Forgetful much? Here’s a tip that works

So, if you have ADHD like me and you’re always forgetting things, this is what you’re going to want to do. This is one tip I’m going to give you that can really help your life.

Why does it help? The way it helps me is that it saves me a lot of frustration. It saves me from having to come home because I forgot something. It saves me from wasting time looking for things. It even helps prevent situations like locking myself out of the house.

So here’s what I recommend—and this is something I work on with my students. By the way, my name is Seth Perler. I’m an executive function coach, and I help struggling students navigate education so they can have a great life.

One of the things my students struggle with is forgetfulness. They’re often unprepared, always forgetting something, and it’s really frustrating. So what we do is get some kind of box—and I’ll show you what that is in a second.

You want to choose a box that you like and that’s a good size for you. That’s the rule: pick something you like and will actually use. I call this a “pocket box.” It’s just a name I came up with, but the idea is simple—everything that goes in your pockets goes into this box when you get home.

These are the items that I tend to forget and that cause the most frustration. I need to make it easy so I don’t lose or misplace things. I can’t even imagine how much time I’ve wasted over my life just looking for things. It’s not worth it—this system really helps.

So here’s what you do. First, get a box that you like. Then think about something I call the “rule of three.” Again, just a simple rule I came up with to help my ADHD brain.

The rule of three is about remembering three essential things you need every day. When I leave the house, I mentally check: phone, wallet, keys. If I forget any one of those, something goes wrong.

You can make this visual. For example, I wrote it in big, bold letters so I can easily see it before I leave. Your rule of three might be different—it could be your lunch, your backpack, or turning off the lights. Think about what you personally need to remember.

Keep this box somewhere easy to access—by the front door, your bedroom door, or anywhere you’ll see it regularly. I rely on this box, and it really helps my daily life.

Now, what do you put in it? Let me show you what I keep in mine.

First, I keep gum. Then I have glasses cleaner, because I often need to clean my glasses. I also keep an extra pair of glasses, since I tend to lose them.

Anything related to money goes in here—credit cards, gift cards, my wallet. I use a very minimalist wallet, so everything stays organized. I also keep pocket change in the box.

I carry a small pad and a pen because my brain isn’t reliable for remembering things. If I think of something as I’m leaving, I can quickly write it down and take it with me.

I also keep sunglasses, keys, and extra keys—car keys, house keys, even backup keys in case I get locked out. I include headphones because I use them often, and earplugs for when things get too loud.

Finally, I keep guitar picks in there. I play guitar, and if I leave the house with my guitar but forget a pick, it’s frustrating—so I make sure they’re always in the box.

So that’s my system.

By the way, I’m Seth Perler from SethPerler.com, where you can find a lot of free resources and content. If you like what I’m doing, give this a thumbs up, subscribe, and leave a comment.

Here’s my question for you: if you were to create your own “rule of three,” what would your three things be? And what other items would you keep by the door that people might not think of?

Go ahead and share your ideas in the comments. You might really help someone else.

That’s all I’ve got for you. Please support my work, and have a fantastic day. Take care.