As far as your list of things to do, they have to sort of be hard-wired into your thoughts., almost instinctive. When you lay in bed at night getting ready for sleep, try telling yourself that you will not only remember your dreams, but also run through a checklist of things you'll want to remember: reality checks, false awakenings, spinning, increasing clarity...etc...

I don't think anything's foolproof. Heck, I remind myself of my dream signs everynight as I lay in bed, and sometimes wake up in the morning thinking "Doh, I didn't even notice I was breathing underwater again."

As far as not thinking clearly, I've read that it happens sometimes. Like even though you know you're dreaming, you're not completely in control.