Find an anchor date

How to remember to do things you might otherwise forget

I recently heard about a person who schedules all his annual medical appointments for right around his birthday. He schedules his annual physical, plus the eye doctor, dermatologist, and whoever else he needs to see once a year. He isn’t going to forget his birthday, so if he knows he makes appointments for around his birthday, there’s no more wondering when his last appointment was. This approach has the added benefit of recasting preventative health care as a gift to himself. He is increasing the chances of many more birthdays to come!

That’s the power of a good “anchor date” — that is, a date you will remember, which will allow you to fix tasks you wish to remember to that point on the calendar.

Remembering random tasks

I’m sure you can think of all sorts of tasks you’d like to remember, but that don’t have obvious dates. Changing the air filters in your house. Switching out your toothbrush. Going to the dentist.

You can certainly choose random dates, but to help make this process easier, you could choose anchor dates that you’re more likely to remember. For instance, anything that needs to happen four times a year could happen on the equinoxes and solstices, or perhaps on the days your quarterly taxes are due. Maybe you switch your monthly contacts on the ides of March, and all the other ides.

Anchor dates can likewise be useful for things that need to happen at specific times of year, even if there is a range of possible options. For instance, in parts of the American South, the day after Thanksgiving is the traditional day to plant bulbs. It would be fine to plant bulbs earlier in November or even right now in December if you’re far enough south, but the rule of thumb to plant the day after Thanksgiving helps ensure that what needs to happen sometime around then actually happens. Since many people have the day after Thanksgiving off work, this winds up working out quite well.

Likewise, we often think of getting our flu shots right around Halloween. And I start making my annual camp spreadsheet right around my birthday in early December — early enough to get discounts and to almost always get the dates I want.

Get it on the calendar

So, think about what you need to do periodically. Is there a memorable date, like your birthday or a holiday, that would work as an anchor date? Once you do this, the anchor date will help you remember to do the task on schedule from year to year.

Eventually, this will be automatic. Day after Thanksgiving, plant those bulbs! But in the nearer term, it’s a good idea to use a calendar item to reinforce that association. So for example, you might put a note on your calendar for Halloween next year to go get a flu shot and to create a calendar item for the next year. Then the cycle repeats itself. And the things you want to have happen happen. How awesome is that?