Saw a guy at the library in Boise working on a laptop with a sticky note that said 'PAID'

I was at the main library downtown last week, just looking for a quiet spot to plan some showings, and I saw this guy at a table with his laptop. He had a bright yellow sticky note stuck right on the screen that just said 'PAID' in big letters. At first I thought it was weird, but then I watched him for a minute... he'd finish a task, look at the note, and then open his banking app. It hit me that he was using it as a mental trigger to actually send his invoices right away, not just mark the work as done. I've been so bad about letting invoices sit for weeks, telling myself I'll do it later. His simple trick made me realize I'm leaving money on the table by not making getting paid the very next step. I tried it yesterday after finishing a client report and it felt good to close that loop instantly. Has anyone else found a dumb little trick like that to keep the cash flowing?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_emma23h ago

That "growing sense of dread" @gibson.sarah mentioned is so real. My friend's trick was even dumber, she would put a rubber band on her wrist when she finished a job and wouldn't take it off until the invoice was sent. Looked silly but she said the physical feeling totally worked.

terryk1021h ago

My cousin did the rubber band thing for a whole tax season. It works, @the_emma, but man does it leave a mark. That visual reminder is no joke.

gibson.sarah1d ago

Totally stealing that sticky note idea. I mean, my system right now is just a growing sense of dread every time I remember I haven't sent the invoice yet. I'll finish a job, feel good, and then my brain goes 'cool, now you get to do the boring admin part later' and I just... don't. I once found a finished project folder from two months ago just sitting in my downloads. The client probably thought I died.