Hot take: I finally quit writing torque values on masking tape and started using a paint pen on the panel itself
For 11 years I did it the tape way, little strip on the cowling, write the number, pray it doesn't peel off in the hangar heat. Lost one last June on a 737 flap job in Wichita and had to redo the whole sequence. Now it's a $4 paint pen, straight on the panel next to the fastener, wipes off with solvent in 10 seconds. My lead hates it but nobody has asked me twice what the spec was. Anyone else got a habit they held onto way too long just cause it was how they learned it?
Man, losing that tape in Wichita heat sounds like a nightmare, especially having to redo a whole flap sequence over it. Good on you for switching to the paint pen, four bucks to never play that game again is a steal. As for habits, I held onto the old "blue the bolts and torque by feel" thing way longer than I should have, mostly cause that's how the guy who trained me did it. Took one close call on a strut bolt to finally start writing things down, so I get exactly why you stuck with the tape.