“Would you like an e-receipt? Thank you for shopping at The Home Depot”. Near the end of a particularly active DIY week, these are the words that I repeat over and over as I turn over and over, trying to fall asleep in my mislabeled memory foam bed. The only thing it helps me remember is yesterdays's hike as I try to avoid pressure on both hips. Memory foam apparently does not have any benefits to my brain function the way full body shampoo has affected my physique. But those words that emanated from the self-serve checkout "memory speaker" were pulsated indelibly into what little active frontal cortex I have left. 

Our memories are a strange thing. And that is the subject of this article. Or, at least, ways to overcome our lack of remembering is what this article is about. 

“Wallet, phone, glasses, and keys” is my mantra as I leave the house. It has worked many times…in fact much better than actually locating the one or two items that I have to go back for. A recent internet meme suggested singing will aid your memory. “Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes” is now “Wallet, glasses, keys and phone, keys and phone” as I depart my abode. 

Lean on a List!

Try saying that five times without a tilted torso! Lists are the key. Especially if you know where to find them and when to use them. Invariably, I have included every item of camping gear except the matches. Or the air mattress, which is even worse. I can eat cold food, but I can’t sleep on cold, hard ground anymore due to those memory bones. 

The wife (I really don’t like calling her anything but Barbara, but she is THE wife) would hand me a grocery list and set me off for the groceries. “Don’t forget anything, darling!” What would have been more effective would have been a reminder that I would be polluting the environment more if I had to go back a second time. It would have also been more effective if “bananas” and “spinach” had been somewhere near each other on the list. A map of the frickin’ store and locator pins for each item would have been even better. For a guy, asking a clerk for directions to a bottle of white vinegar is no easier than asking driving directions to the nearest gas station.

Here are some ideas that will help you with your lists:

1. Download a list app. Then make sure it is on the front page of apps on your phone, preferably right next to your other favorite app (Fantasy Football for most guys, Amazon for gals). 
2. Download specific apps to make packing and shopping easier. AnyList is highly rated for both android and iOS. $10 annually for individual, $15 for family. 
3. Tape plastic sleeves or large sandwich bag on the outside of your storage boxes and the inside of closet doors. Use a list template (available for MS Word, Pages, Excel, etc) and place this in the the sleeve after it is filled out. Keep it up to date! Each time you need to withdraw items from the box, go over the checklist that is already there.
4. Make lists on your computer WITH CHECK BOXES (note, as I type this, Barbara is in the kitchen making cookies and actually just said “Where’s my list?” She doesn’t know what I am writing about.) You will need those check boxes.
5. Always carry a pen or pencil. You will need this to check off the things as you find them or pack them. Of course, if you are using a smart phone, always carry it instead.
6. Reward yourself any time you have completed a list successfully. This isn’t going to happen often, so make the reward really big! Make a list of possible rewards to select from. For more fun number the rewards and draw one from a hat!
7. Whether you make your own list, or someone makes the list for you, highlight, circle (or boldface) the items that if forgotten would mean disparaging oneself or sleeping alone for another week. 
8. If you are making a list for someone else, such as a honey do list, don’t just give them a list. Make it interesting. For example, a weekly pill box can have a new todo item in each section. Fold them tight. It’s like drawing numbers at a white elephant party. So much fun! 

Punishing Oneself

Photographers (that means me in particular) are really great at self deprecation. The lightning storm was setting up perfectly. I put on my lightning trigger, only to find the cord was for my old camera, not my new one. Damn! Lists only work if they are good lists and the person following them is fully alert and organized. We have a way of forgetting our photo filters when the most amazing scenes and light appear before us. This is even more likely to happen when our buddy has his filters and exclaims, “This is the most epic shot of my life.” For this reason, I have made some lists for myself and other photographers that can be found here. You non-photogs are on your own, however. 

Is Organizing the Answer?

The National Association of Professional Organizers says that the average American spends one year of life looking for things. With 90% female members they have not to stated how long men spend waiting for women to get ready for a date. The first is wasted time, however, while the latter is fully worth it and has little to do with organizing. It is suggested that we save that one year of wasted time by getting organized. In my case, this means about two or three years of my life getting organized enough to save just one year. Not really a good rate of return, but I must think of the reward inside that wadded up piece of paper! The key to organization is obviously to start young and do it in tiny, unnoticeable portions. Like brushing teeth, showering and shaving. It’s necessary and has its rewards. If you haven’t brushed, showered, shaved or organized lately, get started! It’s never too late to sing yourself through life! 

DOWNLOAD THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S CHECKLIST

Download the check list to your computer. Add or delete rows and columns to a copied list if necessary. Use the first column to check off equipment you own. Rename the other checkbox columns with the types of photography you will do. Either delete checkboxes if the equipment is not necessary for that genre or color code them if the equipment is necessary.