November 20th is my youngest brother’s birthday. Over the last few years, sparked surprisingly by our mom, wishing each other exactly at midnight has become an unspoken tradition in our family. And it’s not just a simple text; it’s about the thrill of getting it right—no matter the time zone.

This year was no different. Living in Mumbai while my brother resides in California, I had to do some quick time zone math. Habitually, I set an alarm a couple of days in advance to ensure I didn’t miss the moment.

Fast forward to last Saturday afternoon—I found myself in a shopping mall (my first visit since the lockdown in March 2020!). The alarm went off, right on cue. A couple of snoozes later, I timed it perfectly and sent him a “Happy Birthday” message on WhatsApp. Mission accomplished!

Here’s what struck me:
When I set that alarm, I had no idea where I’d be that afternoon. A shopping mall? That wouldn’t have even crossed my mind. Yet, thanks to the alarm, I got to enjoy the fun of surprising him at his midnight—an otherwise impossible task.

The Power of an Alarm: Why We Forget and Miss Tasks

We often trust our memory to remind us of critical tasks, but here’s the reality:

  • We forget.
  • We miss deadlines.

That’s just how our minds work. No matter how good our intentions are, tasks slip through the cracks without reminders. Our entire time management system, in fact, revolves around overcoming this single limitation of the human brain.

The Modern Alarm: A Tool for Guaranteed Execution

Alarm clocks have been waking us up for centuries, evolving from mechanical clocks to digital ones, and now to apps on our smartphones. The beauty of a smartphone alarm is its portability and flexibility, allowing us to use it for far more than just waking up.

Here’s a simple recipe to leverage alarms for time management:

  1. Set an alarm immediately when you plan something for a specific date and time. Most alarm apps allow you to choose a future date.
  2. Use recurrence patterns for tasks that repeat on certain days of the week.
  3. Name your alarm. A quick label prevents you from wondering, “Why is this ringing?”
  4. Factor in prep time. Set the alarm a few minutes early to give yourself a buffer.
  5. Snooze, don’t dismiss. Keep snoozing until the task is done. If you shut it off thinking you’ll remember, trust me—you won’t.

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