If you are constantly misplacing small items in your house, you might need some "holding pens."
Alex Wendland writes on his blog, "The ideal solution [to not losing things] is to have assigned place(s) for each item, and only ever store items in their assigned places. For example, my keys are only ever allowed in my back right pocket, the keychain hook in my backpack, or the bottom-left cubby of my nightstand."
But sometimes doesn't have time to take his keys or another item to one of its assigned spaces. His solution, holding pens, 12" x 18" trays "in every room which exists to hold anchorless items."
From his blog:
A holding pen:
- Is a tray roughly 12" x 18", so it can fit most items you need to put down.
- Has a small lip on the sides, so items don't fall out.
- Is located in every room, so the activation energy to use a holding pen is approximately the same as placing the item down randomly.
- Is always used to store items, unless an item is being placed in its permanent location.
- Is cleaned out regularly—ideally daily, at most weekly—, so that it doesn't become a storage area.
See more life hacks here.
