Remaining independent: Tips & tricks for creating good habits

When you open the utility door to enter the house the garage should be dark as the door should be closed. Even if you are working in the yard and are in and out ~when you enter the house through the utility door close the garage door each time. It can be opened again and you have to form a habit. Good luck and God bless.

Thank you, for this idea jo54. I have been standing in the utility doorway "most times" until the door closes all the way. It is those unaccounted times that I am worrying about. Maybe not paying attention to stand in the doorway or leaving it open thinking I'll be going out again but then don't go back out. I appreciate this tip. Just stand still until the door is down and light is off. If I can get in the habit to stand until the light goes each and every time, going back out later and hitting the button is a slam dunk. New Habit: I think I can...I think I .... Smiles

I did retrain myself a yr or two ago to put my key chain on a key link that fastens to my purse. Now before leaving the car, it goes on that key fastener...saves it dropping to the bottom of the purse and I always Know where it is. This is doable. Many thanks.

Hi @fiesty76 -- I'm forgetful sometimes too. We have a Liftmaster garage door opener with MyQ wi-fi technology so that I can open and close the garage doors with an app on my phone as well as the normal garage door opener in the house or car. One of the benefits is a small remote opener/hub/switch that is connected to my wireless router. It has a red or green light on it - when it's red it means a garage door is open and when it's green they're both closed. It's nice because I have it sitting in living room next to my bedroom and see it when I go to bed which lets me know if I forgot to close the garage.
https://www.liftmaster.com/myq

@fiesty76 You have a good neighbor who does that, and keeps an eye on your well-being! We share two things in common. I have a neighbor like that, also. And I have left my garage door open 3 times in the nine months I have been here. It is a standalone garage. No problem if I use the manway door. The large rollup door, another issue. I mounted a remote next to the front door, to use. But sometimes I forget to hit the button as I come in [gotta greet the cat, an armload of groceries, etc.]. I cannot see the door from my front door, instead need to look through side of north-facing window. So I have tried to make that my habit, to look through that window late each afternoon. I can check to see the door is down, give the pretty flowers another glance, and admire the mountain in the distance.
You have had some great suggestions here. Looking forward to seeing what will work for you.
Ginger

Install a light in your bedroom which will show if your garage door is open or close

Hi @tep, Welcome to Connect. Thanks for the great suggestion. Have you done this? Just wondering if you bought a kit somewhere with instructions in case someone wants to try it themselves.

Hi fiesty! It’s these sharings that reenforce my belief that we are all so similar and interwoven. I just left MY garage door open (more than once😳) ) too. Which is a big safety issue. Thanks to both of you for your story and good advice. Getting older is definitely an adventure.......

Wow, I am guilty of this ALL the time - I need to find a trick that really works. Keeping the door shut at all times doesn't work because it's a long way around from the security door in the back to the front of the garage and house where all the action is, and I am in and out of the yard and garden all day long. @tep Thanks for the suggestion @johnbishop Unless someone is accustomed to doing their own electrical wiring, it would be best to find an electrician for this. At our house, a security light outside our bedroom window stays on if the door is open, and I see it when preparing for bed - of course, that's at 11pm, and the open door has been an invitation to bad guys and critters for 12 or more hours...
I'm going to "ask a friend" - someone in our little park has undoubtedly dealt with this, and it will make a new topic for walk-by patio chats.
Sue

I have a motion detector light too. It seems to like to go on when there are any critters out there. (Shines right into the bedroom). Those, I’m not so concerned about. Like you, we have bad guys and make it a habit to try to keep the garage door always closed. It’s a pain, but leaving it open when working around our house is an enticement for them. If you come upon a good idea, please share. Thanks

Thanks for letting me know I am not the only one! I so agree that most of share more in common than we usually ever suppose. While many may agree that aging is not for sissies, I like your thought of approaching and accepting it as an adventure...thanks for this great approach!