A pack of note cards, a pen, and thoughts are all Lance Ramer needs to get through the day efficiently. Coach Ramer has built the habit of writing anything down that he needs to remember to stay organized and never forget anything. He relies on pen and paper to get through the day without any mistakes.
Ramer keeps two to three notecards with him at all times, and he is prepared in any situation to write down key information that he would need to remember. The notecard habit didn’t start overnight. Coach Ramer credits a former NFL player as the originator who influenced him to start the habit.
“He told me he’d always keep a pad in the bathroom because sometimes he said he would do his best thinking in the bathroom. He would also keep a pad by the bed, because sometimes, like, you might think of a random note and you want to write it down,” Ramer mentioned. Inspired by his words of wisdom, Ramer picked up the habit and has never looked back.
Initially, Ramer would make small notes like grocery lists and key ideas from meetings. Slowly but surely the habit transitioned into writing almost every thought down that he would like to reflect on throughout the day. When questioned if his notecards really make a difference Ramer responded, “It absolutely does, having a physical reminder is important, whether it’s a task or an idea, it helps me stay focused and organized.”
This habit has not only helped him remember day-to-day things but also has saved him multiple times. Ramer shared his thoughts on technology: he isn’t the biggest fan. He mentioned, “I can type everything on my phone, but I remember things better when I write them by hand,”he said. In a world that is technology-dominated, Ramer could easily utilize the many apps and technologies to schedule things and take notes. “I’m all for technology in terms of managing appointments or organizing larger projects, but when it comes to remembering things day-to-day, I still prefer writing things down,” he stated.
Ramer has many years of coaching under his belt and has changed over time to increase his winning percentage. The biggest change was coincidentally keeping note cards on him to write down his thoughts. “If I didn’t write things down, I’d probably forget half of what I need to do!” He laughed.
Coach Ramer’s use of notecards has been noticed by his students and has positively impacted them. His advisee Keni Williams ’25 mentioned that instead of using his planner, he transitioned into sticky notes. “He also told me how to be more organized, he uses the notecards for everything and he seems to never forget anything.” He continued,“One thing about Coach Ramer is that he always has a pen and a notecard on him,” said Williams Spreading his organization
In the digital world of today, Ramer’s way of remembering things is refreshing to see since writing things by hand is decreasing daily. Ramer plans to stay with this organizational style and encourages all students and faculty in the SCH community to at least give it a try.
