Well, five extraordinary Americans have exactly the opposite problem - they can remember nearly every single moment of their lives.
Scientists hope that understanding their ability to recall absolutely everything will give new insights into memory loss and conditions such as Alzheimer's.
The group who were profiled on U.S. news show 60 Minutes, all have a 'super autobiographical memory' that lets them pinpoint recollections from any given day.
Louise Owen, 37, knows exactly she was doing on any given day over the past 26 years
New York-based violinist, Louise Owen, says she can remember every day since she was 11 years old.
The 37-year-old said: 'For me, I will often see a calendar in my head, and it's usually a month at a time.
'When I hear the date, it's like my brain immediately goes to a position on a calendar and once I locate it, I see what happened instantly.'
Ms Owen demonstrated her extraordinary talent when she was tested by the show's host Lesley Stahl.
She was able to recall within moments the exact date when Nelson Mandela was freed (Sunday, February 11, 1990) and when the final episode of Seinfeld was aired (Thursday, May 14, 1998).
She could also recall important events that happened on any given date - such as the space shuttle Challenger explosion on January 28, 1986.
Ms Owen said: 'It's almost as automatic as if you say, 'What's your name' or 'Where do you live?'
She also remembers where she was and what she was doing on any given date.
When asked by the New York Post what happened on July 16, 1999, she knew it was the day John Kennedy Jr died in a plane crash.
But she added: 'It was also the day 'The Iceman Cometh' closed on Broadway. I remember trying to get a rush ticket for the final performance.'
Ms Owen said her memory was a useful tool for her loved ones. When her friend wondered out loud how many films they had seen together she was able to recall the day they had met and then flip through her memories to give her the complete list.
The musician also remembers her feelings from the past and for every happy memory there is a painful one, such as when she was told she would have to switch schools aged 13.
Louise Owen has an MRI scan to try to determine why she has such a good memory. Scientists think this could help further their knowledge of conditions such as Alzheimer's
Ms Owen said the experience was like time travel in her mind.
'As soon as you say that date, I'm instantly there,' she said.
'I know how I felt, I know what happened that day. It's as if it happened five minutes ago, as opposed to 22 years ago,' she told the newspaper.
'It makes me want to live my life with much more intensity, connection and compassion.'
Four other memory gurus, including former Taxi actress Marilu Henner, also appeared on 60 Minutes.
'It's like putting in a DVD and it cues up to certain places,' Henner said of her skill.
'I am there again, seeing things visually as I would have that day.'
She said to send herself to sleep she would work how old a younger relative was and then recall what she was doing when she was the same age.
Actress Marilu Henner said her ability to remember events felt like 'time travel'
Referring to her 14-year-old son, she said: 'So I would have been the same age on May 1, 1966, which was a Sunday.'
She then recalled it was the day her family opened a dance studio in their garage and she had worn a white dress.
'I was madly in love with Danny Sipka who didn't show up and I was very sad that he didn't,' she said.
The first person ever identified with this ability is Jill Price.
She declined to appear on the show saying she is haunted by her constant memories.
The others with the condition are Brad Williams, a radio news anchor and reporter from La Crosse, Wisconsin, who says he enjoys his memory skills; Rick Baron, a researcher from Cleveland who claims to remember every movie he has ever seen; and Bob Petrella, a TV producer and writer from Los Angeles.
60 minute host Lesley Stahl tested five people who all said they had autobiographical memories with amazing results
Dr James McGaugh, who has studied the condition, said: 'It could be a new chapter. These people come and display a kind of memory we've never seen before, and we have to say, "What is that about?"
'We're going to take a look and see if we can figure that out. And it could be very important.'
Dr Larry Cahill, of the University of California-Irvine, who has investigated the condition, said: 'You start to wonder, why are we the default state? Why are we normal and they're the unusual ones?
Louise Owen demonstrates her phenomenal memory...
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