August 6, 2026 l Manila Bulletin
When your brain is no longer able to retain your calendar inside your head, there are a number of things you can do to keep track of your to-do list, appointments, and other important activities. You need to go to W.A.R.—which stands for Write, Alarm, Routine! Face the reality that you do need help, and don’t be ashamed or hesitant to use all the assistance you can get.
Write it down
Get a daily planner and write down all the things you need to do the moment you think about them, see an announcement, get an invitation, or are reminded by someone. It is a good practice to log all the pertinent details in your daily planner: the occasion, event, time, location, and other important notes, such as bringing a gift, offering someone a ride, noted attire, or confirming your attendance in advance.
While there are many alternatives for keeping a calendar of your activities, I prefer the old-fashioned way: writing it down in my paper daily planner. Avoid using more than one planner. If it is more convenient for you, there are also many calendar apps available on your smartphone.
Sometimes, you also have to take the initiative to note important birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, board meetings, golf tournaments, office parties, family reunions, and other recurring events. For these occasions, there is no need to wait for an invitation or prompt—just write them down right away. Even if some details aren’t finalized yet, you can fill them in later.
If you don’t have your planner with you when an event comes up, no problem! Just take a picture of the poster or send yourself a text message to remind you to add it to your calendar later.
Alarms
Alarms are another excellent way to keep you on track. Your smartphone comes in handy here, as you can set alerts for specific times and dates. You should normally set an alarm well before the actual appointment to give yourself enough time to get ready and travel.
Aside from your primary smartphone, you can set up backup alarms for redundancy—such as a second phone, a traditional alarm clock, a hotel wake-up call, or a reliable friend or travel companion.
Routine
Routine is something you train yourself to follow. This includes the time you wake up and go to sleep, as well as morning habits like brushing your teeth, taking your medicine, or reading the news. Before going to bed, you can establish evening routines such as taking out the trash, locking the doors, turning off the gas valve, and spending time with your kids.
Routines apply to daily life at work, on weekends, and during holidays. They can include eating breakfast, checking messages and emails, arriving at the office at a set time, and reviewing your appointments and staff meetings.
You can also establish regular activities with friends and family: Saturday golf with buddies, Sunday family lunches, Tuesday dinner-and-a-movie dates with your wife, or visiting your parents on the first Sunday of every month. Even vacations can become part of your routine—like Christmas in Baguio, an annual summer trip abroad with the kids, or an annual company outing.
You don’t have to miss out on life’s best moments just because you forgot. You just have to go to W.A.R. to give your memory a boost!
***The views expressed herein are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of his office as well as FINEX. For comments, email gschua@ecopower.com.ph. Photo is from Pinterest.