Adam - sounds like you need a better procedure... write 'Flaps' on your kneeboard and then get in the habit of crossing it out when they come up, take your sunglasses off whenever the flaps are down, sit on your pencil (ooh er!) when they are down - the options are only limited by your imagination but the point is that what you are doing up until now has not been working and you have not thought to adopt a different practice.
Admitting mistakes does not mean that we should accept mistakes. Just my suggestion.