Its so important to preflight your aircraft prior to take off each and every time you fly. Even if you didn't have a minor mishap. I always do a preflight on everything, tugging and pulling, and I try to make sure that I touch every bit of the aircraft. I check battery prior to every flight and range check prior to the first flight of the day. Of course I go through other means of checking my aircraft but there is a post already discussing preflight habits.

Once I was at the field and was going through the preflight and everything was going well. Once I started the engine and did my control checks one control surface was not responding. I cut the engine and was going over my preflight and I had failed to ensure that a servo wire was completely connected. I was really bothered by that infraction, so I disassembled the aircraft and went home. I just felt, and told myself, I was not ready to fly.

Even routine preflights can get you to sometimes overlook "a disaster waiting to happen". Preflight and preflight often, and don't neglect postflights.