Like most people have said, simply telling yourself "I'm dreaming" and not thinking about it is not going to help. However, taking what you're suggesting a little further definitly can and probably will increase your lucid dream frequency. I'm talking about being aware during waking life. Aware of yourself and your surroundings. You can make this easier for yourself by pretending everything you see around you during waking life as a dream. Created by your own mind. If you're lucky, this increased awareness will carry over into your dreams and help you recognize them. I believe them Tibetan dream yogis did this (among many other things of course) to incude lucid dreams.

Also, if you're annoyed with RC's. You should stick to doing the nose RC (see tutorial). It's quick (as quick as saying: "i'm dreaming" anyway) and very reliable.