I need something life changing for the forgetful!

[QueenOfIce]

My best friend really has issues with her memory and I seem to have taken on the role of unpaid PA. She has so much going on at the moment which adds to her forgetfulness as she's under a lot of stress. She has so many balls in the air and I wondered if anyone knew of anything I could get her for Christmas that would really help her out.

No point in a diary, she'd forget to write in it. For instance she writes a shopping list forgets to take it and when it's suggested she takes a photo of the list she can't remember to do that!

Do any of you wise ones have any ideas? Thank you!

Bullet Journal. In essence, this is what you say you don't want, because she'd forget to write in it or take it with her, but short of giving her a piece of string for tying knots in, I think any solution is going to involve record keeping.

The key elements of the Bullet Journal system that might help are:

1. One notebook, all the data. Whatever need to go on paper goes in it; appointments, lists, notes, whatever. It becomes so useful you don't forget it.
2. The system involves rewriting various elements when you turn a page or plan out an upcoming month, which helps to sort the wheat from the chaff and also helps with recall.

A lovely quality notebook, with at least one ribbon can be literally as expensive as you dare buy. Do a bit of your own research about how you could introduce the method - get a book, provide a link to a video, or just explain it. A very popular BuJo notebook is the dot grid from Leuchtturm 1917, mine has two ribbons, which I love. Get a pen holder to stick in the back of it. As a gift, if you don't want to be seen to be micromanaging, you might be able to get one that actually says "Bullet Journal" on it, and leave her to work it out for herself if she feels she wants to.

If she genuinely has memory issues she should talk to her doctor

If she is just a bit scatty then any solution is going to require some concerted effort on her part.

Has she tried her phone calendar? You can get ones you talk into, so as soon as something comes up she just says "hold on, let me put it in my diary!" and either types or repeats it. I bet she always remembers her phone! Trying to get her into the habit of looking over the next day's/weeks events coming up is also helpful, as well as putting in reminders for things that need some extra attention before the event (eg school dress up day a week in advance running over a few days so she can make/get a costume in time).
That's what I do anyway, and I'd never remember a diary either