The Year That I Forgot

I have always been a list person.  It’s so much easier to spend time checking things off the list instead of worrying about what I need to do next. 

A few years ago, I had a reaction to medication that left my brain so confused that I sometimes didn’t know which decade it was.  We searched for over a year and finally figured out that the medication was what caused my memory loss. 

How do you get past the memory loss enough to actually live your life?  You make lists!

The other day I found a list that told me that I was married and had two kids.  It told me their names and their phone numbers.  It also told me that I was camping, where I was camping, who was with me, and not to be afraid.  But the part of the note that made me cry was that it explained that the thing with the purple flowers was a cell phone and this is how you make a call.

Oh my goodness!  I didn’t even know how to use a cell phone!  What else did I put my poor family through?

Since that time, I have made planning for things an essential part of my life.  My lists and my routines keep me sane and help keep me on track.  My lists let my family know what is going on in my life and even give them an idea of what they can do to help me that day.

I have learned to adapt my lists and my routines to fit what is going on in my life.  This gives me peace of mind.  It allows me to stop worrying about my to do list and change my focus to living my life.

What do you use to help you stay on track?  Do you have a favorite app you like to use?  If so, which one do you use and what do you like about it?  Please put your answers in the comments.  Who knows, your favorite apps and ideas could help someone else get back on track with their goals.