Comment by wodie
2 years ago
I like the tip from Adam Savage on where to put new things: Quickly think about where you would search first for this item. The first thought that comes to mind is where you store it. Next time you look for the item it is right where you would search first.
This is good advice. But I'd like to extend it to: and if the place you first would look for sucks consider making a better one. E.g. if your stapler goes missing a lot and clutters your desk, relabel an easy to access drawer to "desk stuff" and put it in there. Put all other small things that fit the description in there. Return desk stuff into the desk stuff drawer.
Should you now have a hundred pens, consider breaking them out into a pens and markers drawer etc.
This is really not rocket science, but you need to care a bit about the fact that you now became the official bouncer for the desk stuff drawer and you should not let other stuff into it. And when you find a stapler in the kitchen, you take it and put it in the one place that makes sense: the desk stuff drawer.
And you can create many such drawers, and with a certain amount of things you will have to. And yeah, consider adding literal labels.
That is the best way to end up with a giant mess on that tiny piece of furniture you have next to the front door.
That is what happened to me.
This breaks down when there are two of you with different places you would search first.
Exactly, I can always remember where something is or should go if I made the initial decision of where to store it. But if my spouse decides on a new organizational system, even if explained to me, I can't seem to recall it when I need it!