A rough guide to the way I later learned to position my mirrors is to point the center straight back. For the left side mirror, rest your head against the side window and then position the mirror to just see the edge of your car body. For the right mirror, lean your head to the centerline of the car and adjust the mirror to just see the right edge of your car body.
I always adjust my mirrors so I can just barely see the side of my car from my driving position. I feel that gives me more confidence to determining the position of what I see in the mirror relative to my car. And yes, that gives me a significant blind zone which I need to check before changing lanes. (BTW, do you know where your blind zone is? It may not be where you think it is... hint: It is NOT the 5 o'clock direction - your mirror has that one covered.)
Not really safety related, but I also use my mirrors extensively when I go backwards.
(Summer vacations spent as a lorry driver, without a rear view window you learn that pretty fast and that lesson sticks). The mirrors would be close to useless for this purpose if I did not have the edge of my car as reference.
I might try out Arney's method just to see if there's something in it to me. But old habits die hard, and I would be very surprised if I switch.
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