Remembering to do something later

Remembering what happened yesterday and remembering to send a message tomorrow are different tasks. The second requires an intention to return at a useful moment, often while you are occupied with something else.

Prospective memory is remembering to carry out an intended action in the future. You may need to remember the action itself, recognize when it should happen, and interrupt your current activity long enough to do it.

This explains why an important intention can still be missed. Caring about a task does not ensure that it will come to mind at the right time. A well-designed reminder supports that missing connection.