Keeping a handle on things when schedule gets busy

Q. Although I am "getting on" I lead a very busy life. In fact, it seems almost frantic these days. So many things going on--social affairs, household necessities, and so on. Recently I realized that I have been forgetting a few responsibilities, and even an appointment. I think I need help!

A. This sounds like a situation that will benefit from the word "organize". You need to find ways that will require less time than you now spend while attending to all your responsibilities. What methods do you use to help you keep track of all the things you must do?
One essential for both current and long-term planning is a calendar. A daily check of the day's activities is necessary, of course, and perhaps even more than once to make sure you have not forgotten anything. Also start preparing for the next day and often even longer than that.
Lists are also important. Don't go shopping without one. Whenever you think of something you need, write it on the list immediately. Do not wait or you may get distracted and forget all about it. A certain way to use time is to find it necessary to make two trips to complete an errand when one should have been sufficient.
Another type of list that can be most helpful is a scrap of paper and a pencil kept at your bedside. Many of us have new ideas, or remember responsibilities at around 3 A.M. It often helps me get back to sleep if I just jot it down, knowing then that it will not have slipped my mind in the morning.
Do you ever forget to take a particular object with you that you have promised to someone? Perhaps a friend wants to borrow a book, so you have promised to take it to her when you went to lunch. Then at lunch--no book! How do you make sure that you won't forget? Put the book where you cannot miss it. Place it directly in front of the door where you will exit, or take it to your car well before you plan to leave.
Both of these methods are very effective.
Try to organize your daily errands in the most efficient way. Unless a time schedule interferes, take the shortest, and therefore the quickest route. Know ahead of time exactly where you are going and the route you will take. It really pays off in time saved.
Are you trying to remember things that are unnecessary? Try to consider all the things that it is all right to forget. For example, if you have made a complete shopping list, you need not remember the items on it. You can just read it at the proper time. I personally read some books for rest and relaxation, and purposely do not remember them or their authors. Those details are not important to my life. Nobody will be harmed if I forget them.
As I always stress, try to find a few minutes each day for some mental stimulation such as a crossword puzzle. I realize that you are already busier than you want to be, but organizing should help you to save time and some mental activity will help your concentration, memory, and other mental abilities.

Don't plan on retiring without a plan.

Dear readers: The last column was addressed to those who are reluctant to retire because they like their occupations so much. This column is for those who have not liked their employment and who are only waiting to reach the appropriate age to retire. Again, there are a number of considerations.

Anyone who plans to retire must have a plan for future activities. Be certain not to ignore the fact that you will have large quantities of time that will need to be filled somehow. What will you do during those hours that no longer will be occupied with commute traffic? The hours when you were bound to your office? I can almost hear the words "sleep" and "TV". However, you are certain to wake eventually, and I hope to discourage you from vast quantities of TV. Try to avoid activities in general that require little or no thought. It will be tempting to those individuals who will be glad to escape a less than stimulating position to utilize the ever-present TV for longer than is really sensible.
Obviously you need a good substitute for the time that your present job occupies, but this time select an area with which you will be comfortable. As always, my suggestion is for mental exercise. There are certainly some mental activities that will challenge you and that you will enjoy. If you do not at present do any types of puzzles, try a variety of them at a doable level to check out which of them you might like to try in a more difficult form.
Another idea might be to expand a present hobby, or if you do not have one, consider learning a completely new subject. Initiate a plan to do an activity that has attracted you in the past, a topic that has interested you over the years, perhaps, but that you have never had the time to pursue.
If you have travel plans, learning an appropriate language would provide you a real mental challenge. In any case, choose a stimulating subject that will occupy your interest and make you think. Taking an appropriate class to learn a language or another subject that attracts you can have advantages. Others who are considering the same directions will also attend, and present a good opportunity for making new friends.
I always encourage all retirees to volunteer. You will not want to pursue your present field of employment, so consider perhaps, your favorite charitable organization, or some other activity that you especially enjoy. Helping others is so important and so rewarding for you. You will also likely be working with other volunteers, and the resulting social interaction is also of the utmost importance.
There are, of course, other activities that all older adults should pursue. Although a recent study indicates that physical activity does not help to promote mental fitness, I personally find that aerobic exercise makes me feel much more relaxed and well in general. If you do not now exercise regularly, however, be sure to check with your physician before beginning. Perhaps you could also join a gym and ask a trainer to help you set up an appropriate regimen.
Your retirement should be such a rewarding experience. Enjoy it!

Senior center session helps jump-start mental fitness

Q. I am really interested in your ideas about mental fitness and would like to pursue them, but I am the kind of person who wants things to move along as quickly as possible. Starting to do crossword puzzles, it seems to me, would take a long time to produce results. What do you think would bring about the most rapid change?

A. My belief is that mental fitness is helped most by challenging mental activities that previously have not been experienced. Learning something completely new, solving puzzles involving techniques and thinking patterns that you never heard of before.
The Mind Works program provides precisely those things I just described. If you live within commuting distance to El Cerrito, I strongly recommend that you try Mind Works. There are two one-and-a-half hour sessions a week--Thursday morning at 9:30, and Thursday afternoon at l o'clock, at the Open House Senior Center at 6500 Stockton Avenue.
Besides learning many new things, we have a great deal of fun. The most heard sound in any Mind Works session is laughter. The atmosphere is totally noncompetitive and unthreatening; it is perfectly all right to make a mistake--everybody does, even I do on occasion!
Some members of my group have been attending Mind Works for well over ten years. They are dedicated to thinking and learning, including those who are over 90 years of age. No matter what kind of problem I may present to them for solution, they will give it their very best efforts.
We also try to welcome newcomers by reviewing some of our basic, simpler activities that will introduce them to various concepts upon which they can build and learn. With the help of the veteran members of the group, it usually doesn't take long for a newcomer to become familiar with it all.
When we approach a new and different type of problem to understand or solve, members who are seated adjacent to one another tend to work together. As they share their impressions, their different ideas often come together to help the whole thing to be understood more quickly. No one tries to be "first" with a solution. The effort made is truly one of cooperation.
Recently a member who joined one of the groups over a year ago, came to me following a session. She wanted to share with me some of the ways that Mind Works has affected her. She has become far more observant and aware of her surroundings, and of activities that are occurring there. Her problem solving abilities have improved and she is just feeling generally more in command of her life.
If you find it impossible to attend Mind Works sessions, my book "Don't Lose Your Mind" could be a great help. It is a workbook, easy to use, with spaces for writing. It leads you in a step-by-step manner toward improved awareness, communication skills, concentration, and memory. There are also suggestions that will help you to avoid misplacing those important objects that you need, such as keys and eyeglasses. The price is also right--only $10. For other questions, please contact me at the at the number or email address at the end of the column.