How to keep track of events and reminders without being sucked into distractions
How to keep track of events and reminders without being sucked into distractions
Hi all.
I've been having trouble remembering events and tasks because I often don't notice the notifications of my smartphone or computer when focused on something.
How do you all deal with this without continuously checking your phone and laptop?
And when I check my laptop or phone, I often stop doing anything else because I know something is coming up. And I often also start browsing or doing other things which was not my intention.
I set actual alarms, with names, rather than reminders. I time them so I have time to finish what I am doing, and then get ready.
I have one of those cheap fitbit clones that let's me set named alarms and timers. When I have an important event coming up, i out it on my app and when it's time my watch will buzz and say 'event name" and remind me. No distraction necessary by picking up the phone to silence it and getting bogged down in notifications and games, scrolling, forgetting what I was doing, etc.
That's what I try to do. But sometimes I forget setting the alarms and then I start double guessing myself. Checking my calendar anyway even though I already have alarms set.
I was looking for a way to automatically set alarms based on calendar events, but seems like I'm out of luck...
Try alarm calendar plus in the play store (android). I've used it for years. The developer is called 'Moyou'.
I have it go off x minutes before the work shifts that I enter into my Google calendar, and I also use it for "time signals" - little beeps throughout the day to remind me 'hey, it's 12 o'clock now, better get some lunch', or more typically - time to get up and take a 5 minute break.
Of course I have to have th corresponding time signal to go back to work or my ADHD brain would get distracted and forget 😁
Not even joking, I legitimately carry and use a mid-2000s PDA to help with that. It's not compatible with the MAJORITY of modern websites, it came with no games, can do mp3s and FLACs if you wanna allow yourself music, and the productivity apps it comes with are, while a touch clunky due to age, remarkably simple. No fluff, no distractions, just you and what you need from it.
Important dates and events go in the calendar. Tasks to complete go in the Reminders app. Shopping lists and general note taking I do with the Notes app. It's got a world clock with built in alarms. If I need any itemized lists for like daily/weekly chores, the Tasks app gives me a bullet point list of what I gotta do, even can do reminders.
Best part is that there's still folks helping to maintain software for these. PalmDB is an excellent website with tons of apps you can grab for free, with virus free cracks for old paid apps, that even works in PalmOS web browsers. I haven't yet found one for Windows handhelds (though there is a torrent on Archive with over 20 gigs of Windows Mobile apps and (probably virus filled) cracks), but both ecosystems can sync with modern OSes. I sync my Windows devices on my 2023-built Windows 10 PC.
I'm a retro handheld enthusiast, and my current daily driver is rare and expensive, but you can find Windows Mobile devices for dirt cheap. A Dell Axim X5 or HP iPAQ 2215 costs like $30-60, brand new factory fresh batteries are usually around $10-15, and there's even models with built in keyboards if you don't want to handwrite on the screen or use tiny resistive touch screen (think Nintendo DS) keyboards. Some external keyboards do exist, but you need drivers. If you want one with a built in keyboard, some PalmOS and old Windows Mobile 2003/5/6 smart phones have keyboards.
You just unlocked a memory of running around with a little B&W Palm Pilot in middle school. I thought it was so cool, but I switched to doing silly things with my TI-89 instead. Thanks for your write-up.
Pretty impressive that you are still using this as a daily driver.
I do feel there has been sometime lost when moving to the current iteration of smartphones. Typing is slower and many phones have become a distraction rather than a useful tool.
Have you tried having a smartwatch?
I have a smartwatch currently. But I sometimes forget to charge it, which means that I won't be able to use it for a while. It does help with noticing notifications though, I especially like that the alarms are silent and only noticeable by me.