Page 172 - How to Develop A SUPER-POWER MEMORY

176 Don't Be Absent-minded
occupied" as one of the definitions of absent-minded, and
that just about hits the nail on the head. The little things
that we do continually, like putting down things, are just
not important enough to occupy our minds—so, we become
absent-minded.
It stands to reason that if you put things away without
thinking, or mechanically, you'll forget where they are,
because you never remembered in the first place. When you
leave your house, you usually worry about whether you
locked your door or not, simply because you locked it un-
consciously, without giving it a thought.
So, I've solved your problem! To avoid absentmindedness,
think what you're doing. I know, you're thinking, "I knew
that. If I were able to think each time I put something
away, or locked a door, I wouldn't be absent-minded!"
Okay, then, why not use conscious associations to help you
remember trivial things? You can, you know, and it's easy
to do.
For example, one thing that is annoying to all of us, is
forgetting to mail letters. You either forget to take them
when you leave your house, or, if you do take them, they
remain in your pocket for days. If you want to be sure that
you take the letter with you when you leave the house, do
this:— First decide what it is that you do or see at the very
last moment upon leaving your house. I personally see the
doorknob of my front door, because I check it to see if the
door is locked. That is the last thing I do, so I make a ridicu-
lous association between doorknob and letter. When I leave
my house the next morning, I'll check the doorknob; once
I think of doorknob, I'll recall my ridiculous association
and remember that I must take the letter!
The last thing that you do before you leave your house,
may be entirely different; you may kiss your wife or husband