I have a rather average memory, but I rarely forget things. You know how I manage that? Habits and tools. I rarely forget things because I identified poor memory as a weakness and developed tools to help turn my weakness into a strength. Here is how I do it. 1/10

It’s important to remember (lol) that poor memory and getting easily distracted go hand in hand I learnt the art of note taking, using reminders, alarms & calendars to help deal with my poor memory, and minimize distractions. 2/10

When people think about note taking they imagine it from an academic view. That’s misleading. Jotting notes goes beyond school. Note taking is a great skill to develop for two reasons. 1. It minimizes mental distractions 2. Frees your mental capacity for crucial things 3/10

As human beings we default to fear when dealing with our weaknesses. When poor memory is your weakness, the fear manifests in constantly worrying that you will forget something important. This causes mental stress 4/10

Your brain is a unique resource. It is what drives the grand plans and executions you commit to daily. If you fill it with mundane tasks and constant worry, you rob yourself of the full extent of your mental prowess. 5/10

I think of it like how modern successful entrepreneurs such as Zuckerberg free their minds from worrying about mundane decisions like what to wear. Zuckerberg has plenty of identical grey t-shirts. He never worries about what to wear. 6/10

By adopting a note taking habit, no thought has to constantly ping in your head. You remove the constant worry of forgetfulness from your mind. You jot down thoughts immediately they come to mind, and deal with them later. 7/10

There are many apps that can help you with note taking. However, given that focus requires you to eliminate distractions, you may need to put your phone away. A physical note pad and pen by your desk proves ideal. 8/10

Having a note pad helps you quickly jot thoughts that jump to your head but might distract your flow if given immediate attention. These thoughts are essential, but may derail your focus and lead to inefficiencies in your mental processes. 9/10

Note taking enables continuous focus, documentation of thoughts for later consideration, allowing you to devote your attention to the things you have scheduled for a particular time. 10/10