how sticky notes should really be packaged

a centuries old problem with some simple solutions

For as long as I can remember, sticky notes have come in packs that include many different colors. One of the most common combos is pink, orange, blue, and yellow. Yet, they are stuck together in a way that forces you to use all the pinks, then all the oranges, and so on.

Sure, you could separate the colors—like a monster—and defeat the purpose of purchasing a whole block of them in the first place. Even if you did that, many of the sections would still have a sticky side facing down, collecting dust and hair and other stuff you want to pretend isn't always there.

The real problem is the initial packaging of these colored notes, so here I have compiled a few ways we could combat this world-wide problem.

This first option seems obvious, but we as consumers could always buy the separate color packages of sticky notes. Now, while this is a viable option, it can get expensive buying a bunch of different orders instead of one order with a group of colors already included. Much like at McDonald's, it's cheaper to get the combo than to order every item separately.

Now, what should really be done is the alternating of colors through the packaging itself. They can still stay in the combo pack, but instead of having, say, 50 pink, 50 orange, 50 blue, 50 yellow, they can arrange it as one pink, one orange, one blue, and one yellow. This way, we don't have to force ourselves to use all 50 before moving one step closer to the color we really want to use.

As we are currently living in a time where boredom may be creeping in, this next solution may help relieve this color crisis, along with boredom. Take your already existing package of sticky notes and lay out a plain piece of paper in front of you. Then, separate the notes by color and place them on the paper so they don't get anything stuck to the bottom note.

After this, you can stop, or you can take it one step further.

Go ahead and start recreating the above combination, one color at a time, alternating between all four. This way, you don't waste the notes you already have and can kill a bit of time. Plus, if there is one color you use more than others, you can customize it so there are a few more of that color within the alternating pattern. It's like your own personal puzzle, except not as frustrating.

One last option is to stick to buying one color sticky note, but that's just boring, and, in my professional reviewing opinion, I do not recommend it.