Greetings!
Way back, I used to forget things a lot, to the extent that my workmates would ask if I had gotten married because they believed it’s usually a man with family responsibilities and too much on his mind who forgets things like that. However, I have trained myself over time, and now I hardly forget. At the end of this article, I will share the method I have been using to achieve this.
Among the series of forgetfulness incidents I experienced, the one that scared me the most involved finances, specifically keeping financial records. Throughout my time as an employee, I worked in roles that required handling money and financial documentation. Even a slight mistake or forgetting to add or subtract a record would often lead to lengthy explanations to prove that I hadn’t stolen any money.
There was one particular day when I had to deliver goods and collect payment. Before heading out, I was required to send the total amount of the items to the customer. I did so, but I mistakenly left out 10,000 naira from the total amount. When I got to the customer, I delivered the items, and he paid me the exact amount I had sent him earlier.
Upon returning to the office, I reported the transaction. When my boss checked the money, he noticed that 10,000 naira was missing. He immediately called for my attention. It was then that I remembered I had forgotten to include the 10,000 naira when sending the figure to the customer earlier. To make matters worse, this particular customer was someone who often liked to flaunt his literacy and knowledge.
Without wasting time, I quickly called the customer to explain and rectify the situation. Unfortunately, he didn’t pick up my call. I tried three more times, but there was no response. I decided to send him a text message and waited for about three hours before trying again. When I finally got through to him, he outright refused to pay, saying the mistake was entirely my fault. He even hung up on me while I was still explaining and apologizing.
My boss, understandably angry, confronted me and strongly criticized my forgetfulness, reminding me of previous warnings he had given. He then told me to handle the situation myself and replace the missing money as punishment for my carelessness.
At that moment, I resolved not to call the customer again. I decided to take full responsibility and replace the money. However, after thinking deeply, I reconsidered. I made another attempt to contact the customer, and this time, I put in extra effort to explain, apologize sincerely, and plead with him to understand the situation. Thankfully, he finally agreed to pay the money, and I felt a great sense of relief.
From that day onwards, I made it a personal mission to train myself and develop habits to combat forgetfulness. One method I adopted was writing things down immediately, or at the very least, at a time when the details were still fresh in my memory. Additionally, I cultivated the habit of not rushing to attend to tasks, as I realized that haste often led to mistakes and forgetfulness.
Thanks for reading.