Use a memento mori object

Keep a physical object that functions as a daily reminder of impermanence.

Why it works

Abstract intentions — "I will remember to prioritize what matters" — are readily displaced by immediate concerns. A physical object in the environment that consistently triggers the mortality awareness makes the reminder automatic and environmental rather than effortful and intentional. This is environment design applied to a mental orientation: the cue does the triggering so the person doesn’t have to remember to remember.

How to do it

1. Choose an object that genuinely evokes the awareness of finitude for you — a skull, a photograph, a piece of writing, a symbol from a tradition that holds this meaning.
2. Place it where you’ll see it regularly: your desk, your wall, your workspace.
3. Let the sight of it prompt a brief, bounded acknowledgment — not a meditation session, just a moment.
4. Change the object periodically if it becomes invisible through habituation.

Evidence

Environmental cue design is well supported for behavior change: habit and intention research shows that physical triggers in the environment are more reliable than internal intentions alone. Applying this to a philosophical orientation is an extension of the mechanism. (mechanistic)

The environmental cue mechanism is established for behavioral habits; applying it to a philosophical orientation (mortality awareness) is logical but not directly studied. Habituation is also a real risk — the object must remain salient to function.

Common mistake

Choosing an object that is visually interesting or culturally cool (a skull ornament) rather than one that genuinely evokes the intended awareness — so it becomes decor rather than a practice.