'Free & Correct' is also making sure that nothing is blocking the control movements. That doesn't need to be maintenance induced but could be a passenger's knees are in the way etc.

I have a laminated checklist that I keep tucked in between the seat and side wall. It includes pre-start, take-off, landing and emergency. I'm in the habit of using the pre-start every time but I will admit that the others no so much. They are all pretty short lists so should be easily memorized but I can still catch myself skipping something if I don't go line by line. Pressing the start button without having the mags on etc. If that happens, I stop, go back to the top of the list and start from there because if I missed one I could have missed others. That also reinforces why I need to do the checklist in the first place. You only need to skip one critical step once to have a problem.