Project Management Tip: Never Trust Your Memory, It Lies to You

If there is one universal truth in project management, it is this, your memory is a filthy liar. It will promise you that you will remember that one client request from the call last Tuesday. It will swear that you will definitely update that task after lunch. It will even convince you that you do not need to write it down because you are absolutely sure you will remember it later.

You will not. No one ever does.

So here is the simple tip that has saved more project managers than coffee ever has.

Write. Everything. Down.

It does not matter if it is a task, an idea, a deadline, a passing comment from a client, or even something random like, “We should circle back on that after approvals”. If you do not capture it somewhere, it will disappear faster than snacks in the office kitchen on a Friday.

Why this works

• Your brain is great at thinking, not storing • Written notes make you look organised, even if you are quietly panicking inside • You can always go back and check what you promised, instead of guessing and hoping for the best • It stops tasks from quietly slipping into the void

Bonus tip

Use one single source of truth. ClickUp, Notion, Trello, a notebook, the back of a napkin, whatever. Just do not spread notes across twenty places or you will spend half your day hunting for them like a distracted magpie chasing shiny things.

The takeaway

Your memory is not your project management tool. Write it down, track it properly, and future you will thank present you for not being a menace.