[00:00:00] Leah: I used to see myself as someone who could not remember anything. I was constantly forgetting appointments and birthdays and all kinds of important, special things that I really wanted to remember, but I wasn’t. And, you know, that’s kind of how my family had always been. I grew up in a family that never remembered.

[00:00:21] Leah: Those big occasions or appointments or things that just should have been remembered. And so I guess they sort of thought that that was just the way we were. Now, it’s… Effortless to remember things, but in all honesty, I’m not actually remembering anything. So what I want to do today in this episode is to talk to you about my secrets to effortlessly remembering everything without actually having to remember.

[00:00:53] Leah: So that is what we’re getting into this episode. I cannot wait to jump in.

[00:00:59] 

[00:01:31] Leah: Okay. So in case you’re new around here, I have to start by making sure you know that I am dyslexic and ADD. So me being able to remember things, the cards are stacked against me. And yet I have used systems and strategies in order to make it so that I can effortlessly remember the things that matter.

[00:01:52] Leah: Spoiler, I’m not actually remembering anything, but we’re going to get into that in a minute. So let’s get into this and let’s talk about what this actually looks like. Like, they’re real tangible examples in my life. Okay, first of all, I absolutely rely on reminders, alerts, and stations. And I’m going to go into this and actually give you examples, but I want to just start by saying I would not remember anything if it wasn’t for the reminders, the alerts, and the stations that I have.

[00:02:20] Leah: And I’ll explain why the stations matter so much. Because if you remember, but you remember it a little too late, or you don’t have time to go gather the things that you need. Let’s say it’s somebody’s birthday, and you remember it’s their birthday, but you… aren’t prepared for it to be their birthday.

[00:02:37] Leah: Well, then that doesn’t do a lot of good. So that’s why I have stations in place to help me so that when I do remember I’m set up for success. Okay. The first example I wanted to give you was family pictures. So over the summer, I knew I needed to make sure we had family pictures done. Our oldest was going to be going off to college at the end of the summer.

[00:03:00] Leah: And in order to have a family Christmas card with all of us in it, we were going to need to get Those family pictures done early. And so I put into my calendar a five minute appointment that said schedule family pictures. And to set myself up for success, I even added the website of the photographer, the email address of the photographer, everything I was going to need to make it really, really easy, because it was one of those things that I thought about in, like, April, but I didn’t want to get photos done in April.

[00:03:31] Leah: I wanted to wait until August, closer to her going off to school, so that, you know, everyone would look a little bit more grown up and ready for what they were going to look like in… December, when I would be sending out Christmas cards. So I set this alarm in my phone back when I thought of it in springtime, and I set it for early July.

[00:03:53] Leah: Then I set a second alarm in my calendar. Now what this is, is it’s literally me just scheduling a five minute Appointment with myself in my calendar to do something and then in the notes, I’ll have anything extra that I need that’s going to help me to accomplish that goal. So it was schedule family pictures for end of August and it had contact information for the photographer.

[00:04:21] Leah: Then one week later, another appointment popped up on my calendar and it said, did you schedule family pictures? If you don’t, you’re really going to regret this. I literally was giving myself the pep talk I needed of, Hey, if you’ve procrastinated on this, you are gonna be mad at yourself.

[00:04:41] Leah: Get it done. Now, I was super proud of myself because I actually had taken care of it with that first alarm, but the second one was there to just be a safeguard to make sure that I didn’t miss this thing that was really important to me but could have been so easy to think, Oh, I’ll do that later, right?

[00:04:57] Leah: Because… You think about it in the middle of running an errand or driving in the car and you don’t have the email address you need, right? There’s so many times where it pops up in your head at the most inopportune time. You can’t do anything about it right then. And that’s why I use Siri or Alexa to remind me.

[00:05:14] Leah: I set appointments into my calendar. So there’s my first example of literally That is what it looks like for me to remember something. I make a five minute appointment in my calendar. I make a follow up appointment the following week, where I talk very clearly to myself about why I need to actually remember to do the thing that I want to do.

[00:05:32] Leah: And I use these Everywhere. Okay, so the same thing happens with birthdays. I have the person’s birthday in my calendar, but then I have a reminder that is one or two weeks earlier that is reminding me that it’s their birthday and so I need to get them a gift or I need to get something in the mail, whatever it might be.

[00:05:55] Leah: Now, here’s where having a station comes in really, really handy. If I’m trying to be thoughtful and send out the birthday card, but me sending out the birthday card means I’ve got to run to the store and find a card, then I’ve got to go to the post office and get stamps, then I need to get it into the mail, the likelihood of me getting to do that thoughtful gesture is basically zero.

[00:06:16] Leah: It’s not going to happen. But… If I have a station in place that just makes it a little bit easier, then the likelihood of me getting that birthday card or gift out is much, much higher. So what this looks like is I have a, and I’m sure you probably have this too, right? But I have a little basket that is cards, birthday cards, thank you cards, get well cards, wedding, expecting, congratulations, just all kinds of cute cards when I’m, Boughting them at like TJ Maxx or you know, somewhere like that.

[00:06:50] Leah: I just pick up a few cute ones and I’ve got them ready I also make sure that I have stamps. I have birthday stamps. I have Christmas stamps. I have pretty stamps I have stamps ready so that I don’t need to go run and get them when The need arises. I even have a gift bin which you probably do too But one thing that I will suggest adding to your gift basket or bin that you have is some gift cards.

[00:07:17] Leah: Every once in a while, you’re like, you know what I just need? I need a gift card that I can throw in this envelope and send it out with a regular stamp. Or your kiddo has a birthday party and you’re like, shoot, I did not have time to get a gift. Gift card. Here you go. So adding gift cards to my gift station.

[00:07:34] Leah: So now I have the postage. I have the packaging. I have the cards. I have all the gift wrap type stuff. I have this whole basket of all kinds of different gifts so I can grab different things. For when I need them. All of that creates the station that helps me in my ability to remember because you know people love being remembered they love when you have thought of them and Honestly, if there’s five steps between me and them getting to feel remembered for their birthday, it might not happen but When there’s only one or two steps, because I have the station and I have the appointment in my calendar that says one week beforehand, send out a card or two weeks beforehand, purchase a gift, whatever it might be, that really helps.

[00:08:21] Leah: Another tip that I have just when we’re talking about gifts and when we’re talking about remembering people is, I really suggest if you see something great, don’t hesitate. Just pick it up. I cannot tell you how often I saw something. I thought about it, and then I thought, oh, I’ll get it later.

[00:08:40] Leah: Well, when their birthday came, when the later came, I’m like, I can’t remember what it is. I don’t seem to have time. I’m especially busy during that week, whatever might be happening. And so just giving myself the gift of picking it up when I think about it. This is also, my sister and I were talking about this with with Christmas time.

[00:09:02] Leah: Picking up the thing when you see it, so that it’s checked off the list, it’s one more thing done, instead of, oh, I’ll pick it up later, and now you’re just giving future you more things to do. And future you is not grateful for that. Future you would like you to just take care of it right now. So that is my strategy with birthdays. Now let’s shift and talk about just the silly things around the house. One of the things that I think is really, really helpful is to build a routine. So if there are things that you feel extra forgetful about, maybe you lose your keys all the time.

[00:09:37] Leah: Setting up a little routine. We have a basket, a little cute basket by the front door that everybody can drop their keys in. That way they’re going to know where their keys are. As long as they use the basket, their keys are going to be where they need them to be when they’re ready to go somewhere. Maybe it’s your wallet.

[00:09:56] Leah: So you have a special place that you put your purse or your wallet or your handbag. I’m saying wallet because my husband never knows where his wallet is. And if you are one of those people where you’re like, honestly, I’m still going to not remember where I put it. Then that is why you buy an AirTag, right?

[00:10:11] Leah: I bought AirTags for my husband last Christmas, and I made sure I got him the card kind to be able to put in his wallet since he is always losing that. I put one on his keys, honestly, I put them everywhere, but one on our dog. It’s these simple things that just help me where if I do have a moment. I have a little system in place.

[00:10:30] Leah: I can use my AirTag and I can find whatever is missing.

[00:10:34] Leah: And speaking of systems, let’s not underestimate the power of sticky notes. Now, a sticky note is only going to work if a sticky note is handy. So, making sure that you have sticky notes in a couple of really handy, easy spots. I have one in my purse. That way I can like literally write on the sticky note, put it on the steering wheel.

[00:10:54] Leah: If there’s something that I need to remember, I have them in a drawer in my kitchen. I have them in the drawer in my kitchen so I can easily put a sticky note on the fridge or on the front door or wherever I need it. Just utilizing simple, simple strategies that are going to help you become that person who remembers.

[00:11:17] Leah: Even if it’s not really remembering, it’s just being reminded, but you’re going to start feeling like that person who just feels really confident because you remember people’s birthdays, you remember appointments, you remember those things that you meant to do that you wanted to do because you’re utilizing simple systems like reminders and sticky notes and having little systems in place and alerts on your phone and all these different things.

[00:11:41] Leah: I mean, there is power in utilizing Alexa and Siri to remember And help you remember and remind you of all the things that you’re trying to keep track of in your life. Here’s the truth. We are keeping track of so many things. Okay, we are not just managing our homes. We’re managing our calendar, our kids calendars, our spouse’s calendar, our business calendar.

[00:12:03] Leah: We’re managing family things. We’re managing school things. We’re managing volunteering things. I mean, the amount of things that I am trying to keep track of. On a daily basis, and I know it’s the same thing for you. Do not beat yourself up and do not say those phrases like, I never remember, I’m always late, I’m always forgetting, I wouldn’t be able to keep track of my own head if it wasn’t attached.

[00:12:29] Leah: Stop, stop, please, don’t say things like that. No one could remember the amount of things that we are meant to remember. Anybody could. Do you know how those who seem like they’re remembering it all do it? Utilizing reminders and alerts and systems. That’s how. So just start using them for yourself. Just start grabbing on to those different things.

[00:12:55] Leah: Try out different ones. Figure out what works for you. 

[00:12:58] Leah: And speaking of trying to remember all of these different things, and this is definitely going to lend to the fact that I have ADD. This is going to make it super obvious, but it’s really easy to get distracted. And honestly, I kind of think it’s easy for all of us to get distracted. I don’t even think you have to have ADD to get distracted because…

[00:13:16] Leah: There’s just so many things that we’re always trying to do and I know you can get distracted on your phone or wherever it might be But I definitely have these moments where I’m trying to switch a load of laundry That was the thing that I was going to do But as I was walking to the laundry room I saw something in the family room which made me think it needs to go to the kitchen then when I got to the kitchen I realized there were dishes in the sink So I was gonna put them in the dishwasher But then when I opened the dishwasher the dishwasher was full so then I started unloading that then that led me to to go bring something back into the bedroom.

[00:13:44] Leah: And then the bedroom made me think of something else, and you understand. You get what happens. When there is something that I am trying to remember, like switching the laundry, because I know myself, I literally chant, switch the laundry, switch the laundry, switch the laundry, until I am in the laundry room switching the laundry.

[00:14:06] Leah: I look ridiculous. It’s crazy, but it’s how I make sure I remember to switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer and then move along. Simple systems, right? Like, these are all such, such simple systems. We’re talking about… Utilizing reminders. In your phone, setting little calendar dates with yourself and putting in as much information as possible so that it is as easy as it can humanly be for you to complete that test.

[00:14:35] Leah: We’re talking about utilizing alerts, letting Alexa and Siri remind you of things, having a little alarm with a timer, having Sticky notes that you have in your car that you can stick on the steering wheel if you need to remember something. Having sticky notes that you can put on your handbag. Having a sticky note you can put on the fridge or on the front door.

[00:14:54] Leah: Making sure that they’re accessible. We’re talking about having really simple stations in place that are going to help you. A little basket for the keys. A gift basket with cards and wrapping paper and stamps and gift cards and everything you would need to make sure that somebody feels thought of. What other stations would help you in your life?

[00:15:15] Leah: Make a simple station for whatever that is. It’s not about having to actually remember everything it’s about building the habits to create routines in your life that allow you to appear like you’re remembering everything when really you are just incredibly good at using reminders, systems, stations.

[00:15:44] Leah: And alerts to help you make sure that you get all the important stuff done and make it happen. That is my secret to effortlessly remembering everything without actually having to remember anything.

[00:16:02] Leah: I cannot wait for you to grab on to a couple of these tips, and I hope you will. And I would love to know which ones are you going to use. Is there one you’re already using, and how do you use it? Connect with me on Instagram. My handle is Leah Remillet and DM me. I would absolutely love to hear. And if you love this podcast and you feel like you get tips and tricks that really are helping you balance the busy, please take a moment and leave a five star review on Apple or Audible.

[00:16:33] Leah: That would mean the world. And it helps me so much in getting this podcast out to more of us who just need a little bit more help balancing the busy. Thank you so much for being a part of this podcast and I will see you next week. 

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