The Power of a Post-it

As you are sitting at your computer reading this blog, take a look at your monitor. Ok, smarty pants, yes, I know you ARE looking at your monitor. But, take a look at the frame which holds your monitor. See anything interesting? Anything decorating the border of your computer screen? Well, if you are like me, you may see a collection of Post-it notes hanging around the perimeter of your screen.

I've always thought Post-It notes were one of the greatest inventions ever. They strangely were discovered when a 3M employee was trying to devise a unique adhesive. A colleague of this employee discovered the sheer genius of this invention when using the post-it notes to bookmark a hymnal while in his church choir. I knew these things were heavenly. Now you can find post-its in various shapes and sizes, and in a rainbow of colors. They've even migrated to post-it flags to mark your spot and post-it pens that dispense those flags on command.

I realized the other day how common these have become as little reminders for me. A day doesn't go by that my computer monitor isn't adorned with one or two of these gems reminding me of a task to do. I'm really good at multi-tasking and compartmentalizing things, but there are some tasks and reminders that fall outside of my process-driven routine. To appease my need for a reminder and keep it "in front of my face" so to speak, these little sticky notes have become the decoration for my computer screen. And when I look around the office, I'm not the only one who uses this technique. What power these little square notes have. They have earned their place on the desks of corporate America alongside Mr. Stapler and Miss Tape Dispenser. No matter how paperless our society gets, Post-it Notes will last forever.