Ideas for following recipes

I recently figured out how to deal with ingredients in written recipes. I don't like having to many containers to wash, or I would do it like they do on cooking segments on TV. So I've modified that by pulling all the ingredients out on the counter for that recipe. After I measure out and use that ingredient I put the ingredient away. It does create a lot of going back and forth, but I do that anyway as I never had everything out before. That way if I forget I've put something in like salt, if the salt isn't on the counter that means it's in the bowl or pan. It's the only way I figured out how to deal with this issue and it's taken me almost all my life to figure that one out.

I've also thought about taking my favorite recipes and retyping them out so that each step that makes sense to me in only one line, but of course I haven't gotten around to doing that yet. I end up reading things over and over and over again because the directions are so jam packed in there. I haven't figured out how to keep my place so I know which is the next step without having to reread again. Just had an idea. Maybe a ruler under the direction I need to follow next.

Anyone have any other ideas that might work better then a ruler?

I'm not one to dream up my own recipes. In order to do most cooking I have to refer back to the directions when ever I make something again, as I very rarely can keep at least the numbers of minutes and temperature settings in my head when doing something more then heating something up or boiling potoates on the stove top.  ~ Marr