Many busy people rely upon a reminder system to ensure that important tasks or appointments don’t get overlooked. These reminders take lots of different forms, whether it’s a post-it note stuck to the dash of your car, a text file always open on your computer, an email reminder from your digital calendar, or a pile of items gathered in front of your door the night before a trip.
The key in selecting and using a reminder system is that it needs to fit with your current habits and be noticeable. If you only check email once a week, then setting up email reminders for more frequently occuring events wouldn’t be effective. If your desk tends to get piled with stacks of paper, a post-it note might not stand out enough to be a good reminder.
I’ve written before about NudgeMail, a no-cost reminder service that allows you to send an email message to yourself at a set date and time in the future. I personally use NudgeMail quite frequently, but email reminders only work if you check email frequently and keep on top of all new incoming messages.
For many people, cell phone text messages are a more noticeable format for a reminder (unless, perhaps, you’re a teenager). With oh, don’t forget you can create and schedule short text message reminders to be sent to yourself or other people.
You can schedule messages to arrive at a specific time and date using intuitive language like “tomorrow 3pm.” Simply enter the cell phone number to send to, choose date and time, and write the message.
The basic service is free (ad-supported), but if you find a helpful tool you might want to consider the ad-free premium service, which allows you to schedule recurring messages, manage your texts with an address book, and other features.
If you avoid your too-full email inbox, ignore post-it notes, but always have your cell phone in your pocket, then a text message might be the best way to remind yourself to run that errand on the way home.
[Creative Commons licensed image from flickr user JonJon2k8]
