Visual Reminders

Many of us use visual reminders as cues for tasks. These cues could include putting next month's theater tickets on the fridge with a magnet, putting the plumber's business card next to the phone as a reminder to call during business hours, or setting a library book near your car keys so you remember to return it during your next trip out.

Visual cues can be a good reminder system but please keep these pitfalls in mind:

  • Short Timeframes Only—Visual cues work best for tasks that need to be completed within a short timeframe, say, a day or two. After a couple of days, we become "blind" to visual cues because once we've seen them a few times, they become invisible to us and don't grab our attention anymore.
  • Avoid Visual Clutter—Visual cues only work when they are isolated. If you have three business cards next to the phone or six event reminders on the fridge, no single cue will grab your attention. Suddenly your theater tickets get lost in the collage of papers on the fridge and you forget to attend the event.
  • Choose the Right Cue—In most cases it is better to skip the visual cue entirely and go straight to the calendar, shopping list, or daily to-do list. If the jar of cat snacks is empty, don't leave the empty jar on the counter as a visual cue, go straight to a running shopping list posted in the kitchen and throw the empty jar in the recycling bin.

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