For the past few weeks, I have been trying various solutions for speaking all of my calendar entries out loud a few minutes before the entry.
It's a long story; I'll go into it in the replies to this.
The system needs to push these notifications into my attention, without waiting for me to ask it. If I've already remembered to ask, then I don't need reminding.
I need one in my home office, one in the main bathroom, and one by the coffee machine and fridge; if I go to these places and leave my phone on the charger, I need the system to still get my attention.
So far, I have a Wyze smart watch, and my roommates gave me an Echo, and three Google Home Minis.
I know, I know, I dislike #gafam too. I hate having these devices listening to me; I do not intend to ever speak to them.
But I dislike the alternative more. I get into a state of productive flow that results in missing meetings. Now that I've been working from home for four months, I've entered an almost trance-like state of productivity during the work day. I'm late to meetings too often.
I found an Android app that will speak my calendar notifications to me through my phone; that's working well so far. What I might do is collect a few cheap older-model Android phones or tablets, connect them to the Wifi, and just prop them in every room.
In the office, someone on my team often taps me on the shoulder to remind me we have a meeting. When I'm at home, my phone does that; but if I leave it charging when I use the restroom or get some coffee, it fails. Sometimes I just don't notice the notification pop up, and I don't feel the buzz because it's on the charger instead of my pocket.