<commit_before>{
  "title": "Learning to forget",
  "author": "<NAME>",
  "date": "2015-06-03T03:21:34-0500",
  "keywords": "learn, forget, memory",
  "summary": "TODO: Come back to me"
}

// TODO: Add image that is note pad with "Forget me" or "Remind me" on it in marker

Remembering is a practical skill. It's part of our daily routines; remembering a grocery list, remembering to ship a package, remembering to ask your friend about that recent event.

The opposite of remembering is forgetting. For the purpose of our discussion, I want to consider controlled forgetting as a practical skill. When we forget something, it is released from our cognitive load and makes space for something new. For example:

- Allows thinking about other topics (e.g. reflecting on past events)
- Relieves mental stress (e.g. juggling thoughts)
- Allows ourselves to offload a thought for later (e.g. setting a calendar reminder)

I should state that:

- This is all based off of personal experience with no rigid science
- While it might sound like we are discussing unlearning, we are not. Unlearning means removing something entirely from your memory. Forgetting means it is placed into a deeper, not constantly active part of our memory

**Table of contents:**

// TODO: Link me
- Remembering an item/set of items for later
- Forgetting when falling asleep
- Dividing mental space for personal and work
- Mental foresight

# Common knowledge
## Remembering an item/set of items for later
This is a canonical example of practical forgetting. We have a list of things we want to remember for a later time but there are so many that it's impractical to keep on thinking about them now. These can be tasks that need to be done (e.g. visiting the doctor, writing a blog post) or tangible items (e.g. buying specific groceries).

Depending on the situation, there are a few different solutions:

- To do lists, this is a check list of items to purchase/tasks to be done
    - This is most practical for multiple items
- Notes, a sentence fragment or full-blown prose describing a task or set of tasks at hand
    - This is practical for single items
    - Depending on the thought, more/less words will be applicable
    - Both paper and electronic formats work for this scenario

# Personal solutions
## Forgetting when falling asleep
When falling asleep, sometimes I have epiphanies about the past day or upcoming tasks. No matter how hard I try, I almost always forget these when I wake up. Additionally, if I begin to think about finer details, then I start to lose track of the original thought and lose everything.

I deal with this by keeping a paper notepad next to my bed. When I have a thought I want to remember, I:

// TODO: Add photo of blindly written note

- Sweep around the general area where the notepad is until I find it
- Take out the pen, uncap it, and place it on the back of the pen
- Blindly write it down in the dark
- Rip off the sheet of paper
- Put the pen back together and into the notepad ring
- Put the notepad back in its area

Once the thought has been written down, I let my mind drift and it begins to think about other topics. If I think about something else that I want to remember, then I write it down again.

**Note: Perform this in the dark and with a notepad because any light will stop melatonin production and prolong not falling asleep.**

In the morning, I read the note and the thought rushes back into memory. Then, I re-transcribe it (usually it has some typos or scribbles), and then consider this note as the same from our "Remembering an item" section.

**Suggestions:**

To reduce the likelihood of illegible notes, I have a few suggestions:

- When writing down a word, remember the actual shape of the letter and draw that
    - Sometimes when half-awake, my wires get crossed and I write gibberish letters
- Rewrite the note in as soon as you wake up. Thoughts that seem fresh now might be lost later (kind of like with remembering dreams).

## Remembering on the go
Whenever I leave the house, I usually bring a pen. Sometimes I find myself in a situation where writing a note via pen on my wrist is my best option at the time.

- When I don't have paper or my phone isn't easily accessible
- When I am walking and need to remember a task (e.g. commuting and need to ship a package)

## Splitting mental space for personal and work
Thinking about work tasks while you are in your personal life can be unnecessarily stressful. I try my best to keep personal things personal and work things work.

When working:

- Avoid checking personal email as it will remind you of stressing other tasks that you have in your daily life

Working in an office is a great way to spatially separate work and personal

When working remotely, never directly context switch between work and personal tasks. Always do something between them. For me, I sleep my computer and go get dinner or take a walk.

Vice versa for personal:
- Avoid checking work email as it will remind you of stressing other tasks that you have in your daily life

// TODO: Is this good advice?

- Push notifications for email are a really bad habit and will cause unnecessary stress

## Tip of my tongue moments
This is a re-application of the "Falling asleep" trick. We have all had "I just had it" moments. We thought of something but then lost it a second later.

I always carry a pen in my pocket for these types of situations. In these situations, I will write down the thought on my phone if available. If not, then I will write it on my arm near my wrist so I will see it later.

Similarly if I need to remember a task when I am walking (e.g. send a letter while commuting), then I will write it on my wrist so I am more likely to remember than forget. I could set a reminder on my phone but not all transit is predictable and it could be annoying.

// TODO: Maybe place before Falling asleep section?

Juggling mental notes
<commit_msg>Completed mental separation<commit_after>{
  "title": "Learning to forget",
  "author": "<NAME>",
  "date": "2015-06-03T03:21:34-0500",
  "keywords": "learn, forget, memory",
  "summary": "TODO: Come back to me"
}

// TODO: Add image that is note pad with "Forget me" or "Remind me" on it in marker

Remembering is a practical skill. It's part of our daily routines; remembering a grocery list, remembering to ship a package, remembering to ask your friend about that recent event.

The opposite of remembering is forgetting. For the purpose of our discussion, I want to consider controlled forgetting as a practical skill. When we forget something, it is released from our cognitive load and makes space for something new. For example:

- Allows thinking about other topics (e.g. reflecting on past events)
- Relieves mental stress (e.g. juggling thoughts)
- Allows ourselves to offload a thought for later (e.g. setting a calendar reminder)

I should state that:

- This is all based off of personal experience with no rigid science
- While it might sound like we are discussing unlearning, we are not. Unlearning means removing something entirely from your memory. Forgetting means it is placed into a deeper, not constantly active part of our memory

**Table of contents:**

// TODO: Link me
- Remembering an item/set of items for later
- Forgetting when falling asleep
- Dividing mental space for personal and work
- Mental foresight

# Common knowledge
## Remembering an item/set of items for later
This is a canonical example of practical forgetting. We have a list of things we want to remember for a later time but there are so many that it's impractical to keep on thinking about them now. These can be tasks that need to be done (e.g. visiting the doctor, writing a blog post) or tangible items (e.g. buying specific groceries).

Depending on the situation, there are a few different solutions:

- To do lists, this is a check list of items to purchase/tasks to be done
    - This is most practical for multiple items
- Notes, a sentence fragment or full-blown prose describing a task or set of tasks at hand
    - This is practical for single items
    - Depending on the thought, more/less words will be applicable
    - Both paper and electronic formats work for this scenario

# Personal solutions
## Forgetting when falling asleep
When falling asleep, sometimes I have epiphanies about the past day or upcoming tasks. No matter how hard I try, I almost always forget these when I wake up. Additionally, if I begin to think about finer details, then I start to lose track of the original thought and lose everything.

I deal with this by keeping a paper notepad next to my bed. When I have a thought I want to remember, I:

// TODO: Add photo of blindly written note

- Sweep around the general area where the notepad is until I find it
- Take out the pen, uncap it, and place it on the back of the pen
- Blindly write it down in the dark
- Rip off the sheet of paper
- Put the pen back together and into the notepad ring
- Put the notepad back in its area

Once the thought has been written down, I let my mind drift and it begins to think about other topics. If I think about something else that I want to remember, then I write it down again.

**Note: Perform this in the dark and with a notepad because any light will stop melatonin production and prolong not falling asleep.**

In the morning, I read the note and the thought rushes back into memory. Then, I re-transcribe it (usually it has some typos or scribbles), and then consider this note as the same from our "Remembering an item" section.

**Suggestions:**

To reduce the likelihood of illegible notes, I have a few suggestions:

- When writing down a word, remember the actual shape of the letter and draw that
    - Sometimes when half-awake, my wires get crossed and I write gibberish letters
- Rewrite the note in as soon as you wake up. Thoughts that seem fresh now might be lost later (kind of like with remembering dreams).

## Remembering on the go
Whenever I leave the house, I usually bring a pen. Sometimes I find myself in a situation where writing a note via pen on my wrist is my best option at the time.

- When I don't have paper or my phone isn't easily accessible
- When I am walking and need to remember a task (e.g. commuting and need to ship a package)

## Splitting mental space for personal and work
Thinking about work tasks while you are in your personal life can be unnecessarily stressful. Often they are tasks that you are unable to do at the moment and you already know what needs to be done.

As a result, I try my best to keep personal things personal and work things for work.

When working:

- Avoid checking personal email as it will remind you of stressing other tasks that you have in your daily life

When working remotely, never directly context switch between work and personal tasks. Always do something between them. For me, I sleep my computer and go get dinner or take a walk.

When not working (e.g. personal life):
- Avoid checking work email as it will remind you of stressing other tasks that you have in your daily life
- Push notifications for email are a really bad habit and will cause unnecessary stress
    - Instead, feel free to check work email when you have downtime and can actually facilitate it
    - If you are an engineer, try to set up something like Pager Duty which will call you about the immediately important things

## Tip of my tongue moments
This is a re-application of the "Falling asleep" trick. We have all had "I just had it" moments. We thought of something but then lost it a second later.

I always carry a pen in my pocket for these types of situations. In these situations, I will write down the thought on my phone if available. If not, then I will write it on my arm near my wrist so I will see it later.

Similarly if I need to remember a task when I am walking (e.g. send a letter while commuting), then I will write it on my wrist so I am more likely to remember than forget. I could set a reminder on my phone but not all transit is predictable and it could be annoying.

// TODO: Maybe place before Falling asleep section?

Juggling mental notes

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