Day 8 : How to Not Forget : Part 1
This is a series within a series, if you will. From today until Sunday, I'll share some tips on how not to forget. Please feel free to share your own tips in the comments below.
I shared with you this past weekend one way I remember task type things. I love lists. I really love marking off lists. Not really the Santa type, I do not check off my lists. I mark items out with one single line. It's much more satisfying and signifies completion for me.
That physical reminder helps me a great deal in the endeavor to not forget the more mundane of tasks.
As I've already shared, I'm not returning to the classroom this fall. And while that means that I get to stay home, it also means that I am losing my state employees health care options...namely dental insurance.
Y'all. Going to the dentist is expensive. Even with insurance.
Every dental cleaning I've had since I was in middle school, the hygienist has firmly given the same instructions, "Make sure you are brushing at least twice a day and you really need to floss everyday."
I've generally felt pretty good about my performance in following these instructions.
I do brush my teeth everyday.
I do floss my teeth everyday...that I eat corn-on-the-cob or popcorn.
At my last cleaning, April, my awesome hygienist says, "Jasmyn, you really really need to floss everyday. Really." Which is awesome-all-knowing-hygienist speak for "You suck at flossing your teeth...probably because you only do it when you eat corn-on-the-cob or popcorn."
And she was right.
I came home with swollen, bloody gums and a intentness on flossing every. single. day.
Someone once said {though I don't remember who or when - I didn't even bother to look it up on Wikipedia} that to create a habit you have to do that something for 21 days in a row. I decided that if I could floss for 21 days straight, I'd be a flosser for life.
But how was I going to keep myself reminded of the progress? A star chart, of course! {Kindergarten teacher - say what!?}
I took a black Expo marker and wrote FLOSS on the mirror in the bathroom with a smiley face because flossing isn't scary. Each day after flossing, I drew a star to frame in the word. My husband even became interested and has occasionally asked if I got to draw a star on the mirror today.
I was truly motivated because of the reality that I have one set of teeth for my whole life and paying to fix these teeth is crazy expensive. But the physical reminder of the progress kept me interested. I know it may be silly, and there may be people in this world who only need that intrinsic motivator, but I needed something that I could point at and see progress. I can't look in my mouth and see the daily progress of flossing, but I can see stars!
The added accountability of my husband asking about it also kept me going. I just hated the idea of him asking and me having to say that I flaked out at flossing.
So, guess what today is?
That's right! Day 21!
After I publish this blog post, I am going to brush my teeth, floss, and put a star on the mirror.
My reward? Healthy gums, duh.
And maybe a pedicure.
Your turn. What physical reminders have you used in order to not forget the more mundane tasks in your life? Share with us!
Not forgetting holding hands with Lyle on our way home from the grocery store.
Not forgetting cooing-coversations and toothless grins.
Not forgetting some crazy mummy-DJ-with-turn-tables dance that I made up while dancing with Judah. He thinks it's hilarious and is an invitation to crawl between my legs as if they were a bridge.
I shared with you this past weekend one way I remember task type things. I love lists. I really love marking off lists. Not really the Santa type, I do not check off my lists. I mark items out with one single line. It's much more satisfying and signifies completion for me.
That physical reminder helps me a great deal in the endeavor to not forget the more mundane of tasks.
As I've already shared, I'm not returning to the classroom this fall. And while that means that I get to stay home, it also means that I am losing my state employees health care options...namely dental insurance.
Y'all. Going to the dentist is expensive. Even with insurance.
Every dental cleaning I've had since I was in middle school, the hygienist has firmly given the same instructions, "Make sure you are brushing at least twice a day and you really need to floss everyday."
I've generally felt pretty good about my performance in following these instructions.
I do brush my teeth everyday.
I do floss my teeth everyday...that I eat corn-on-the-cob or popcorn.
At my last cleaning, April, my awesome hygienist says, "Jasmyn, you really really need to floss everyday. Really." Which is awesome-all-knowing-hygienist speak for "You suck at flossing your teeth...probably because you only do it when you eat corn-on-the-cob or popcorn."
And she was right.
I came home with swollen, bloody gums and a intentness on flossing every. single. day.
Someone once said {though I don't remember who or when - I didn't even bother to look it up on Wikipedia} that to create a habit you have to do that something for 21 days in a row. I decided that if I could floss for 21 days straight, I'd be a flosser for life.
But how was I going to keep myself reminded of the progress? A star chart, of course! {Kindergarten teacher - say what!?}
I took a black Expo marker and wrote FLOSS on the mirror in the bathroom with a smiley face because flossing isn't scary. Each day after flossing, I drew a star to frame in the word. My husband even became interested and has occasionally asked if I got to draw a star on the mirror today.
I was truly motivated because of the reality that I have one set of teeth for my whole life and paying to fix these teeth is crazy expensive. But the physical reminder of the progress kept me interested. I know it may be silly, and there may be people in this world who only need that intrinsic motivator, but I needed something that I could point at and see progress. I can't look in my mouth and see the daily progress of flossing, but I can see stars!
The added accountability of my husband asking about it also kept me going. I just hated the idea of him asking and me having to say that I flaked out at flossing.
So, guess what today is?
That's right! Day 21!
After I publish this blog post, I am going to brush my teeth, floss, and put a star on the mirror.
My reward? Healthy gums, duh.
And maybe a pedicure.
Your turn. What physical reminders have you used in order to not forget the more mundane tasks in your life? Share with us!
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I forgot to upload my pictures from the phone to the computer. Which means that my phone was maxed out and would not let me take one tiny photo today. The photo above is from last night. The last one.
I know a picture is worth a thousand words and all, but I'd like to share, in much fewer than one thousand words, what I don't want to forget about today.
Not forgetting that it is more important to give of your actual self than of your money.
Not forgetting building lego towers after nap time. No words. Just pacifier sucking and tower building.
Not forgetting cooing-coversations and toothless grins.
Not forgetting some crazy mummy-DJ-with-turn-tables dance that I made up while dancing with Judah. He thinks it's hilarious and is an invitation to crawl between my legs as if they were a bridge.
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This is the eighth post in the series 31 Days of Not Forgetting.
If you'd like to read previous posts in the series, click here and scroll to the bottom.
I LOVE this, because I am a terrible flosser. Not that this was all about flossing... But I am still going to be making a little sticker chart for me ;-)
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