Where are my car keys?

Did I close the garage door?

I don’t remember taking my pills

did somebody move my car keys?

forgotten where I parked the car!

yes we all forget stuff like this

How can we avoid repeating these memory lapses. Well they are not really memory lapses, when doing things automatically you you hardly need to think about them. For example your breathing is controlled by your brain but do you remember when you last took a breath, probably not because you did it automatically without paying attention.  

When you drive out of the garage, you most likely hit the door remote while driving off and it becomes an automatic action like any other part of your driving. So try this for a change, put a sticker or some kind of mark halfway down your garage door.  Next time you back out of the garage,  stop the car and put it in park before you hit the door remote.  Don’t move the car until your eyes make firm contact with that mark on you garage door.  Once you repeat this routine a few times it will become automatic and you will never have to turn back to check if its closed.

Organize your medication into a box with days of the week compartments. Yes thats what old people do but they are old for a reason, they still remember to take their daily medication.

Designate a place at home for your keys: a bowl by the front door, a drawer or a hook on the wall. Always put the key in the same place each time you enter the house. Most cars now have a push start so your car key can stay in your pocket or purse. Don’t leave them loose, fasten them to your purse or belt with a clip or carabina. 

When you park in an unfamiliar place like a mall or airport parking, write down the row number on the parking ticket or take a photo with your phone. Some phones will help you find your parked car with GPS tracking apps.  Hey where did I put my phone?