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A map of everything worth writing down

What do you need to remember?

Almost everything worth remembering is a person, a place, a date, a time or a topic. Tap a circle below to see what's worth noting, with an example note for each.

These 20 things alone can be combined in 1,048,555 different ways.
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People worth remembering

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What to remember about your mum

Her birthday, her favourite places, her friends' names, and the small things she mentions wanting. Those passing comments are the easiest to forget.

Sunday, 6 SeptemberMum mentioned she'd love to go back to Galway for her birthday in October.
Around Mum · 5 more to remember
People

Your mum's friends and neighbours

Names and numbers for the people she sees most, in case you need to reach her.

Places

Your mum's favourite places

The café, the walk, the town she grew up in.

Places

Where your mum keeps important documents

Will, insurance, passport and house papers. Know where they are before you need them.

Dates

Dates to remember for your parents

Birthdays, anniversaries and the dates they always mark.

Topics

Gift ideas for your mum

The things she mentions in passing, written down the day she says them.

See also Remember birthdaysWhat to remember in OctoberGift ideas

Things to remember about friends

Their partner's and kids' names, what they're going through, and anything coming up for them, like a new job, a move or a big trip.

Thursday, 1 OctoberCiara starts her new job on Monday. Text her Sunday evening.
Around friends · 4 more to remember
People

Remember your friends' partners' and kids' names

Note them once, with the kids' ages, and update when news arrives.

Dates

Remember friends' birthdays and big days

Weddings, due dates, exams and moves, not just birthdays.

Topics

Remember what your friends are into

Their hobbies, teams and shows, so every catch-up has a place to start.

Places

Good places to meet up with friends

The spots that worked for groups, kids or a quiet chat.

See also Friends' life updatesWeekly routines

How to remember people's names

Write the name down the same day, with where you met and one detail about them. The detail is what brings the name back later.

Saturday, 26 SeptemberMet Tom at the climbing wall in Dún Laoghaire. Runs a bakery, has a dog called Biscuit.
Around names · 3 more to remember
Places

Remember where you met someone new

The place is the strongest cue for bringing a name back.

Topics

Remember details about people you meet

Their job, their pet, their hometown. One detail is enough.

Dates

Remember when you met someone

The date helps you place them, and makes a nice memory later.

See also Remember where you metBooks people recommended

Things to remember about your partner

Their favourite things, their sizes, and the places they say they'd love to go someday. Those are the details that make a surprise land.

Saturday, 19 SeptemberSarah wants to see the Northern Lights someday. Her favourite flowers are peonies.
Around your partner · 4 more to remember
Places

Places that matter to your relationship

Where you met, your first date, the trip you still talk about.

Dates

Dates to remember in a relationship

First date, anniversary, the day you moved in.

Topics

Things your partner says they'd love

Gift, trip and surprise ideas, noted when they come up.

People

Remember your partner's family

Names, birthdays and partners of your in-laws.

See also AnniversariesGift ideas

Places worth remembering

Back to the map ↑

Remember where you met someone

Where and when you met, and who introduced you. Years later, it's the detail people most enjoy being reminded of.

Spring 2021First met Aoife at the hostel in Kyoto. She told me about the temple behind Gion.
Around where you met · 3 more to remember
People

Remember who introduced you to someone

Mutual friends are often how you find a person again.

Dates

Remember when you first met someone

Month and year are enough to anchor the memory.

Topics

Remember what you talked about when you met

The first conversation is the best thing to bring up next time.

See also Remember people's namesPlaces from a trip

Remember where you parked

The level, row and one landmark. A note takes five seconds and saves ten minutes of walking.

Saturday, 3 OctoberParked in Dundrum, Level 3, row F, near the lift. 2pm.
Around parking · 3 more to remember
Times

Remember when your parking runs out

Note the expiry time the moment you pay.

Places

Car parks with spaces at places you visit often

The level that's always free saves the search every time.

Topics

Remember your parking ticket and payment details

The machine, the app or the ticket number, whichever you'll need.

See also Best times to go

Restaurants you want to remember

What you ordered, who you went with, and the one thing you'd do differently next time.

Friday, 18 SeptemberSushi place on Camden Street with Mina. Get the salmon don, ask for the window seat.
Around restaurants · 3 more to remember
People

Remember who you went to a restaurant with

It turns a list of places into a list of good evenings.

Dates

Restaurants for special occasions

Where you went for birthdays and anniversaries, and whether to go back.

Topics

Remember what you ordered

Dishes to repeat, dishes to skip, and any allergy notes.

See also Gift ideasAnniversaries

Places to remember from a trip

The spots you'd go back to, the best time to visit, and who'd love them. Photos rarely capture why a place mattered.

April 2021The temple behind Gion with the moss garden. Go before 9am, it's empty. Mina would love it.
Around trips · 4 more to remember
Times

Best time to visit places you loved

Early, late or off-season. Note what made it work.

People

Who to recommend places to

Write their name next to the place while you're there.

Dates

Remember when you visited a place

Dates make trips easy to find again years later.

Topics

Travel tips to remember for next time

Transport, tickets, what to pack and what to skip.

See also Remember where you metBest times to go

Dates worth remembering

Back to the map ↑

How to remember birthdays

Write the date with something the person wants. A reminder that comes with a gift idea is far more useful than a date alone.

Monday, 17 AugustDad's birthday is 3 March. He wants that Shackleton biography.
Around birthdays · 4 more to remember
People

Birthdays of family and friends to remember

Everyone in one place, with their age or year if you know it.

Topics

Birthday gift ideas to remember

Note ideas all year, not the week before.

Times

When to post a birthday card

Allow extra days for post abroad, and note when you sent it.

Places

Birthday plans and places

Where you celebrated last year, and whether they loved it.

See also What to remember about MumGift ideas

Anniversaries worth remembering

First dates, weddings, moving in and starting a new job. Note where it happened, too.

Wednesday, 12 June 2019First date with Sarah at the East Pier. Bring her back there on 12 June.
Around anniversaries · 3 more to remember
Places

Remember where you had your first date

The place is the anniversary's best surprise.

Topics

Anniversary gift ideas by year

Paper for the first, wood for the fifth, tin for the tenth, if you like the tradition.

People

Remember who was there

The friends and family who were part of the day.

See also Restaurants to rememberRemember birthdays

What to remember in October

The clocks going back, Halloween costumes, mid-term break and any October birthdays.

Thursday, 8 OctoberClocks go back 25 October. Ella wants to be a fox for Halloween, size 7–8.
Around October · 4 more to remember
Times

When do the clocks go back

The last Sunday of October in Ireland and the UK, at 2am.

People

October birthdays to remember

Everyone born this month, with a gift idea beside each.

Topics

October to-do list

Boiler service, garden clear-up and Halloween costumes.

Dates

Mid-term break dates

Usually the last week of October for Irish schools. Check your school's dates.

See also School pickup timesWhat to remember about Mum

Renewal and due dates to remember

Insurance, NCT, passport and subscriptions. Note last year's price so you can check the renewal quote.

Wednesday, 21 JanuaryCar insurance renews 21 January. Last year's quote was €640. Check before it auto-renews.
Around renewals · 3 more to remember
Topics

Documents with expiry dates

Passport, driving licence, NCT and home insurance.

People

Who to contact for renewals

Your broker or provider, with the policy number.

Times

How far ahead to renew a passport

Passports can take weeks, so set the note months ahead.

See also Weekly routines

Times worth remembering

Back to the map ↑

Remember what time it is for family abroad

Note the time difference and the best hour to call, so you never ring someone at 3am.

Tuesday, 6 OctoberLiam in Sydney is 10 hours ahead right now. Call at 9pm, it's 7am there.
Around family abroad · 3 more to remember
People

Family and friends living abroad

Where they live and the time difference, all in one note.

Dates

When the clocks change abroad

Other countries change on different dates, so the gap shifts for a few weeks.

Topics

Best ways to keep in touch abroad

The app they use and the day that suits them for a call.

See also Remember things about friendsWeekly routines

School pickup times and routines

Finish times that change by day, after-school activities, and who's collecting.

Monday, 7 SeptemberElla finishes at 2:40 on Fridays, 3pm other days. Swimming Wednesday at 5.
Around school · 4 more to remember
People

Who's collecting the kids

The pickup rota with other parents, week by week.

Places

Where after-school activities are

Venue, entrance and where to park.

Dates

School term dates and days off

Half days, holidays and staff training days.

Topics

What kids need for school each day

PE gear on Tuesday, library book on Friday.

See also What to remember in OctoberWeekly routines

Weekly routines worth writing down

Bin days, regular calls, standing plans. Things you do every week, but not quite often enough to remember.

Sunday, 4 OctoberGreen bin Tuesday morning. Brown bin every second Thursday.
Around weekly routines · 3 more to remember
Dates

Bin collection days

Which bin, which day, and the weeks that change.

People

Regular calls to keep up

Ring Gran on Sundays. Small habits slip first.

Topics

Household tasks to track

Smoke alarm checks, filters and meter readings.

See also School pickup timesRemember things about friends

Best times to do things

When the gym is quiet, when the shop restocks, when a place is at its best. Small observations that pay off every week.

Monday, 28 SeptemberThe climbing wall is empty after 8pm on Mondays.
Around best times · 3 more to remember
Places

Quiet times at places you visit

The gym, the pool, the supermarket. Note when they're empty.

Dates

Best days for things

Market days, delivery days and late openings.

Topics

Best times to book things

Flights, restaurants and classes that fill up fast.

See also Remember where you parkedPlaces from a trip

Topics worth remembering

Back to the map ↑

Gift ideas to remember

Write it down the moment someone mentions wanting something. By their birthday, nobody remembers the conversation.

Friday, 18 SeptemberMina has been wanting a proper ceramic teapot. Something blue.
Around gift ideas · 3 more to remember
People

Gift ideas for each person

One running note per person beats a list you can't find in December.

Dates

Gift deadlines to remember

Last posting dates and order-by dates before Christmas.

Places

Remember where you saw a gift

The shop or website, so you can find it again.

See also Remember birthdaysRestaurants to remember

Ideas you don't want to lose

Capture it the second it arrives, with where you were. Context is what turns a scrap into something you can use.

Tuesday, 6 OctoberOn the DART: a map that shows where every note was written.
Around ideas · 3 more to remember
Places

Remember where you had an idea

The place helps you get back into the same thinking.

Times

When you have your best ideas

Morning walks, the commute, the shower. Notice the pattern.

Topics

Come back to old ideas

Old notes often finish new ideas. Keep them findable.

See also Best times to go

Life updates from people you care about

Exams, house moves, a new baby, a new job. Remembering to ask is one of the kindest things you can do.

Thursday, 1 OctoberCiara is moving to Galway at the end of the month. Ask how the house hunt is going next week.
Around life updates · 3 more to remember
Dates

Important dates in friends' lives

Moving days, due dates and exams, so you can check in.

Times

When to check in on someone

A few days after the big day, when the messages stop.

People

Keep track of how people are doing

A short note after each catch-up is enough.

See also Remember things about friendsWhat to remember about Mum

All 88 questions on this page

People worth remembering

Places worth remembering

Dates worth remembering

Times worth remembering

Topics worth remembering

Questions

What are the most important things to remember?

For most people: the people they care about and what's happening in their lives, important dates like birthdays and renewals, routines that change by day, and passing comments such as gift ideas and recommendations.

What's the easiest way to remember things?

Write them down the moment they happen, in a sentence, with who, where and when. The surrounding context is what helps you find the note again later.

How can 20 things combine in over a million ways?

Each of the 20 things can either be included or left out. That's 2 to the power of 20 combinations, or 1,048,576. Take away the empty set and the 20 single items, and 1,048,555 combinations bring together two or more things.

Where should I write these things down?

Anywhere you will actually look again: a paper notebook, the notes app on your phone, or a private notes app such as Onuri. What matters most is writing each thing as a short sentence with who, where and when.

Write it down while you still remember it.

Onuri is a free, private notes app for iPhone.

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