Remember Every Upcoming Event…Forever
“Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us.” – Oscar Wilde (The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895)
Heres a trick that will help you remember all the important dates in your life. Start using it today and youll never forget another date.
Get yourself a perpetual calendar. One that has dates, but not days. If you cant find one at Office Depot (and you should be able to), you can make one up yourself. A single sheet is the best.
In addition to noting holidays that always fall on the same date (such as Christmas and the 4th of July), ink in all the personal dates that are permanent: birthdays, anniversaries, etc. And not only those of your friends and family, but also those of any businesspeople you want to keep in close touch with.
Once each January, pencil in all the important events for the coming year that you already know about. These might include school vacations, holidays that fall on different dates each year (such as Easter, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, etc.), planned visits, seminars, conferences, business trips, etc.
Once each month, transfer all listed items to your monthly to-do list and then to your weekly and daily lists.
It will take you no more than an hour or two to get started and then just a few minutes each week to do the updates. You will not only astonish your friends, relatives, and business associates with your thoughtfulness, you will also avoid having to rework your schedule because you forgot about an upcoming wedding, bar mitzvah, or other important event.
[Ed. Note. Mark Morgan Ford was the creator of Early To Rise. In 2011, Mark retired from ETR and now writes the Palm Beach Letter. His advice, in our opinion, continues to get better and better with every essay, particularly in the controversial ones we have shared today. We encourage you to read everything you can that has been written by Mark.]