A few advanced newly questions

[cwoodgold]

I treat shopping list items as Next Actions. Each one is an Action. I don't see why having a lot of them would cause any problems. I write them on paper.

You could keep something wrapped around your wallet, as a reminder. Possibly
even keep your shopping list wrapped around your wallet, or have it sticking
out of your wallet or something, so that when you get out your wallet to pay
for one thing it will remind you to check your list.

You could, from time to time, visualize yourself being in a place such as a
petrol station and checking your list, or visualize a giant shopping
list blocking everybody's way in the middle of the petrol station, or something;
this might help you remember when you're actually there.

Artsinaction, you could consider keeping the family shopping list on the
inside of the front door, or near there, to make it easier to remember to
take with you when you leave the house. (Ours is on the fridge though.)
Or have the list actually on top of your backpack or coat or whatever
you usually bring with you, whenever you're home. Either you could
move it there when you put your coat away -- it could be where your
coat goes -- or other family members could move it there any time they
think of it when you're home. Or have the main list in your coat
pocket, and a secondary list for when you're not home, and people
have to move the items to the main list.
Just ideas, which might not be worth the trouble.

[artsinaction]

Artsinaction, you could consider keeping the family shopping list on the
inside of the front door, or near there, to make it easier to remember to
take with you when you leave the house. (Ours is on the fridge though.)
Or have the list actually on top of your backpack or coat or whatever
you usually bring with you, whenever you're home. Either you could
move it there when you put your coat away -- it could be where your
coat goes -- or other family members could move it there any time they
think of it when you're home. Or have the main list in your coat
pocket, and a secondary list for when you're not home, and people
have to move the items to the main list.
Just ideas, which might not be worth the trouble.

Thanks for the suggestions! I love posting things at the front door. "Take Your Bag" "Close the Garage Door" or "Don't Forget Your Brain".

My discipline is definitely getting better and better. Part of my problem is that we live in an area that is relatively new to me, so I can be somewhere and have extra time but not realize that I'm right around the corner from the dry cleaners or the greeting card store or wherever else might be on my list. But that's improving, too.

I had to laugh when I thought about putting my list with my coat... we're in Southern California and my coat leaves the closet for less than a week a year, unless we're traveling! My poor little lists would have withered away!

Thanks for taking the time to respond, cwoodgold!

Dena

[cwoodgold]

I thought of saying "purse" but I wasn't sure whether you were in the category
of people that would apply to. (It's still winter here in Ottawa, Canada.)

Cathy

[artsinaction]

I thought of saying "purse" but I wasn't sure whether you were in the category of people that would apply to.

Again, I'm in California, so there are several "categories" that carry purses here.

And I guess coat sellers do pretty well in Ottawa, Canada this time of year!

But this conversation reminds me of a forum post a while ago from David Allen where he asked how people handled coupons. How could they remind themselves that they had a coupon, within the system? I don't recall any game-changing solutions that worked for me, though. What's worked for you?

Dena

[cwoodgold]

LOL, Dena!

But this conversation reminds me of a forum post a while ago from David Allen where he asked how people handled coupons. How could they remind themselves that they had a coupon, within the system? I don't recall any game-changing solutions that worked for me, though. What's worked for you?

The main thing is to have a system that allows you to NOT think about the
coupon most of the time, but to think of it when you need to take action:
just before leaving home (to bring it), and at the cash register.

My shopping list is more-or-less sorted by shop. I list the coupon on
it as if it were one of the things I was going to buy there. I also
visualize myself at the cash register of that
particular store, pulling out a huge coupon or something.
And if I think of it while I'm in the store, I put the coupon
in the grocery cart or hold it in my hand or make it stick up
out of my wallet or something, so I'll automatically see it when
I get to the cash register.

Most coupons I just don't use -- they're usually not worth my time and effort.

[artsinaction]

Most coupons I just don't use -- they're usually not worth my time and effort.

Ditto. I do like your idea of putting the coupon as an item on your shopping list for that store... that's kind of brilliant. I'm usually of much sounder mind when I'm assembling my lists early in the day than I am while I'm running out the door to do errands. So, great idea!

Dena