What might I have forgotten?

Build in time to check that you have everything

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is to get in the habit of asking what
might I have forgotten? Every time you walk out the

(00:24):
door or start a big new experience, you raise the
chances of someone remembering something important and saving everyone a
lot of trouble. So if you have been preparing for
something for a while, like a big international trip, you

(00:45):
might assume you would have everything, but it is amazing
what we can still forget. You pack your kids warm
ski socks, but not your own. You have all the
sunscreen and medications, but not your toothbrush or underwear. Even

(01:05):
just a quick trip can feature forgetfulness. Grocery stores in
my area no longer give out plastic bags, and we
have many reusable bags in the house and some in
the car. But then sometimes they're not in the car
when I need to stop by the store, and well,
then I wind up purchasing even more reusable bags. So

(01:28):
it's wise to get in the habit every time you
are walking out the door of asking what am I forgetting?
If you are leaving with a group, ask everyone now. Obviously,
if you knew you were forgetting something, you wouldn't be
forgetting it. So this question isn't fool proof. But by

(01:49):
building in a few seconds to check your inventory, you
force yourself to run through the list of what you
might need one more time. Even if it's something you
don't have in your active brain, someone else might mention it,
or you might be prompted to think, oh, perhaps it
could rain and you bring an umbrella for the car.

(02:13):
You'll be glad you did that when it starts storming later.
I find that this question, asked in a lighthearted way,
can also feel more positive than other ways of well
nagging people to remember stuff. I have definitely asked my
kids did you remember your toothbrush? Or did you remember

(02:33):
your lactate on the way out the door. But if
you are working with a team a work team here,
it is a bit off putting to ask a direct
report if she remembered to print out the agenda for
the meeting in case the client doesn't have it. But
if you are all leaving the team room together simply

(02:54):
asking what are we forgetting HM? The agenda backup of
the slides puts this in a more problem solving tone,
rather than an accusatory one. And who knows, your employees
might remember something that you have completely forgotten and that
would be a big win. So the next time you

(03:17):
are heading out the door or preparing for something big,
ask yourself and anyone with you what you might have forgotten.
That simple question may help you avoid frustration and set
yourself up for success. In the meantime, this is Laura.

(03:39):
Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of
our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've
got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at
la at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a

(04:07):
production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit
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your favorite shows.