for example, I avoid having drinks while I'm at my laptop, most especially when I oblivious to things outside of what I'm working on.  Alternatively I put a drink at arm's length, so I don't accidentally knock it over.  Two years ago I dropped a hot entree at my father's house, when I was in the midst of a long day of taking care of my ailing mother.  So when I have to transfer a steaming dish from the microwave to the table, I am deliberate about using pot holders and two hands.

What was one thing I would never forget, when leaving the house, I asked myself.  My keys.  It worked perfectly, in that stressful, forgetful stretch, to put the keys right on top of my wallet.  We have hooks for keys right by the door, heading into the garage, so it's convenient and we don't misplace car keys.  But what I discovered long ago has been a convenient mechanism for remembering things: I'd put my keys on envelopes and bags at home, or wherever, and my sisters would do the same thing: that is, put leftovers and other items they want us to take home, right by my keys and wallet.

The Core Algorithm is simple in that we do only what works vis-a-vis whatever it is we want or need to do.  It requires us to be purposeful and mindful, in order to make it work.