Tricks to Counter the Absent Mind

dragon wench · #1 (**permalink**) 03-09-2005, 09:45 AM

I'm hopelessly absent-minded, and forever misplacing important items such as my wallet, keys and asthma inhalor...

A few months ago, after having misplaced my housekeys for the umpteenth time, I finally hit on a solution. The problem with keys, for me, is that they are far too easy to stick into the back pocket of my jeans, jacket pocket, knapsack pockets and various other locations that I invariably forget about.
So.. finally, I decided to attach them to my cell phone. This way, it is far less easy to just absently place my keys into a pocket, and if I get really stuck I can use our landline to call my cell phone and hence locate my keys

And thus far, it has worked, I haven't lost my keys in at least two months, practically a record for me

So, is there anybody else out there who is as hopeless about misplacing things? And have you come up with any solutions to counter the problem?

Luis Antonio · #2 (**permalink**) 03-09-2005, 09:57 AM

I dont forget in wich places I put objects on, but I have a memory problem with my tasks. So I need to keep an agenda and a schedule always by my side, or I'll soon be completely lost.

Its terrible.

Rob-hin · #3 (**permalink**) 03-09-2005, 10:10 AM

An absinth mind?

Yes, I know the feeling.

Oooh, absent. Well... I leave notes everywhere. Do this then and then, contact him/her and stuff like that. It really works.

dragon wench · #4 (**permalink**) 03-09-2005, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob-hin

An absinth mind?

Yes, I know the feeling.

Oooh, absent. Well... I leave notes everywhere. Do this then and then, contact him/her and stuff like that. It really works.

lmao!

Ugh.. absinthe.. *shudder*

lol! Well I tried leaving notes around. But I either lost the bits of paper or forgot where I had put them...

For a time I tried leaving stickies all around my computer monitor, but I thought they looked messy, and they kept falling down anyway

Luis Antonio · #5 (**permalink**) 03-09-2005, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragon wench

For a time I tried leaving stickies all around my computer monitor, but I thought they looked messy, and they kept falling down anyway

Once, my boss told me to never come with yellow paper in front of him, because of my monitor. Then I picked up a pink stickie. When he saw me he told "You stick that there and I'll have you fired... Please, pick up the yellow ones."

Magrus · #6 (**permalink**) 03-09-2005, 10:22 AM

It sort of comes and goes with me. My short term memory is just non-existant. To the point, if I go out with someone, and even spend 5 minutes in a store I can't find my way back to the car right away a good deal of the time if I can't see it upon exiting.

Unless I can see things upon looking around I forget they are there sort of thing. So, while I know I have stuff in my closet in boxes, aside from a few particular items, it happens to just be "stuff" to me. I can't recall what's there or where I put what and all of that.

Losing things, I put all of the things I need daily right next to my bed and if I go out with them I put them in my pockets and put my wallet on top of them in my pocket in case I think they might fall out. It holds them in there for the most part so things won't fall out. My cell phone had a nasty habit if sliding out of my pocket when I'm sitting in the car or somewhere.

Unfortunately when I DO lose something, I need to tear the house apart. I simply can't recall when I had it last usually. I might remember say, getting drunk and partying with my keys a few weeks ago, or dropping ithem on my foot and hurting myself a few days ago. I won't remember however having left them in the door I just opened a few minutes ago carrying groceries in the house. I'll of course check the whole house, before leaving to check to see if I dropped them outside, and upon being completely and irrationally frustrated not finding them outside, see them in the door going back inside.

I used to keep a few odd additions on my key ring, to make it larger and therefore harder to miss. They tended to snap off on me pulling them out of my pocket, so now I have a mess of broken little chains from keychains having broken off of my key ring in addition to my keys.

My pet peeve though is losing books. I end up taking them just about everywhere and I found I need a pocket that they fit into to prevent losing them. Otherwise I'll put them down and forget I carried it in upon leaving and not grab it as I walk out.

Rob-hin · #7 (**permalink**) 03-09-2005, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dragon wench

lmao!

Ugh.. absinthe.. *shudder*

lol! Well I tried leaving notes around. But I either lost the bits of paper or forgot where I had put them...

For a time I tried leaving stickies all around my computer monitor, but I thought they looked messy, and they kept falling down anyway

Like tying a not in your handcerchief and then forgetting what it's supposed to remind you of.

moltovir · #8 (**permalink**) 03-09-2005, 11:27 AM

My short-term memory is an absolute disaster. When I still had glasses, I would sometimes search for them half a day only to discover that I was already wearing them

I always forget making tasks or posting letters or checking my mail box or the place where I put my cellphone. I tried a system with Post-Its, but I forgot where I had sticked those... I've finally come up with a solution: everytime I need to do something, I type it in word in the largest font, make a picture of it and set it as my computer's background. It helps you remember things

My friends never want to lend me things: I always bring them back on time, but mostly I just forget where I put them

On the contrary, if I do something, I'm a perfectionist, not stopping before it's completely done. The only problem is remembering what has to be done...

The cellphone thing is a nice trick btw, I should try it too

Edit: apparently post-its without the - is a profane word

Gwalchmai · #9 (**permalink**) 03-09-2005, 11:53 AM

I rely on habit for most things. Keys and wallet are always in the same pocket. When I change pants they get transferred immediately. Phone goes next on the counter next to the charger. If anything has to be taken to work the next day, it goes next to the phone.

For other things, I have to rely on my wife. Not so much because I’ve mis-placed something, rather because she has decided to ‘organize’ or ‘clean up’ or ‘re-arrange’ the entire house yet again, and has moved everything someplace that makes perfect sense to her. The TV remote? Ah, yes it is now kept in a neat basket in the shadows next to the TV rather than on top of the TV. That is, assuming that she hasn’t let the remote slip down between the cushions, or placed it on the floor under the edge of the couch, or put it behind the curtain on the window sill, or buried it under a ton of junk mail she’s been sorting….

I have recently discovered that my youngest daughter is an excellent observer and has a great memory. I have started asking her where things are, and she’ll run and fetch them for me. Astounding.

giles337 · #10 (**permalink**) 03-09-2005, 01:20 PM

In the UK we have these things called key finders, they are quite small, tablet sized devices, that beep and flash when you whistle. They are great for finding keys, but due to the somewhat disposable nature of th devices (only costing £1-2) they are slightly indescriminate, any slight squeak will set them off, so they end up more trouble then they are worth

I have my keys on my wallet, becuase that travels with me more often than my phones...

Moonbiter · #11 (**permalink**) 03-09-2005, 03:18 PM

I have a buddy who has the most teflon coated brain on the planet. You make a deal with him around lunch about going out and catching a few brews in the evening, and he will call back around five asking where we're supposed to meet, and when. Some days he will just forget the entire thing.
The funniest aspect of his condition is that he forgets where he's parked his car. Every single morning, and every afternoon after work! He will walk for an hour+ up and down the streets around where he lives or works, looking for his vehicle. It's unbelievable:

"Hey, can I give you a ride home?"

"Nope. By the time we find your car, I can WALK there and back again!"

So he invested in a GPS transmitter and receiver to find the cursed thing, and then promptly mislaid the receiver under the seat in the car!

After that, his girfriend had a special pocket for it sewn into his jacket, and fastened it with a chain. The best moment was when he woke up at our place after a real bender, started looking for the stoopid car, and followed the tracer all the way home before he remembered that he had arrived at the party by train...