You’ve just learned this awesome new technique and you know it’s going to help. You’re all fired up, ready to change things.
Then… poof. The moment you actually need it, it’s nowhere in sight.
Working memory is such a punk sometimes.
Even on a good day, it takes effort to remember something and hold onto it.
But remembering in the heat of the moment? Bwahahah! Nope.
My brain would rather pull out the same old habit I’ve been doing for years—because it’s right there, well-worn and easy to grab.
This came up in our EMPOWER group call today. That’s my weekly membership for women where we swap ideas, learn strategies, cheer each other on, and get brutally honest about what’s working and what’s not. And in this case, the big “not” was trusting our memory to magically save the day.
So how do you make a new technique the first thing your brain reaches for instead of the dusty old default?
You start by outsourcing that glitchy memory of yours.
Here’s how:
Write it at the top of your daily to-do list so it’s the first thing staring at you. (This is my go-to.)
Make it your phone wallpaper. Bonus: you’ll see it every time you mindlessly check your phone.
Set a daily reminder—or three—to practice it.
Stick a post-it note on your bathroom mirror so it’s glaring at you while you brush your teeth. (My son swears by this one.)
Paperclip a note to the cover of your planner so you can’t even open it without a reminder staring you in the face.
The trick is to make it unmissable. Put it right in your way so you have to trip over it until it becomes second nature.
There’s no prize for pretending your memory is better than it is. And “I want to do it myself” sounds noble until you realize it’s just a slower road to the same old habit.
Real progress doesn’t come from forcing independence. It comes from being resourceful enough to set yourself up so well, you can’t help but succeed.
Thanks for being you,
- Brian