Absentmindedness

Have you ever walked into a room and forgotten why you walked in there? Have you ever forgotten to give someone a telephone message? Ever forgotten an errand that you needed to run? Everyone experiences absentmindedness on a regular basis. Absentmindedness is caused by the failure to pay attention to what you need to do. It is usually caused by one of three different scenarios.

1. The thing you need to do is part of a habit or routine such that it requires very little attention.
2. You are distracted by something that takes your attention away from the thing you need to do.
3. You are trying to do two things at the same time.

It is impossible to completely overcome absentmindedness, but you can take steps to reduce it, such as getting organized, keeping written notes, repeating what you need to do out loud, or using mnemonics such as the Loci System to better organize your ideas.