i’ve lost my keys… again!

michael solomon, psychologist and author of how to find lost objects, has these rules to stop you losing

things, and finding

them when you do:

when you arrive

home from somewhere, adopt the ten-second rule. stop at the door. where is everything? keys, umbrella, handbag, glasses and phone?

don’t walk around putting them down or in a pocket randomly.

put them down in one place

and move away.

can’t find it? don’t look for it. it’s not lost – you are. there are no missing objects, only unsystematic searchers. stand still and think. no frenetic running around. blind panic stops us finding anything.

look in the eureka zone. objects, on the whole, don’t travel more than 18 inches from

their home. look

under your keyboard, on the floor or under sofa cushions for your fountain pen or glasses.

don’t keep checking the same spot, once you’ve checked it thoroughly (the look once, look well principle). retrace your steps until you’ve exhausted everything you’ve done that day.

if you still can’t find

it, perhaps it wasn’t

you. in other words, someone has borrowed your umbrella or moved your car keys. now you can ask others.

if you’ve systematically covered all bases and you can do without it

FOR A SHORT WHILE, SLEEP ON IT. MEMORIES OFTEN SURFACE OVERNIGHT. W&H