Ability to forget

There are many professions in the world for which it is critically important to be able to memorize information well. Well, for example, scouts, linguists or detectives (add your own version). But I think there is another class of professions - those who are equally important to be able to forget well. And an IT specialist is one such profession. Argument under the cut.

7 ± 2

You probably know the rule 7 ± 2 . It says that man is a primitive being and in his short-term memory more than 7 ± 2 entities cannot fit in him. To me, by the way, at the mention of this rule, it sometimes becomes embarrassing, because personally my abilities are closer to the lower limit of this number — I start to get lost already when operating with 5-6 objects. What are the conclusions from this? We must try to remember less:

• Do you have more than 7 ± 2 simultaneous projects? Change jobs.
• When editing a certain code module, you have to remember more than 7 ± 2 other modules? You have something wrong with architecture.
• Do all changes need to be coordinated with more than 7 ± 2 people? Your supervisor is not building a workflow.
• Do you have a function that takes more than 7 ± 2 parameters? You are doing something wrong.

Etc.

GTD

Only the lazy one has not heard about GTD - there is even a whole blog on Habré about it, although the general idea is told in 3 sentences, and there is no sense to tell about its specific implementation, since they are individual. GTD supporters say that this technique helps to do (and finish) things. I do not know, maybe. But in what it helps to precisely - to throw out from the head extra information. If everything is written somewhere, and you know that it is written there, you can forget about it until it is time to take a new task from the list. As a result, there are only a couple of tasks in memory (ideally, one), a person has a feeling of freedom and lightness.

Technology

Over the past couple of decades, such a breakthrough in technology has changed, that it's just crazy to go crazy. Even today you are an expert on the most advanced language \ OS \ engine \ DB, and tomorrow they are already giggling at you, hinting that such dinosaurs should be sent to a dump. I have long ceased to write a bunch of three-four-letter English abbreviations that occupy almost a page in the resume. What is the point? Just what I use now + a couple of lines about what I'm currently studying. And you need to study constantly. Accordingly, one must be able and forget the old. Sometimes it hurts - to spend half a year studying some technology, and a year later to find out that the company, for marketing reasons, decided not to support it anymore. Well, upset, drank with grief, forgot and drove on.
')

Learn from the best

Let's look at an example of those who really manage to do a lot, quickly, at the same time several tasks and not forget anything in any of them. Well, yes, I am about computers. :) What makes a modern computer all this? Any seller in a hardware store will answer this question that it’s because he has “as many as N-twenty gigarets and a lot of cores” (and “neon inside”, aha). But you and I are a little closer to IT and we know that such amazing performance and multitasking are largely due to effective context switching algorithms for the task being performed, thanks to which the processor can quickly “forget” about the current task, unloading all the data associated with it and switching to a new one. Take note of the way.

Education

Let's get clean - how much of what you were given at school and at the university was really useful in life? 20% at least have? If yes - congratulations, you had good teachers. The ability to get rid of a lot of unnecessary junk from your head is how to remove the “Disassemble” folder from the HDD with all the rubbish that you, let's be honest, will never be able to disassemble. And as soon as you delete - like a mountain from the shoulders. Rummage on the hard drive in your head - you will surely find something unnecessary.

Work and home

Not so long ago, I changed my job from “I got up to call at 3 o'clock in the morning and ran to repair everything” to “40 hours a week according to a convenient schedule + opportunity to work from home” and you know, it became easier. I am no longer afraid to pick up the phone for calls from unknown numbers, I don't even have a working phone! The possibility of crossing the threshold of the house, completely forgetting about work is a very important thing. As well as not to worry about the house, came to work. Learning to temporarily forget about these things is not easy, because home and work are among the most important concepts in life. But if you learn to think about them when you need and not to think when you don’t, then it will be better for you and them.

Handyman Specialist

There was such an anecdote (or life story) - the mother says to her daughter: “All men are divided into 2 types: those who can do everything and repair everything with their own hands and those who do not know how. And God forbid you to marry ... first - you will never have anything new! ”
In addition to the main profession, you know how to glue wallpaper, collect stools, repair plumbing, operate a tower crane and tame dragons? It would seem that you - well done. But is it not better to be a specialist in your field, to earn good money on it and to pay all professional builders, stool collectors, crane operators and dragon breeders for their work? And it will be better done and it is not necessary to keep the extra information in your head. Of course, this does not apply to all sorts of hobbies. But one thing is a hobby, and another is clogging brains and free time with what others can do better than you.

I will not forget it for sure

“So, Sasha’s birthday is in 2 weeks - we must not forget, even if it’s distant, but a relative. He is fond of sports - something from the inventory can be given. No, I will not forget. I remembered that ... What, dear? Buy bread and milk on the way home? Of course. Yes, of course, remember - what is there to memorize? Bread and milk. It's simple ... Yes, Nikolai Petrovich. The report is on Monday. Got it. No, I will not forget. Well, yes, I have another 2 dozen reports - but this one is small, I’m doing it quickly. I'll remember.
...
Well, that we - without bread and milk do not have dinner? I remembered at work. Even when he went home he remembered! But then this call, and the car on the transition almost hit, and the rain started well, and here ... How was the birthday yesterday? I remembered! No, well, I'm not the one who does not otmazyvatsya - I really remembered it, I even came up with a gift ... What report? Speak specifically, I have here two dozen! Ah, this report ... "

You never remember everything. Even with the best of intentions. Even trying very hard. It's impossible. You are only a person (if you are not a person, do not read further, and you shouldn’t have cost to this point). I generally proceed from the considerations that I am not able to remember ANYTHING. For everything that I can, I have reminders. By time, by place, by context. They are duplicated on all my computers and phones. I can not remember anything - and therefore I can not forget anything.

findings

At the end of the article I would like to put a weighty point to the thesis expressed at the beginning of the article. But wait, but what did I write there at the beginning? I forgot ...