You made a point of saving the information. A screenshot on your phone, a link in a chat or a tab you left open. Now you need it, and all you remember is that it must be somewhere.
This article starts with one specific question: How can you find a saved piece of information when you next need to use it? You do not have to reorganize your whole digital life or set up a new app. These organizational ideas use a fictional example; they do not explain why you personally forget something.
1. Start with the information you actually need
Alex is attending a pottery class on Saturday. An email contained a materials list. There is now a screenshot, a short note and an open browser tab connected to it. On Friday, Alex wants to pack a bag.
The task is not “sort screenshots”. It is “find the current materials list for the class”. That gives the search a finish. A nice photograph of the studio or the general course page does not answer this question yet.
Choose an equally specific piece of information for your first attempt. Which document, paragraph or detail do you need for an actual action?
2. Make a pointer to the source
Alex finds the email and adds an entry to a note already in use: “Saturday pottery class — materials list: studio email, subject ‘Your Saturday class’.” A relevant link or file path can go alongside it when available.
The pointer does not need to copy the whole contents. It needs to explain where the original is and what you need it for. A source can stay where it arrived. Another screenshot in a second place is not yet a pointer to that source.
Start with somewhere you already look. The broader decision about which app does what is covered in the existing article on too many planning apps.
3. Use words you would think to search for later
“Important”, “idea” and “for later” say little about what an entry contains. Choose a name that reflects the thought you might have when looking for it.
| Unclear entry | Specific pointer |
|---|---|
| Class | Saturday pottery class — materials list |
| Screenshot 42 | Pottery class — list in the studio email |
| Must watch | Glazing tutorial — watch before the next practice session |
These labels are examples, not a required folder structure. Looking at your own item, would you be more likely to remember the class name, the sender or the materials you need? Include one or two of those words.
4. Check the original context of screenshots and tabs
A screenshot captures part of something at a particular time. It may omit the sender, date, additional pages or a later change. Alex therefore checks the original message before using the list to pack.
An open tab can be a temporary marker. Before closing it, record the relevant link or another usable location and check that you can reopen it. A link alone does not replace your own files or any access you need.
You do not have to delete anything without checking it. If you want to clear out copies, first establish which original you need and whether it is actually available.
5. Separate a saved idea from a commitment
Saving a glazing tutorial does not mean Alex has to work through it by Saturday. Reference material and an agreed task are different things.
For something you really intend to use, name the occasion: “Open the materials list when packing for the class.” For a possibility, “Idea, not scheduled” is a valid label. A collection does not become a task list just by existing.
If you have many saved items, start with one piece of information you currently need. You do not have to work through every old tab and picture before making this one pointer.
6. A source-location note to copy
What am I looking for? …
What do I need it for? …
Original source and exact location: …
Search words I would think of later: …
Where is this pointer stored? …
Check next time: Is the source still current and accessible? …
The small version is one sentence: “For [action], I need [information]; it is in [exact location].” Add only as much detail as you need to find it again.
7. Test retrieval rather than tidiness
After creating the note, close the source. Then open the place you would start from next time. Can you reach the right information through your pointer? If not, add the missing clue — the subject line, for example, rather than just “email”.
For the wider context, keeping less in your head with ADHD explores connecting tasks and materials. For today, one saved item whose route back you have actually tried is enough.