The Lesson Learned from Not Paying Tolls (It’s Not What You Expect)
And then getting the bill months later
I don’t use EZPass.
I also rarely have cash on me. I buy things exclusively with plastic. So when it comes time to go through a toll, I don’t have many options.
If I have a dollar bill or four quarters, I stop and pay it like any other law-abiding citizen. If I don’t have the funds, I don’t have a lot of options besides going through it.
So that’s what I do.
I go through the EZPass lane and I hear the loud ding or bell sound it makes when you go through without paying.
I then see the sign that reminds you if you don’t have an EZPass, you can go to a website and pay your toll there in seven days.
I tell myself that’s the first thing I’ll do when I park.
nine times out of ten, I forget to pay when I park.
This is the lesson.
If you need to do something that’s important and needs to get done, you need to write it down.
I don't know about you, but my memory is God awful.
If I don’t write things down, I’ll forget them in the following three seconds. I’m like a goldfish.
While you can’t stop in the middle of the highway to write something down, I could have talked to Siri and had her make a note on my phone for paying the toll.
Because I didn’t do that, I got a bill a month or two later for three times the amount of the toll had I paid it the same day.
Write things down.
I’ma firm believer in this. So much so that if we have a meeting at work, I make sure to bring a pocket-sized notebook with me. Actually, I have one on me all the time.
It makes you look good when you pull out the notebook all smooth and write notes down while everyone else just stares at the presenter.
It makes it look like you care about what’s going on. You don’t even have to actually write anything down. Just having one in hand will make you look better than your coworkers.
If you decide to actually take notes, I guarantee you will remember it better than if you haven’t.
I say use a notebook because if you pull out your phone to do it, they don’t know if you are scrolling online or genuinely taking notes.
Plus, people are much less likely to have a notebook on them than their phones. It’s just something else that separates you.
If it’s not important enough to write down, then you most likely don’t need to spend time actually doing the thing.
If it’s not worth taking the time to write it down, it’s not worth the time it'll take to actually do the thing.
It will help you feel less overwhelmed. You’ll be able to have your priorities in order and you will be more productive at the things that matter.
Take notes.
