The Problem with Post-It Notes
Ok, so obviously i’m going to be biased when I spend the next few hundred words shredding post-it/sticky notes, as I built a digital alternative. However, hear me out as I may just be able to change your mind and get you to rethink the humble post-it.
So what is the problem with a post-it note. I could name many, but in my view, post-its have one major, major flaw – they can’t follow you.
What?
See, if you’re not looking at the post-it, how is it supposed to remind you of something? When you write something down on a post-it, your still relying on your memory to remind you to look at the note.  You may think your freeing your mind from whatever task you wrote down, but you haven’t.
Of course you could place the note in some obvious place like your monitor. But have you noticed the strange phenomenom that occurs a few days after you place the note in the redicuously obvious place, only to find it blending in and becoming invisible.
And thats just the first flaw – what about organisation problems and clutter they cause. I’m constantly hearing self proclaimed “GTD gurus” telling us to “simplify” and use paper lists – but how can I be a fan of something thats now got a much better alternative. Screw the nostalgia!
So there you have it, a very obvious and simple flaw of post-its.   That being said, I still use scraps of paper, post-its and other paper based lists. Mainly as a go between my memory and another tool (task.fm, evernote etc.).  But what I don’ t do is rely on these notes to remind me of something – they just havn’t manage to evolve little legs and follow me round!
What do you use post-its for?
Photo by Liz Marion
Anthony Feint is the Founder of Task.fm.  You should follow me on Twitter. P.S – Interested in doing a blog post for Task Blog? get in touch: anthony@feint.me
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
People steal computers, cell phones, ipods, iphones … but nobody steals ratty old beat up paper notebooks.
I just stick my postits on the pages of a pocket notebook. As I complete tasks, I replace the notes. It’s easier to re-order items than with a computer, transfer items, or even delegate them: “Here, take this and run with it!”
Delegate a task digitally and it competes with twitter, comics, emails, joke of the day, and you know what.
Screw computers. They are wasting my life away. I’m even commenting on blog posts, the biggest productivity killer of them all.