Page 83 - The Memory Program How to Prevent Memory Loss and Enhance Memory Power

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3. If a list is too long, classify it into categories, for example, people to contact (call, E-mail),
meetings to attend, business trips to make. A computerized word-processing or spreadsheet list
is the best solution if many items need to be added and deleted frequently on an ongoing basis.
4. Calendars, appointment books, electronic organizers: make sure you refer to them after you
actually make the entries. Stick with what makes you comfortable; the latest technology isn't
the best for everyone.
5. You should carry your memory helper with you most of the time. Once you decide on what
you will use, stick to it, don't lapse in keeping up. Periodically reevaluate whether you want to
continue with it, for example, your appointment book may no longer be sufficient and so you
might want to switch to an electronic device.
6. If you keep files in drawers and file cabinets, stick to your system and be regular in updating
and checking your files.
7. If you use stickies for each piece of information, make sure you follow up and act on each
stickie, then promptly destroy it to avoid stickie clutter.
8. Watch out if you're transferring information from one system to another, for example,
handwritten notes to a computer document. This is where slipups often take place.
9. Be economical; don't use too many lists or types of lists. If you frequently discover that you
don't remember what item you put down on which list, it means that you have too many lists
and need to develop a new system that reduces the number or types of lists that you have.

In this context, I once had the misfortune of having a research coordinator (on one of my projects)
who systematically wrote down every instruction on a notepad and then generated computerized list
after list that she could never keep track of. This became a recipe for disaster— luckily minor
disasters— until I insisted that she change her system and keep only one comprehensive
computerized list that she updated regularly.

Trash the Junk

People who walk into my office are often shocked to see hardly any loose papers on my desk and
conference table, especially those people who