Keeping it all together...


Appointments, shopping lists, the website address of something you like to try. How do you keep it all together? More to the point, how do you find it once you need it?

I like to write things down- for the life of me, I can't remember things 5 minutes past when I first think of them. Maybe it's a sign of getting old having too much on my mind. The problem with writing things down is that I am forever losing the scraps of paper/back of envelopes/post it's that had my notes.

Then I read a book, The Change Your Life Challenge by Brook Noel. She suggests something called a Catch-All-Notebook. Simply, it's 4x6 notebook that goes with me EVERYWHERE. It's like an external hard drive for my brain. In it goes all those little things that would take up space and drive me nuts if I were to try and remember them. My C.A.N. has my next dentist appointment, ready to transfer to my calendar (no little card to lose), the website address of a cooking blog I'd like to check out, a list of supplies my daughter needs for her marketing class, the name of a book I'd like to check out from the library plus the start of my next grocery list.

Since I've started using the C.A.N., I've found that I'm more likely to actually follow up on those things I wanted to look at plus I get what I actually need at the store, fewer trips back and forth because I forgot the glue sticks...

For more great tips, check out We are THAT Family

Comments

Yep, love this idea - I just started doing that this summer - carrying a little notebook with me EVERYWHERE too. I was always getting ideas, or remembering something I needed to do, loosing my to-do list or what have you. Now, it's al in one spot and I transfer appointments to the calendar as well. I'll have to look into that book. Here I thought I was SO smart. Heh, heh, heh!
Great suggestion--writing things down can reduce so much stress!
Melinda said…
Hi Donna!
I've done that for a long time now for appointments, but also for writing ideas that I know I'll lose if I wait until I get home to write them down! ;0)
Cindy said…
I've tried this before but then I would forget the notebook at home. I should start this again and always keep it in my purse, even when we are at home. Thanks for inspiring me to do this and try again.
Debbie said…
I've started doing that on a small scale. It does help so much. I just need to do it more often!