I get the appeal of sticky notes—hard to ignore when they’re right in your face. But honestly, I’ve found digital reminders way safer for stuff like plumbing or electrical fixes. If I forget a sticky note under a pile of mail, that’s a leaky pipe waiting to happen. My phone nags me until I actually do the thing, which is probably better for avoiding emergencies. Paper’s great for quick lists, but for anything safety-related, I’d rather have a backup.
Totally get where you’re coming from—my sticky notes end up stuck to random stuff or lost under the fridge magnets. Digital reminders are definitely harder to ignore, though sometimes I still snooze them too much. Still, feels safer than relying on my memory or a scrap of paper.
Digital reminders are definitely harder to ignore, though sometimes I still snooze them too much.
- I get the appeal of digital reminders, but honestly, I’ve had my phone die or the app glitch and then I miss stuff anyway.
- For anything safety-related (like shutting off water before working on pipes), I stick a big note right on the door or toolbox. Hard to miss when it’s in your face.
- Sticky notes can wander, but at least they don’t need charging. Maybe old-school isn’t so bad for the important stuff.
- I’d rather double up—digital and paper—just in case. Not worth risking a flooded basement because my phone decided to update itself...
I get why folks like the backup of paper notes, but honestly, those things end up everywhere for me. I’ve lost more sticky notes than I care to admit—one time I found a “turn off main” reminder stuck to the back of my phone case a week after the job was done. Not super helpful.
I actually rely on my phone for most reminders now, but I set alarms instead of just calendar alerts. Louder, harder to ignore, and if I’m really worried, I’ll handwrite something on my arm (not kidding—sharpie washes off eventually). As long as you’ve got a system that works for you and keeps you from flooding the place, that’s what matters. But for me, the digital stuff’s easier to keep track of than a stack of lost notes.
I totally get the struggle with paper notes—mine end up in the weirdest places, too. I’ve tried using my phone for reminders, but sometimes I’ll miss an alarm if I’m wearing ear protection or out in the garage. Out of curiosity, when you were working on your noisy pipes, did you use any kind of checklist app or just set alarms for each step? I’m always looking for ways to keep track of multi-step projects without losing track halfway through.
