How do I set reminders that actually work?

Short answer

Set reminders for the moment you can act, not just the moment you think of it. Word them as an action ('Call dentist, number in contacts'), tie them to a place or routine when possible, and use few enough that you trust each one. Research on planning prompts suggests naming a specific time helps people follow through.

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Most people have dismissed a reminder, meant to deal with it in a minute, and never thought of it again. A reminder only works if it reaches you when you can act and tells you exactly what to do.

Why reminders are worth it

Five rules for reminders that lead to action

These are general strategies, not treatment.

1. Time it for when you can act

A reminder to buy milk at 9 a.m. while you are at your desk is useless. Set it for 5:30 p.m., or use a location reminder that fires when you reach the store.

2. Write the action, not the topic

'Dentist' tells you nothing at 4 p.m. 'Call Dr. Lee to move Thursday cleaning' does. Include any detail you would otherwise need to look up.

3. Name a specific time when you plan

That study was about flu shots, not daily errands. Still, it fits a broader body of research on implementation intentions, which suggests specific when-and-where plans help people follow through.

4. Use fewer, more trusted reminders

If your phone pings twenty times a day, you learn to ignore it. Keep alerts for things that truly need a nudge, and put the rest on a list you review daily.

5. Never dismiss without deciding

When a reminder fires and you cannot act, snooze it to a specific time instead of swiping it away. 'Later' is where reminders go to disappear.

A ten-minute reminder audit

Open your reminders and alarms and look at everything that fires in a normal week.
Delete any you routinely ignore.
Rewrite vague ones as specific actions.
Move errand reminders to location alerts where you can.

Repeat the audit every few months. Reminders pile up quietly, and a list that once worked can turn into background noise without your noticing.

Mix your reminder types

Time alerts for appointments and deadlines.
Location alerts for errands.
Physical cues, like a bag by the door or a note on the mirror.
A person: a partner or friend who checks in on one important task.
Shared calendars for family plans, so the reminder doesn't live in one head.

ADHDFalcon has free focus tools that can help you keep a short daily list alongside your phone reminders.

When reminders are never enough

If you rely on dozens of alerts and still miss appointments and deadlines, and it has been that way for years, the free screener can help you describe the pattern for a clinician. It covers the past six months, and the result is free.

A starting point for your next step.

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Which alerts do I swipe away without reading?
Which reminders actually work for me?
What important task would benefit from a specific time today?

Frequently asked questions

Why do I ignore my reminders?

Often they fire when you cannot act, are too vague, or come so often that they blend into the background.

Are location reminders better than time reminders?

For errands, often yes, because they fire where you can act. For appointments, time reminders are still the standard.

How many reminders is too many?

There is no set number. If you start dismissing alerts without reading them, you probably have too many.

Sources

Source check: 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.

Published 2026-10-28. Factual source check: ADHDFalcon editorial team, factual source check, 2026-10-28. No medical review has occurred.