Alarms, how do they work?
You might’ve seen (or been told) to set an alarm for an important meeting or deadline. However, when tackling various tasks and setting multiple alarms – does this really help?
At face value, the idea of an alarm is a good memory-saving strategy.
It keeps you accountable for time-specific tasks and can be a good reminder system.
They are easy to incorporate into your schedule with any device that goes anywhere with you.
However, if you have multiple alarms set and find yourself on the go often, these reminder systems can be easily overlooked.
If you set an alarm for 30 minutes before a meeting, you will still need to remember to prepare for or go to that meeting if travel is involved.
If the alarm is set too early, it can be quickly dismissed and forgotten.
Too many alarms chiming can be distracting or disorienting, resulting in feeling overstimulated and overwhelmed.
Memory-saving Strategies to Help You Plan Ahead
Alarms fail us because they are a “final warning” for a task or appointment; they are not integrated into our organizational process to ensure proper remembering.
The key focus here is how we structure our planning time in advance, which helps us stay current.
Start with deciding if you want to go paper or digital. (Both have their pros and cons.)
Paper
Paper is old-fashioned and needs to be with you in order to work, but it’s less stimulating, and handwriting can help you process and encode information more effectively.
Fast typing might be appealing, but it doesn’t boost comprehension, which may limit tactile recall for later.
Handwritten notes allow you to actively think while writing down the main topics, which may facilitate the need to ask clarifying questions.
Writing in a short form also helps circumvent spelling or writing fatigue issues.
However, this will require additional time later to fill in sections, correct spelling, and even a complete rewrite for any legibility issues.
The downside to handwriting notes may include:
Penmanship may suffer if you’re trying to record important information quickly.
Losing the notes results in a potential major setback.
Extra time will be needed to fill out underdeveloped sections.
Digital
The more commonly used approach is using a laptop, tablet, or smartphone to record important information. These devices allow for a lot of assistive technology features, such as speech-to-text or spelling clarification, in real-time.
Cloud-based storage allows for instantaneous updating on all connected devices.
There is no real concern about “losing” your notes.
It is useful for people with various types of disabilities who may struggle with handwriting mechanics, spelling, or grip strength.
One immediate downside is cost. Technology is expensive, and many options are available, which can be overwhelming to research.
Many apps also come at additional cost, which can result in more time spent checking reviews.
Additionally, new technology and apps mean time spent training and learning how to incorporate these apps into your organizational system.
Lastly, new apps must fit your organizational habits, which can take time to determine.
There are the usual concerns when using the internet or cloud-based storage systems, primarily when these systems go down, and there is no backup procedure.
This is similar to losing your paper planner or forgetting it at home or the office.
Memory-saving Strategies Need to be Intuitive
Despite your preference, the underlying emphasis here is that your organization system must be intuitive to your style and needs. It can be easy to be swayed by the glamorous aspects of a product, but you need to ask yourself if this is actually useful for you.
Define Your Organizational System
To keep yourself organized, you need to know your strengths and weaknesses when prioritizing and planning.
Are you prone to being late all the time?
Do you struggle with keeping important documents in the appropriate folders?
Are you overscheduled?
Are you prone to lacking follow-through on conversations or assignment preparation work?
It’s been my experience that habits are easier to establish than they are worked on consistently over a period of time. Still, more importantly, they are intuitive to the person’s needs.
When something feels intuitive to use, it’s more engaging and motivating to repeat.
A new change must be specific, and the focus needs to be on that one change.
Look for any ripple effects that might result in one change - an exercise plan that boosts energy or better mental health.
Lastly, acknowledging progress made and monitoring when efforts are ineffective without becoming discouraged.
For instance, in a person with ADHD, there are deficits in distinguishing between noise and important stimuli.
Trying to focus on the professor while a large group of loud students walks by.
Trying to take notes based on the lecture but struggling to differentiate what’s important from supplemental information.
Trying to foster the motivation to attend class despite poor performance on a recent exam.
Defining your organizational process means identifying your strengths and weaknesses to accommodate where you struggle and highlight what you are good at. A strengths-based approach can be highly motivated and rewarding, which causes a person to feel more accomplished and energized to take on more tasks.
If you are good at updating your digital calendar, you will likely continue effectively scheduling your day or week.
If you are consistently on time for meetings, it is likely due to purposeful efforts to ensure promptness.
Mindset and perspective play an important foundational role in this overall process. For a new behavior or habit to take shape, you must specifically define the intended outcome and work to refine your process until the desired outcome is reached.
“Focus on results over the ritual” - James Clear.
Setbacks will occur, but persistence means finding new solutions to problems; accessing support networks or body-doubling strategies might help.
Evaluate How You Balance Your Work and Life
Think of your time like money; if you overspend your money, you’ll face a lot of financial setbacks. The same principle applies to how you budget your time.
Each month, families budget their monthly finances to assess overall costs in order to save or purchase upgrades. Consistently saving for a “rainy day” (i.e., a blown tire or hole in the roof) can help alleviate financial stress if and when these last-minute costs come.
Budgeting your time means being organized for the day or week, to assess where that time needs to be spent (e.g., time in class or a job) as a non-negotiable, where time is flexible (e.g., tutoring or socializing), and time needed for personal care (e.g., sleeping).
Being strict with time can combat people-pleasing or taking on too many additional assignments.
Establishing boundaries is a healthy and appropriate way to ensure that you focus on your needs concerning responsibilities at school or work.
There are 168 hours in a week. Part of learning to prioritize and plan is knowing what is essential to your schedule and what is too much. Finding a balance takes time but greatly affects how we use and replenish our energy.
Take a look at these top memory-saving strategies for work-life balance, and be aware of the signs of an imbalance:
Fatigue or a lack of energy beyond what is typical.
Relationships (personal or work) are suffering due to being easily irritated or feeling standoffish.
Diminishing time spent on personal care, hobbies, or anything that refills your energy.
Not taking appropriate time off for illness, mental health days, or vacation.
Motivation is lacking, and continuing to do this work causes dread.
If you or your high schooler are having trouble planning for life after high school, I can help! Schedule a free virtual consultation with me today!
Restructure Your Time and Find Balance
If you’re new to a job or school, try to underschedule yourself initially. Focus on the core responsibilities first before adding additional obligations.
If you’re a full-time student taking 15 credits, allow for in-class time and match that with 15 additional hours to prepare and stay current in all of your classes.
This is a 1:1 time ratio.
Once you’ve established your rhythm, you can slowly add more tasks or engagements and evaluate how well you can handle these new responsibilities.
Establish a start and end time for a class, assignment, or social engagement
We become overwhelmed when we have unstructured time devoted to a task, especially when it’s one that we struggle with.
Additionally, it’s fun to hang out with friends for long periods of time, but it’s important to maintain other responsibilities, such as getting proper sleep.
Find a job or major that enhances your strengths and fosters a genuine interest in learning.
Challenging work is not bad, just as not all stress is bad.
Engaging in rewarding challenges can help you learn much about yourself while growing from these experiences.
Disconnect from your job or schooling enough to engage in hobbies and self-care.
If we devote too much time to a job or class work, our mind and body become habituated toward only those responsibilities.
However, you need to be mindful when taking breaks to prevent putting off your responsibilities.
Consider your influence on someone else.
When you struggle with motivation, remind yourself who you are inspiring with your progress.
Talk about your experiences with others, highlight the growth, and find support when setbacks arise.
Memory-saving Strategies and Work-life Balance
To summarize, understanding your organizational strengths and weaknesses can open doors for seeking support, being flexible allows for incorporating new strategies, and maintaining focus on the holistic balance between work, school, and personal care can foster resilience in tough times.
Your brain’s ability to recall and process information is limited; integrating intuitive planning strategies can save you a lot of mental bandwidth. However, knowing what works comes from self-knowledge. Be flexible with suggestions from others, but don’t force yourself to make a round peg fit into a square hole.
Learning how to prioritize tasks means purposefully establishing an order of operations, which will be an ongoing learning process. Mistakes are only a negative result if you perceive them as such; you can find a learning opportunity in the face of failure!
Your time is your most valuable resource; spend it wisely, purposefully, and strategically.
Let me know in the comments how you prioritize and organize your life!
Respectfully,
Dustin.
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