“If You Don’t Have It in Your Head…”

“If you don’t have it in your head, you must have it in your legs.” / “Was man nicht im Kopf hat, hat man in den Beinen”

- German Proverb / Deutsches Sprichwort

My grandmother was the daughter of German immigrants, and I was very fortunate to spend a lot of time with her when I was growing up. 

This quote was her standard statement when she forgot something and had to take some extra actions due to forgetting. As an adult, I know the feeling of forgetting things all too well!

I love any memories of my grandmother, but this proverb also has something to say about forethought and planning. The more I plan, the less I have to scramble. The more I plan, the less likely I am to forget things. 

Each morning I sit down and fill out my planner page. It helps me so much to think through what I need to accomplish during the course of the day. My planner includes the habits that I’m working to build into my life, an area for an affirmation, a section on gratitude, and of course a list of my tasks and appointments. If I write a task on my planner page, there is a much higher likelihood that I will complete it in a timely manner and not have to scramble because I forgot about it. 

Now don’t get me wrong - I still forget things. And there are times when I look at something written on my planner page, procrastinate, and have to add it to the page several days in a row. The planner is not a magic spell that forces me to do things. However, it does help me to remember, so that I am less likely to have to circle back or scramble. If it’s in my planner, it’s more likely to be in my head. 

What helps YOU to keep things “in your head” and to remember to complete tasks?