Find Your Keys Every Time

Quick Win

Tired of losing your keys, phone or TV remote? Set up a system and harness the power of routines.

Try This Today

1. What’s your “losing battle”? Make a list of the items you tend to misplace. Keys, phone, remote, reading glasses?
2. Pick your spots strategically. There’s wisdom to the adage “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Choose a home for each item in an uncluttered area, close to where you use it. For keys, a hook or basket near the door is an ideal spot. For the TV remote, a coffee table or side table next to the couch is perfect.
3. Practice. Create your routine by being intentional about returning items to their places. Hang up your keys (or toss them in their basket) as soon as you walk in the door, for instance. Repeating this can help the habit stick!

Why

It’s hard to live your best life when you can’t find your keys! A whole industry of tracking devices and apps has sprung up because of our tendency to lose important items. Creating a home base for your oft-missing things and repeating the routine of putting items in their place can help you establish a useful habit — one that will save you time and frustration.