# Personal procedural rules **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 16, 2015, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671 "2015-11-16T05:40:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/41 "2015-11-16T17:22:03Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I never watched Judge Judy. I am also a grammar bitch, but I’d never send someone to death row over it. Hard time, maybe. j/k > > Which brings up another one of my rules. No, I don’t store flammable stuff in the oven. But when I turn the oven on, I ALWAYS look inside first, even though I live alone no one uses the oven except me, and I never leave anything in there. Also, when I turn the oven on, I turn on the light in the oven to remind me that the oven is on. First consider yourself lucky 🙂 And your second observation is spot on. First, don’t do something stupid. Secondly, implement a procedure that will catch you doing something stupid later on. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/42 "2015-11-16T17:45:55Z")
If I’m going outside without my keys, I’ll always twist the outer doorknob before the door is closed, to make sure the door is unlocked. I always make the dogs sit and wait for a signal before they go outside. I don’t want them slipping out of the house and into the street one day, because the door happened to be open. I like to wear my hair in an afro type of style on weekends. I learned the hard way to never ever go to bed without putting it into loose braids first, unless I want to spend a couple of hours detangling it the next day. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/43 "2015-11-16T17:51:23Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’m sure a lot of people do this but I always use my turn signals in my car. When I’m in a turn-only lane, when there’s no other cars around, when I’m exiting the freeway, when I’m in a parking lot, etc. I even laugh at myself because there is this road near my house that has a stop sign before a curve (no intersection, just a curve) and I end up using my blinker there too, to indicate that I will be moving left with the curve. > > So many people just do not use their turn signals when they should, I like to not be one of those people. Even if I end up using it when I don’t need to. I do this also, even when turning into my driveway, which is good since I’m worried about idiots thing I’m stopping for some reason and trying to pass when I turn. Plus, if you do it when it is not needed you do it when it is needed. I put my work badge on my dresser in the same place every day. I’m far enough that not having it would be a real pain. I have my house keys on my car key fob, so I know I have them if I can get into the car. Since I have a Prius I don’t need to take them out. The fob has fallen out once or twice while driving, but the Prius is smart enough to not let me lock the door if the key is inside. And, when making coffee I always check that the filter is in the basket, even if I just put it there myself. My wife doesn’t and had a disaster when I forgot to put the filter in one day. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/44 "2015-11-16T18:05:42Z")
Some that haven’t been mentioned yet: - Always **turn on the light** before taking medication. Even in the light, I sometimes pick up the wrong bottle, but in the dark, in the middle of the night, the chances of making a mistake are too great. - Always write down the time you take Tylenol. I’m not great at keeping track of time, and never used to be able to figure out when it was O.K. to take another dose. Now I leave a little note, T= 8:35 pm, and I don’t have to guess. One just for me: No food in the bedroom. I am a very messy eater, and I’d rather avoid what I know would be an enormous cleanup hassle. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/45 "2015-11-16T18:28:15Z")
Even though I’m no spring chicken, I only started needing glasses about 3 years ago. As I was unaccustomed to having them, I would leave them everywhere. After one of my dogs decided they made a fine chew toy and I had to ante up 400+ for a new pair, I decided enough was enough and established a glasses protocol. If they aren’t on my face, they go in my purse (if away from home), or on the fireplace mantel (if at home). Car keys go on a key keeper in my handbag. No exceptions. I used to be the poster child for lost keys. Not any more. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/46 "2015-11-16T19:07:41Z")
As a recovering procrastinator I started keeping a to-do-list about 25 years ago. Keeping that list caught up takes priority over everything. For some reason if I don’t get it on the list I may not give it the same priority. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/47 "2015-11-16T19:28:59Z")
Keys live on the key hook by the front door. Badge lives in the cup holder of my car. Glasses live everywhere under the sun which is why I buy $6.95 pairs from Zenni Optical. When I have the stove or other appliance on in the morning before work, I look at the knob and say “This is me turning off the stove Monday Nov 16” I often am afraid I’ve left the stove on and the cat will jump up there. I’ve never done so and the cats don’t jump on anything in the kitchen, but there you go. A fear is a a fear. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/48 "2015-11-16T20:35:00Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Some that haven’t been mentioned yet: > > - Always **turn on the light** before taking medication. Even in the light, I sometimes pick up the wrong bottle, but in the dark, in the middle of the night, the chances of making a mistake are too great. Lights on? Of course. I have a pill that I need to take on an empty stomach, so I take it before I shave and brush my teeth. I put the pill bottle upside down the night before to be a signal that I haven’t taken it yet, and to remind me. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/49 "2015-11-16T20:40:22Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Lights on? Of course. > I have a pill that I need to take on an empty stomach, so I take it before I shave and brush my teeth. I put the pill bottle upside down the night before to be a signal that I haven’t taken it yet, and to remind me. I have a pill with similar requirements, and I have one of those day-of-the-week pillboxes sitting next to my bed with a water bottle (sealed so I can’t accidentally knock it over). Taking the pill is a “before getting out of bed” task, and the day-of-the-week pillbox means that I have a visual indicator that I took my pill today, since I am likely, in my morning grogginess, to not explicitly remember taking it. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/50 "2015-11-16T20:56:48Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > My people! :)Re car keys: I’ve had two Saturns, and would have a third one if they hadn’t stopped making them. Interesting security feature: if you used the key fob to electronically _beep_ the door lock, then later you unlocked the door manually with the key, you could not start the car for 30 minutes. I accidentally did this only once and had to sit in the parking lot for 30 minutes before I could start up and drive away. If you beep it closed, you have to beep it open. Or lock manually and unlock manually. Good god, this sort of thing drives me insane. I want to scream, “Stop trying to help me!!!” at the engineers who design that stuff. Especially in cars. As for me, I live in a condo and have a water shutoff valve. It gets turned off whenever I leave, and when I go to bed. Why? Because I once had a washing machine hose burst in the middle of the night, and it took all of 30 seconds to flood the entire place. Never again. ---
**Author:** ![OffByOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/45deac/32.png) [@OffByOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OffByOne)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/51 "2015-11-16T21:36:48Z")
I have a set of procedures that help me remember what I’m doing when I get ready to go to work in the morning. I have a specific spot where I have put my pens/pencils and badge the night before. Next to that is where I keep my sunglasses and wallet. If there is any kind of interruption during the “reloading” procedure, I am likely to lose my place and go off with something missing. Where I am staying while out of town on a contract, my apartment has a deadbolt, so the only way to lock myself out is to lose my keys after I have locked the door. I keep a spare key to my car, because I HAVE locked my keys in the car. Regarding glasses, I have been wearing mine since I was in first grade (now 66, so about 60 years), so I find it hard to understand when someone says to me, “Have you seen my glasses?” “Where did you put them?” When they can’t remember, I say, “Try putting them in the same place every time. Do NOT set them down without putting them in their special spot.” While that sounds like OCD, I have never had to look for my glasses (which is good, because without my glasses, I can’t see much of anything). ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/52 "2015-11-16T21:45:54Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > My people! 🙂 > > Some great tips here. > > Re car keys: I’ve had two Saturns, and would have a third one if they hadn’t stopped making them. Interesting security feature: if you used the key fob to electronically _beep_ the door lock, then later you unlocked the door manually with the key, you could not start the car for 30 minutes. I accidentally did this only once and had to sit in the parking lot for 30 minutes before I could start up and drive away. If you beep it closed, you have to beep it open. Or lock manually and unlock manually. What years? I had a 93 and then a 97 when the 93 one died to protect my wife’s life and I never knew about this. Don’t think I ever did it, though. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/53 "2015-11-16T21:48:03Z")
> [@OffByOne](#): > > “Where did you put them?” When they can’t remember, I say, “Try putting them in the same place every time. Do NOT set them down without putting them in their special spot.” While that sounds like OCD, I have never had to look for my glasses (which is good, because without my glasses, I can’t see much of anything). Mine are on my bedside table or the bathroom sink when I’m taking a shower or else on me. But my wife has two pairs and always has the wrong ones on and forgets where the other pair is. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/54 "2015-11-16T23:53:02Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > What years? I had a 93 and then a 97 when the 93 one died to protect my wife’s life and I never knew about this. Don’t think I ever did it, though. 1997 & 2007 More here. “[Reset Security System on Saturn Ion](http://www.ehow.com/how_6332326_reset-security-system-saturn-ion.html)”: > [@](#): > > The PASSKEY system uses an exciter coil located inside the key lock tumbler that detects the correct key being inserted and turned to start the car. When the correct key is turned in the cylinder it sends a signal to the computer which will then allow the fuel injectors to function. If the wrong key is used or if the system is tampered with, the car will not start. > > Read more : [http://www.ehow.com/how\_6332326\_reset-security-system-saturn-ion.html](http://www.ehow.com/how_6332326_reset-security-system-saturn-ion.html) ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/55 "2015-11-17T02:49:22Z")
My procedures involve washing dishes. When I’m cooking, if I’m done with a dish or utensil, it gets washed. When the meal is done cooking, after I put everything on my plate, the pots and pans get washed, before I eat. After dinner all I have to wash is 1 plate and my silver wear. I can’t relax and eat, if I know there are dishes piled up in the sink. OCD? Perhaps. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Periwinkle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Periwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Periwinkle)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/56 "2015-11-17T02:53:43Z")
I have some that reduce stress when I travel. Once I show my boarding pass to the TSA person, it goes into the zippered front pocket of my tote bag. Drivers license goes back into the wallet. In the past I would shove them into whatever pocket and then stress out when I couldn’t find them. Now I always do the same thing every time. I also have acquired duplicates for travel, so I don’t have to remember to pack them. I only need eyeglasses to drive - duplicate pair stays in the tote bag. Duplicate laptop and iPhone/iPad power cord and extension cords stay in the laptop bag. Travel toiletries bag has tweezers, a corkscrew and a bunch of other stuff. I also always keep my driving glasses and work pass in the car. Keys go into a small dish on a table right inside the door. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/57 "2015-11-17T13:05:14Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > My procedures involve washing dishes. When I’m cooking, if I’m done with a dish or utensil, it gets washed. When the meal is done cooking, after I put everything on my plate, the pots and pans get washed, before I eat. After dinner all I have to wash is 1 plate and my silver wear. I can’t relax and eat, if I know there are dishes piled up in the sink. OCD? Perhaps. 😉 I like to cook miss en place, and I clean as I go while cooking. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/58 "2015-11-17T15:31:39Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I like to cook miss en place, and I clean as I go while cooking. Nitpick: _[\*\*mise \*\*en place](http://www.thekitchn.com/basic-technique-mise-en-place-77788)_ ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/59 "2015-11-17T16:31:51Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Nitpick: _[\*\*mise \*\*en place](http://www.thekitchn.com/basic-technique-mise-en-place-77788)_ F\*cking auto-correct.😉 \*u ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671/60 "2015-11-17T17:06:16Z")
Everything has a place, always goes in that place, and is returned to its place immediately after using. This saves a time and avoids frustration. I always know where all my stuff is. (Phone, car keys, wallet, etc.) My wife does not follow this procedure, and practically every time she leaves the house she’s looking for her phone, car keys, wallet, etc. Which leads us to: > [@kayaker](#): > > I like to cook mise en place, and I clean as I go while cooking. I do the same. This way everything is back where it belongs when I have to cook the next meal. My wife, surprisingly, does not do this. So when I cook a meal after she has cooked a meal, I have to fish half of the shit I need out of the dishwasher and wash it myself before I can get started. This sure doesn’t irritate me in any way whatsoever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-procedural-rules/737671.md?page=4)