Now Where Did I Put My Memory

One of the simplest but most powerful habits I have established in my life is to write things down.  Why is it so important?


1) If your memory is anything like mine it's a leaking bucket.
I have noticed when reviewing old notes how much my memory can leak.  The memory isn't all that reliable.  Every time we remember something we recreate what happened rather than just replay a film from our mental archives.  So we need some kind of system outside of ourselves.


2) Ideas don't stay for long.
Fine or awesome ideas can pop up at the strangest times but they tend not to stay for long in your head.  So you need to capture them fast or they are gone in the wind.


3)  Written goals are very important.
One thing a lot of very successful self-improvement writers go on and on about is the importance of having written goals.  A written goal brings clarity and focus.  It gives you direction.  And by rewriting your goals you not only reaffirm what your goals are you may also find new insights that bring more clarity and focus to your goal and life.


4)  To remind yourself of what to focus on.
Often we get caught up in our everyday business and lose track of what is most important.  To keep yourself on track - instead of just keeping yourself busy with low-priority tasks - simply write down a reminder that can stop your thoughts when you see it and guide you back on track again.  It can for example be your current goal.  I also like reminders like: "keep things extremely simple" and "what is the most important thing I can do right now?"  Write down your reminder and put that reminder where you can't avoid seeing it throughout your day.


5)  Unloading your mental RAM.
When you don't occupy your mind with having to remember every little thing - like how much milk to get - you become less stressed and it becomes easier to think clearly.  This is, in my opinion, one of the most important reasons to write things down.  Feeling calmer and more relaxed does not only improves your health but also makes life easier and more smooth and effective.


6)  Get to know yourself and your life better and improve long-term focus.
You can use a journal as a way to keep an overview of your thinking over a longer span and to recognize both positives and negatives in your thinking and actions.
By writing things down you can help yourself to spot trouble and get yourself back on track and keep yourself there within a larger time frame.  Or your journal may tell you something that you haven't really paid much attention to about yourself and/or about your life.  And so this can bring clarity.


So here are some of the most important reasons why I write everything down.  How to capture your thoughts?  Well, that's up to you.  Try different ways and find the ones that you feel most comfortable and effective with.