An organized Thursday Three

From Terry, the Axis of Weevil Thursday Three, organizational edition:

1) What is the most important thing you ever forgot to do?

I’ll admit it – I’m one of those annoying anal people who almost NEVER forget things, and often, through my powers of know-it-all-ism, remember things that other people would rather forget. Deliberately forgetting something, however, is a different story.

2) Do you try to keep yourself organized through a routine so you don’t have to rely so much on remembering things, or do you follow a more open approach based on what you want to get done during the day and try to actually think things through?

Surprisingly, I use the more open approach. I know what I want to get done, and can figure out which tasks/errands/projects are connected or a high priority, and therefore which particular processes need to be done first. The rest of the world appears not to function that way. Every so often you need to take a look at any routine and see if it still fits the way reality is functioning. Neither rigid adherence to a mindless routine nor constant seat-of-the-pants reactive strategies work well in an ever-changing world. I've gotten much better at recognizing that the rest of the world is a bit scattered, and my blood pressure has gone down as a result.

3) What do you have the most trouble remembering--people’s names, how to get places, or important dates?

Dates slip by. For years I’ve known my best friend’s birthday is in June; darned if I could remember the exact date. Since we are of the “you don’t officially get older until we celebrate together” mindset, we rarely celebrate anywhere near the actual day, and it’s not a big deal. But I’d still like to be able to call on the actual birthday and sing to her. That may be why she gives me a different date every time I ask…