How to Remember Where You Put Things

What you're looking for may often be misplaced. Here's how to remember where you "lost" something: Assign precise spots for things, have a routine, and write things down. 

Are your keys missing?

Don’t ransack your house. Instead, think about where your keys ought to be, advises professional magician “Professor Solomon,” author of “How To Find Lost Objects.”  

“There are no lost objects,” he writes, “only unsystematic searchers.” Often, things are exactly where they are supposed to be, but somehow slightly hidden.

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When facing the calamity of a possibly lost thing, Professor Solomon advises that we all practice the “three C’s,” — comfort, calmness, and confidence.

“Start by making yourself comfortable in an armchair or sofa. Have a cup of tea, perhaps, or a stick of gum. Next, empty your mind of any unsettling thoughts. Pretend that the sea is lapping at your feet. Or that you’re sitting in a garden full of birds and flowers. Finally, tell yourself you will locate that missing object.”

Now you’ll undertake a systematic search, not one that agitates you. One tip: Check the cluttered, messy spots in your home first. Your item may be buried there.

It’s also possible that you left your misplaced object where it was when you last used it. Think back to the most recent time you saw the object. It probably hasn’t traveled far. Most things aren’t lost — but misplaced. 

When you search, look thoroughly in each likely area. Don’t circle round and round with half-hearted searches, unless you want to make yourself unhappy. While you’re searching, clean up. You’ll feel less frustrated, since you’ll have made better use of the time. 

Did someone else take it?

Ask the likely suspects. Just be forewarned that one in three people say they get into fights with their significant others over such matters.

It’s tempting to accuse each other of being more forgetful than anyone else on earth. Chances are that neither you nor your partner are especially forgetful — or, put another way, more forgetful than the normal forgetfulness among human beings.

According to one survey, Americans spend two and a half days a year looking for misplaced items, especially the TV remote, phones, and car and house keys. About a quarter of Americans say they misplace keys twice a week. The time spent searching for things makes us miss appointments or run late for work or school.

We tend to blame age, but younger people have just as much trouble. The real culprit may be multitasking.   

What you can do

Assign precise spots for things. Ask yourself:

• “How often do I use this item?
• “Where do I use it the most?”
• “Is there a better location for this item?”
• “Are there similar things to store with this item?”

The entryway to your house is a key spot. Have a basket or rack by the door for your keys. As soon as you get home, put the keys in their home. Consider investing in organizing systems, such as a basket for phones and a tray for sunglasses.

Assign convenient spots. Keep your reading glasses on your nightstand if you’ll need them as soon as you wake up or read in bed. 

Maintain routines. You might resolve to put things in your pocketbook or backpack before you go to sleep. Double-check that everything is there before you leave the house.

Do you often leave things behind in your car, at the office, other people’s houses, or in restaurants? Have a routine before you leave any of these places. Most people do a “hotel room” check as they check out; apply the same logic to the places where you typically leave things.  

Do you forget where you’ve parked? Write it down.

To keep track of something important that you use only once or twice a year, make a note on your calendar with a reminder alert scheduled for several days before you need the item.

Handy smartphone apps

Several smartphone apps use Bluetooth-enabled tracking devices.

• Tile allows you to tag your items and see them on a map on your phone. The tag can make a sound to help you spot it. (If you haven’t forgotten where you put your phone, that is.)
• Duet similarly offers tags and a method for retrieving your phone. Phone control systems for hearing aids also have location trackers.

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