I could have easily written this post about how I missed blogging yesterday, but that would be too easy. To my credit, I thought a lot about what to write about, but couldn't decide affirmatively enough on a topic that was different enough from all the other things I've written about so far (I apparently have a very limited interest span).

Instead, I will write about what is most likely my biggest weakness ever: procrastination. Case in point, I came up with the topic, read an article about people who didn't become famous until after they were 30, started writing, got distracted by Twitter and will most likely end up watching an episode of Heroes before I'm finished.

I blame my procrastination on high school. Not to brag, but I'm pretty smart. The classes I didn't get As in were the ones I just didn't care much about, and I took all honors classes but was still pretty bored and not challenged enough. As a result, I started finding other things to do, and put off the mundane stuff like school work. Lunch time was for finishing up homework due the latter half of the day and getting started on homework due the following morning. My class was primarily filled with others who did the same, and you know what they say about the company you keep. We all graduated a bunch of slackers.

There are some things that can keep my interest. I've worked for hours straight while editing and can go all day on set without checking my phone. When I left my full time job last June my days were full for the two weeks up until I flew to Texas and California. I know how to be productive. Some days are just easier to be than others.

I believe there are a few reasons. The most common for most people is just not wanting to do it. For instance, I've had a giant bin full of books in the trunk of my car for over a week now, but haven't taken them to a place I know buys books. 1. I haven't felt like going through the books to take out what I want to keep. 2. The place is really far away on a side of town I have no reason to go to otherwise. 3. I doubt I'll get much for my books, so I'll feel like it wasn't really worth my time. When effort < return, I usually opt to just sit and play solitaire on my phone.

The other reason is similar yet opposite at the same time. These are the times when I'm not confident my effort will be enough to yield the potential return. And this is a result of negative speak. A lesson it took me a long time to learn is that anyone who does anything worthwhile has to face a lot of obstacles to get where they want to be. The biggest disadvantage of my high school experience is that I never had to work hard at anything. Everything came easy to me, and when something became challenging, I just moved on to the next thing. And while I could definitely work harder, if I know what I need to do and just need to work for awhile to get there, I have no problem. When I get lost and don't know where to go next, that's when the temptation to pause comes in.

I used to write a blog that was filled with life lessons. I'm resisting the urge to turn this post into one of those, since I don't really have one. I know what I need to do, but I don't have the answers to fix why I don't. If I did, this wouldn't be my topic for today. If any of you can relate, know you're not alone. Perhaps we can even encourage each other. I hear that helps things be a little less stressful and lame.

Although I'm happy to say I finished this entire blog post without deciding to watch Heroes instead. Part of that is because the battery on my laptop is dying, but I still consider it a small victory!

Yesterday I was working security at an event and a man came up who had no credentials on him. When I asked him for them he thanked me for asking for them, then stated we hadn't met yet, reached out his hand and said "Hi, my name is..." I believe he followed with John, but about 30 seconds later I was questioning what he'd told me.

I know what you're thinking. "Sandrene, you just told us on Wednesday how bad your memory is!" Don't worry, it's not that bad yet. Nor am I being lazy and trying to pass off the same topic for two days of blogging.

You see, my conversation with John? didn't end with him telling me his name. He asked me mine, then proceeded to explain "You know the guy who signs all your checks? That's me." He apologized again but said he needed to get through to see one of our supervisors on duty. He'd greeted another security guy who was standing next to me, so I figured his story was legitimate. But as I was internally frustrated with myself for not remembering the name of someone of significance, I realized why I'd forgotten, and why I've forgotten so many others upon first meeting.

I get caught up in the details.

In this instance, I was completely taken off guard. I saw hundreds of people that day, the last thing I expected when stopping him was a meaningful introduction. I was still trying to process what had just happened, what was still happening, and make sure I was still doing my job, as others were still passing by as well. The name, and a common one at that, got lost in all the other things I was sensing and needed to respond to.

And I believe this is the crux of all the issues I have with remembering names. You see, most introductions happen in one of two ways. Either you're introduced to a group of people and are overwhelmed with names and faces you're expected to remember, or it's done the old fashioned, one-on-one way with a handshake. Well, I tell you, a simultaneous handshake and name is a near surefire way to ensure I forget one of those, and it's usually not the one that includes physical touch (I am a kinesthetic learner).

You see, at that moment there are several things that go through my head. Things like:

Does he have a strong handshake (and how do I need to adjust to match it)
(If a weak handshake) is it because I've offended him, or is this normal?
How does his hands feel?
(If clammy, wet or something else unexpected) what does it mean?
Does he look friendly?
Will I need to adjust my accent when I say my name so he understands?
How many times will I have to repeat my name before he gets it right?
Does he look friendly?
Does it look like he even cares at all that we're talking?
Does he look scary and I should probably give a fake name?

With all that and more happening, saying something like "Hi, John. I'm Sandrene" becomes automatic and I miss out on the most important detail of the whole conversation. Sound familiar to anyone else?

I don't say all this to make an excuse. But now that I realize what my problem is, I need to figure out how to fix it. It appears this is easier said than done. Today I met a new person and decided to employ the practice of also saying the name after the handshake, assuming that was the over analytical part. Well, perhaps it's because this is such a new practice, but I ended our exchange with "it's nice to meet you ________" (after saying his name immediately after he told me as well), but then my mind launched into "oh, good. That didn't come out as awkwardly as I thought it might. I hope this helps me remember. And now I need to make sure I do the same for everyone else."

And guess what? I still forgot.

Ok, so I only kind of forgot. The "I think he said his name was..." type of forgot, instead of "I have no memory whatsoever of what he just told me" forgot. That's a start, right? *Sigh* The conclusion seems to be I need to shut my brain off at least 80% when meeting new people.

What are your tips and tricks for remembering names?