Really off my mind

One thing I've noticed is that sometimes I'll put something on my list, but I still get those little mental "reminders." For example, this morning I was in the bathroom and I thought, "Call Mom." I get back to my desk and go to my @Calls list to put "Call Mom" on it and found I had already put it there 2 days ago. So I had forgotten that I put the item on my list, but I remembered that I hadn't done this particular NA yet. Any thoughts on this? Is this just unavoidable?
 
Don't worry about it. Some of it is unavoidable, some will subside as your brain learns that your system is trustworthy.

Katherine
 
kewms said:
Don't worry about it. Some of it is unavoidable, some will subside as your brain learns that your system is trustworthy.

Katherine

Bingo! I think that Katherine hit it on the head. Your brain doesn't yet fully trust your system.
 
One of the things that I did when I was initially getting into my system was to look through my various lists frequently, even if I wasn't in that context. It only took a minute or two, and it helped my be comfortable that everything was where it should be. After using the system a while (everyone is different with how long a while might be) I began to trust that since I had put everything down on the right list, I didn't have to worry about it and only looked at the list when I was in that particular context.

To your example, once I have "Call Mom" on my list, I know that I'll be looking at that list at least once each day and will see that To Do item.
 
It happens to me still, I find it useful for me that I write down the thought again just to affirm the idea gets into the system even if I think I might be making a duplicate. I do it just to affirm that whatever I am reminding/worrying about will get dealt with. It seems the longer you use GTD, the less this tends to happen.
 
If I find myself entering a thought that I've already recorded, I figure that means it's something that really, really bothers me. Since I date-stamp everything, I add the new datestamp. Then the number of dates function as a sort of irritation meter, and a prod to pull it off the list and do it!
 
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