For some people keeping track of important dates and appointments is easy. They never seem to show up late, let alone forget anything.
If you aren't one of those people, you probably wonder how you can be more organized and less forgetful. Here are a few tricks for never forgetting another important date.
Don't rely on your memory
The people who seem the most organized and on top of things are the ones who don't bother committing dates and times to memory. They write everything down instead. As soon as you make plans or schedule an appointment, write it down with the date, time, and location, along with anything you need to remember to bring with you. While strengthening your memory might seem like a noble goal, your brain will always have more important things to hold onto than the exact time of your next dentist appointment.
Keep it all in one place
While jotting down appointments on scraps of paper and disposable napkins might seem better than nothing, it's messy, it takes longer to sort through, and it's only a matter of time before you lose an important note. If you want to be truly organized, carry a calendar or small day planner you can update any time you make an appointment. I personally carry a tiny calendar with me wherever I go for making appointments while I'm out and about, and then I copy them to a big calendar in my kitchen when I get home. Any important date or appointment for anyone in the household is on that big calendar, and it's easy to take a look each evening to see what is on the schedule for the next day.
There's an app for that.
If you detest carrying a calendar or writing things down in hard copy AND you have a smart phone, try a calendar or reminder app. The important thing is keeping all your dates and reminders in one place so you can easily keep track of them all. If you choose to use an app, you may want to occasionally back it up in case it fails and your information gets deleted.
Keeping track of important dates is simple, but it takes practice. If you're willing to write down all your commitments in one place -- even the ones you think you'll never forget -- you'll never again have to worry about missing an important appointment.
Carissa Doshi is a business writer and the president of Gen Y Media Group. She gives career advice and blogs about her experiences on carissadoshi.com. You can also follow @CarissaDoshi on Twitter.