Write it down.
It is the simplest thing to do and yet we often refuse to do so, thinking that we can remember all things.
But we can’t.
And so I have been saying “Write it down” to myself and anyone who would listen when they tell me that they have forgotten to do something or be somewhere.
Write It Down
Yes, it is an effort to do so but memories are frail and distractedness abounds in daily life.
My children have been reminded over and over that if they tell me to do something for them or if they update me about their schedules and they do not see me writing it down (or keying it into the phone), it will not happen because I will not remember.
I am not sure if David Allen was the one who came up with it but I remember reading this quote in his book, Getting Things Done,
Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.
David Allen
His point is that our brains are not to be used as storage containers. And if they are used that way, then the ability to creak and think will decrease. ie we become less productive and efficient.
When you are younger and have less to juggle, this will not appear to be true. Live a few more years, add a few more balls to your juggling act and you will see that it is so very true.
And so, write it down.
A Brain Dump Notebook
But write it down where?
Not on scraps of paper, definitely. Or on the palm of your hand as my father used to do.
To help me out, I have a Brain Dump Notebook. Everything I need to do gets jotted down there. For example:
- The name of a person I need to text but am unable to do so at that point.
- An item I need to buy during my Quiet Time.
- A blog post idea.
- An article to read.
- A topic to research.
- And so on.
Yes, it looks messy. It is not meant to be a pretty notebook. Its purpose is to be my external brain.
At the end of the day, I go through it, sort the items listed and either do what I need to do (text the friend) or schedule it into my planner so that it will get done. And then I cross it out of my Brain Dump book.
Ahhh! Such satisfaction!
I have tried different ways of doing this (such as having a Brain Dump list) but at this point in my life, the Brain Dump Notebook serves me better.
A Memory Journal
Write it down is also good advice for recording memories, be they good or bad.
As Sean McCabe shared in his IG stories some time back,
We see the past through rose-coloured glasses, not for what it really was. The only way to preserve the truth of the past is to document as you go.
Sean McCabe
This is where a physical Memory Journal or Keeper comes in. Use it to write down the cute things the children say as well as the frustrations we face with them. Journalling is also helpful for me as it helps me process things even as I record them.
An Online Memory Journal
And I wished I had done so when the children were younger. Unfortunately, I didn’t. In the early days, we were mostly in survival mode. Who has time to journal anything? Remembering when the baby nursed from which side was hard enough.
But thanks to the Lord’s prompting to start this blog, I do have an online memory journal of sorts. I did not realise this until recently when I wrote about our Family Vacations.
When the Lord impressed upon me to start blogging in 2005, it was to share my life.
- Share how I manage the home and homeschool the children.
- Encourage mothers in the process of sharing, that it can be done.
- And that being a stay at home mother is not a brain dead job.
The Scribe
In answering that call, I became the family scribe.
Not only do I get to document our family’s memories, but I also get to testify of the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness.
Without writing it down, all of us would forget. Or remember inaccurately. But we must not forget the Lord’s mercies and faithfulness to us. We always think we wouldn’t forget but we will.
Memorial Stones
That is why the Lord told Joshua to pick out 12 stones from the Jordan River in Joshua Chapter 4 after they had crossed the River to be memorial stones. The twelve stones would serve as a physical reminder of the supernatural event they had just experienced.
You’d think that seeing the River back up and stop for them to cross on a DRY river bed (Joshua 3:15-16) would be such an unforgettable event that they would never be able to stop talking about it. But they did.
And not only did they forget about such a miraculous event, but they also did not tell of God’s goodness and faithfulness to the next generation too. We are told that by the time Joshua and the elders died, “another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.” Joshua 2:10
Momentous as certain events are at that moment in time, time blurs all details. Take for instance my seven supernatural childbirths. If not for this blog, I would only have vaguely remembered them.
A Chance to Share
Writing things down also allows us to share our thoughts and reasonings behind why we do what we do, what we have learnt, and of course, how we do certain things.
We get a chance to document and pass down our life lessons so that hopefully our children can learn from our mistakes.
No, you don’t need to start a blog unless that is what the Lord is impressing upon you. You can just start documenting in a simple notebook bought from your neighbourhood stationery shop.
Whatever form your journal takes, just start. Write down your story somewhere. Document your life. Let your children understand you and the decisions you have made for yourself, for them; share your struggles and your victories.
Write It Down: Your Faith Journey
One more thing. Write about your faith journey.
How did you come to know the Lord? When and where did it happen?
The Bible reminds us to pass down our faith to our children. Sure, we can talk about it. But memories fade, stories get edited or mangled (remember the game, Telephone?). Writing them down is the best way to preserve your story.
The Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 145:4 (NLT)
Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;
Psalm 145:4 (NLT)
let them proclaim your power.
We have to be intentional in passing down our faith and in giving testimony of the Lord’s mercy and faithfulness towards us. Writing it down is a great way to do it.
Write It Down
If you are using social media as your memory book, be careful! Not just because of identity theft and all that but for another simple reason. It may sound crazy to you but the social media platform you use may one day disappear or require you to pay to retrieve your memories. And what would you have left? Nothing. Find a better alternative.
How do you do to remember what you need to and want to remember? Be it your daily to-do list or your memories. Do you have a Brain Dump notebook? A Memory Journal?
Comment below and let me know.