Forgetfulness plagued me ever since I was little.

From misplacing my sister’s giant stuffed horse (that I begged her to let me borrow for a school costume) to walking into band class empty-handed, realizing my flute was still sitting at home on the kitchen table...

No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t seem to keep track of things.

At work though? You’re not supposed to be forgetful. You’re supposed to be organized, diligent, and detail-oriented.

So when I started my very first full-time job as a Business Technology Analyst at Deloitte, I was determined to be that person.

My first full-time project at the firm was different than a typical consulting project.

Instead of sitting behind a computer, I flew to cities around the US and bought thousands of dollars worth of Kohl’s merchandise, so the the team could surprise families with gifts and share the videos on social media.

Definitely not what I thought I’d be doing but kind of fun nonetheless.

One week, I was at the Kohl’s in Utah and had multiple carts of merchandise. After unloading them in my car, I realized I left something in one of the carts and immediately tried to go back for it, but it was gone.

I started FREAKING out. I asked the clerk, random people nearby, but I realized I had lost hundreds of dollars in a matter of minutes.

I went into worst-case-scenario thinking mode.

“I’m going to get in trouble, maybe even fired. Ugh, why do I always lose everything?”

Luckily, one of the older analysts talked me off the ledge and told me to email the Senior Manager on the project and explain what happened.

I honestly don’t remember exactly what he said, but in the end, it wasn’t a big deal.

There have been plenty more examples since my first job where I forgot something at work—a detail I should have remembered or a deliverable that didn’t get sent.

There are some people who will get annoyed at you for not being more detail-oriented (Like when one of the boxes on a slide was off by 2 pixels). And there are other people who know mistakes happen and will work with you to identify the learnings for next time.

I’ve realized, there are some traits that are hard to change about yourself, no matter how hard you try. The sooner you learn to accept these traits, the sooner you can move forward with learning to live with them.

🎗️ How I manage forgetfulness today

• Make a list, even for the things I don’t think I’ll forget. When I pack for a trip, I refer back to my list to do a double check. For events, I create a full run of show and inventory list, so I remember everything, and it’s not just in my head.

• Ask for help. There are people who are naturally great at remembering random details. I run my list through them as an extra double check.

• Don’t rush. Rushing = chaos = forgetfulness. Everything always takes longer than you think, so give yourself extra time… to get ready, to work on a deliverable, etc.

• Be kinder to myself. Beating yourself up doesn’t make anyone remember better!

💬 Your turn

What’s a trait you used to think would hold you back, but you’ve learned to work with instead? If you’re forgetful, what are some tips you use to manage your life?

✨ Weekly Feels

This week I’m feeling pretty tired after a quick trip to Miami for a friend’s bachelorette party 🌴 Anyone else feel like May is a sprint before the summer lull?

I didn’t plan any of the bachelorette party, but I did use Canva to create this cute itinerary that I’ll put up on Etsy at some point. I love a good theme! 🧜‍♀️ 

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📖 Keep Reading

• From Full-Time to Fractional with Emily Hollender

• What was the tipping point to leave corporate

• Managing other people’s opinions

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