Brilliant recurring calendar events?

October 25, 2007 8:44 AM

What brilliant recurring events have you set up on your calendar app?

So I was thinking, as my reminder went off a few days ago signaling that it was time to recalibrate my Macbook's battery, that there are probably a lot of little "life maintenance" things I should be remembering to do on a regular schedule. Immediately, I set to compiling a list of important things that I wouldn't normally think/remember to do, but that would Enrich My Life in some way.

I got one item — "Replace alarm clock battery every year" — down before I decided to just decided to ask MeFi instead.

So? The lifehack-ier the better!

posted by electric_counterpoint to technology (35 comments total)

When I get a haircut, I immediately schedule an event three weeks later, telling me to schedule/get my next haircut.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 8:47 AM on October 25, 2007

-change your smoke detector batteries
-set your clocks forward and back for daylight saving time
-call your mother on her birthday
-heck, put every birthday you know in there
-pay your rent
-get up and walk around once an hour, if you're at an eye-strain- and rsi-inducing desk job
posted by vytae at 8:48 AM on October 25, 2007

Left over from a stint in physical therapy for a back injury, I have two daily stretch breaks scheduled into my Outlook at work.

You should also replace your smoke detector battery.
posted by ferociouskitty at 8:48 AM on October 25, 2007

I have a reminder to have my chef's knife professionally sharpened before Thanksgiving.
posted by donajo at 8:51 AM on October 25, 2007

pay your car/house/motorcycle insurance.
change your oil, or whatever vehicle maintainence.
posted by garlic at 8:53 AM on October 25, 2007

Oooh, good question!

1. Worming tablets for dogs (cats, other pets?).
2. Dental checkup.
3. Review magazine subscriptions: still enjoy? do nothing / haven't read last 4 issues? cancel subscription.
4. December 1, review and update Christmas card list.
5. March 1, June 1, November 1 - clean gutters of all leaves and debris.

If only I ever did any* of these things...

There's a declutter book with a long list of these somewhere in the house, if I was organised enough to find it I'd tell you the title and author. Sigh. Besides, you'll get a much better list from mefites :-)

(*well, except for the worming tabs)
posted by ceri richard at 8:54 AM on October 25, 2007

6. Once a year - go through sock and shorts/knicker drawer, throw any that are disreputable and replace.
posted by ceri richard at 8:55 AM on October 25, 2007

- Car maintenance (oil change, radiator flush)
- Expiration of life/health/home insurance policies or anything else that requires renewal
- Vehicle registration and inspection
- Change the furnace filter
posted by davcoo at 9:05 AM on October 25, 2007

Any organization you belong to for which you have to pay annual dues.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:08 AM on October 25, 2007

Reminders on birthdays at least one week in advance, so I have time to buy and send a card.
posted by blue_beetle at 9:28 AM on October 25, 2007

Address Book can take care of calendaring all the birthdays for you.

Deaths, especially for remembering the dates of the deaths of friends' loved ones. It's really meaningful to be able to say to your friend, "Hey, I know that you lost so-and-so a year ago this week, how are you doing?"

Flipping your mattress.

Tracking periods (may not apply. must be regular.) No accidents or freakouts this way.

Girl Scout cookies are sold in February. If you're into that sort of thing. :)

College applications are usually due by November and April, as is financial aid.

Expiration dates of flight vouchers and air miles. Add reminders in advance to book travel.
posted by iamkimiam at 9:35 AM on October 25, 2007

This may sound too mundane, but I just bought a house two months ago, after 20+ years of apartment living, and I found I needed to set up a recurring weekly reminder to take out my garbage.
posted by pdb at 9:42 AM on October 25, 2007

Get piano tuned
mammogram/pap test/prostate exam
CAPS LOCK DAY / Talk Like a Pirate Day
Pet check up
Sight/hearing exam
half-birthday
clear out closet every six months
donate blood every 56 days
posted by arcticwoman at 9:51 AM on October 25, 2007

To pdb's point, I have a recurring reminder about taking out yard waste. Pickup here is an every-other-week service, so if I don't have it on my calendar, I never know which Friday morning I should be dragging stuff to the curb.

Other reminders include: paying insurance and the cat's anti-flea treatment.
posted by mumkin at 9:52 AM on October 25, 2007

Reminder to get a new Toothbrush every 6 months
Yearly reminder for Doctors appointment
6 month reminder for Dentist appointment
Car service reminders
Apartment rental lease renewals
Haircuts
Important dates in other peoples lives that make me look cool when I remember them.
Reminders of first dates
Local elections that I need to vote in and read-up on.
Change the baking soda in the fridge
Various reminders to clean things I don't clean regularly (stove, fridge, etc).
posted by blue_beetle at 10:04 AM on October 25, 2007

To paraphrase Albert Einstein, why would I try to remember something when I can just look it up somewhere. Or better yet, be reminded automatically of it?
posted by blue_beetle at 10:06 AM on October 25, 2007

Local events I might go to on a whim. The Farmer's market, or Pub Trivia, for example.

And I really cherish the hormonal prediction. I do not just my period, but "FRISKY: LOOKOUT" and "Boo hoo hoo" days.

Mine and my partner's paydays.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:17 AM on October 25, 2007

(Canadian) - GST cheques every 3 months
posted by arcticwoman at 10:20 AM on October 25, 2007

Street sweeping (no parking on the even numbered side of the street; you will be tagged and towed)
posted by phoenixy at 10:30 AM on October 25, 2007

Various computer cleanliness tasks...
Remove unused programs.
Remove unused extensions in specific programs (hello Firefox).
Shuffle everything off the desktop that isn't actually useful.
Clean out bookmarks, run a scan to make sure they all point somewhere that's still there.
Backup everything that isn't automatically backed up, move all old backups off to DVDs.
Update software/website subscriptions.

Move/re-evaluate any maturing CDs or investments.

Start trying to schedule an eye appointment so I can get a new prescription before I run out of contacts, same for birth control.

Check fire alarms and change batteries.
posted by anaelith at 10:36 AM on October 25, 2007

Brilliant event? Payday. Cheers me up.
posted by bonaldi at 10:36 AM on October 25, 2007

thirding payday- nothing brings a smile first thing in the morning having an alert pop up that says "$$$$$"!

and 2nding the girly stuff- having the dates when "Aunt Flo is in town" marked can help you decide whether to go to the beach this weekend or next weekend.
posted by kidsleepy at 10:50 AM on October 25, 2007

@ceri richard - was the book Organizing Plain and Simple? I swear by that book. If I remember right it also had good advice on a "tickler" file reminder method like this.
posted by cadge at 11:02 AM on October 25, 2007

BritaFilter!

(change your brita filter, if you have one)
posted by ORthey at 11:17 AM on October 25, 2007

- Rebalance investment accounts for asset allocation
posted by magicbus at 11:52 AM on October 25, 2007

Cadge, it wasn't that one but I have read her other book, Unclutter Your Home so at least something has stuck in this old brain :-)
posted by ceri richard at 12:11 PM on October 25, 2007

Celebrate your 1000 day birthday (I just turned 14000 the other day).
posted by scruss at 12:47 PM on October 25, 2007

Celebrate an anniversary of quitting an addiction.
Figure out which day you'll be 10,000 and 20,000 days old.
Monthly nudge to write something in your journal.
Pi day.
Guy Fawkes Night.
Haley's Comet.
10 years after your favorite album came out.
Birthday & Anniversary of everyone in your family, living or otherwise.
posted by enfa at 12:50 PM on October 25, 2007

+ replace air filters
+ check/replace emergency batteries (e.g. spare batteries in your car trunk, your emergency flashlights, etc)
+ start working on a costume for Halloween
+ off-season or end-of-season clothes sales
+ other regular sales like Threadless ten dollar tees
+ domain name renewals
+ update offsite computer backups
+ eMusic.com account refresh
posted by drew3d at 2:24 PM on October 25, 2007

• Changes of various and sundry online passwords (I spread 50+ account updates over the span of a month, twice a year)
• A reminder for any bills that you can't pay online/automatically
• A 2 week reminder of expiry dates for credit cards (in case new cards aren't sent/go missing)
• Replacement dates for refrigerator water filters.
• Warranty expiration dates for major purchases.
• Reminders of bonus points/prepaid cellular minutes/Redbox DVD freebies or anything else that expires
• Reminders to replace cosmetics, eye drops and contact lens solutions
• Reminders to feed your sourdough starter/douse your Christmas cake with booze/check and rotate your homebrewed beer
• Reminders to turn and feed your compost bin

posted by Dreama at 3:39 PM on October 25, 2007

Ask Metafilter new question time limits.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:31 PM on October 27, 2007

Oh my - I'm not alone!

- weekly/monthly data backup regime (music, photos, documents)
- weekly run maintenance tasks on computer
- significant dates in friend's lives (holidays, stuff like that)
- yearly update of photographic portfolios
- yearly website redesign
posted by algreer at 4:45 AM on November 1, 2007

Clean out the lovely stuff in the cat's litterbox.
Backup the computer.
Backup my thumb drive.
Purchase cat food and cat litter.
Totally replace cat litter and liners.
Give the cat five minutes of pure, unadulterated attention.
Test the smoke detector.
Change my razor blade.
Clip the cat's nails.
Get two rolls of quarters from the bank.
Load the laundry into the bin.
Take the laundry to the laundromat.
Purchase new razor blades.

Also, a bit here about how much I love Remember the Milk — it has the ability to let you schedule something to repeat x days after something was checked off, instead of just every x number of days. That way, you don't have tasks stacking up ...
posted by WCityMike at 10:29 AM on November 7, 2007

Wife's birthday, anniversary, nieces' and nephews' birthdays (all 10 days ahead).

Change the Combat roach baits (at least in NYC).

Time your wife's periods, so when you remind her its been a month since she gave you even a sniff, at least she won't have that excuse.
posted by KRS at 10:07 AM on November 8, 2007

Backwards tracking.

Record what day you did things - saw the dentist for unexpected toothache, had that cold that kept me from work three days, last erratic period, fought with loved one about x, y, z (no, don't, that last one will get you divorced but you could put in, Ex was late collecting the children, asked him to be on time next time as a kind of a log)>
posted by b33j at 5:00 AM on January 27