Put Things Where They Land Theory
It’s that time of year when some of us get started on that wonderful task called “Spring Cleaning”! Others of us dread the idea, kick the junk back in the closet and slam the door shut. I’ll do it next year, you think.
How can you think about organizing the mess that doesn’t show, when you barely have time to keep up with the daily chores—cooking, dishes and laundry? Start small by looking at your surroundings and determining whether you are placing and storing things where they really need to be. Here’s what we mean.
When straightening and organizing, don’t force things to be where you think they should be, but do what we do and put them where they land. One example illustrating how this theory can work was born on a college campus in the Midwest. After building several new complexes at the University of Notre Dame, engineers deliberately left out one important part—the sidewalks. Instead of paving them in the most logical of places, the university decided to allow students to create the paths first, traveling from building to building in the most direct routes with ease. Then after paths were visibly worn, the corresponding sidewalks were paved.
What follows are a few sensible ways for you to stop trying to put things where you think they should be and just Put Them Where They Land:
- Some professional organizers recommend hanging a key rack in your kitchen. But you’re in the habit of tossing your keys on the table near the front door. So skip the rack. For you, there is a better solution. Instead of altering your behavior, place a decorative bowl on the entry table to collect those keys.
- Make use of the unused. Do you grow green bread because no one eats it once it hits the drawer? Instead of fighting that, put loaves in a basket on the counter. Use the bread drawer, then, for small plastic containers and loose lids that could get lost in a larger cabinet.
- Instead of stuffing your wallet with rarely used items, place a small container the size of a #10 envelope in a kitchen cabinet, your car or even your purse. This is practical for storing gift certificates, seldom-used charge cards, museum and other membership cards.
- The same cabinet could hold often-used medical supplies such as adhesive bandages, allergy relief medication, headache remedies and PMS pills. Why hoard them in your upstairs medicine chest when the need for them is primarily in the kitchen, in the daytime?
So there you have it—a few simple solutions to some everyday problems. Apply this go-with-the-flow technique to every room in the house, even the garage. Then, before you know it, you’ll have the energy to face that messy closet you kicked closed earlier this spring!
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