The Best Ways to Find Lost Items (and Not Lose Them in the First Place)
One thing I almost never lose is chapstick. Others always lose their keys , sunglasses or wallet. And while it sucks to lose things and feel like you’re going crazy, it also happens inevitably. Here’s how to methodically find things again.
Obviously, the first thing to do when you find an item not where you left it is to stay calm and start looking around where you last saw or used it. This New York Times article cites Michael Solomon, author of How To Find Lost Items , who wrote:
Objects tend to wander. However, I have found that they tend to be no more than 18 inches away from their original location.
Don’t go in circles. No matter how promising the site is – if the first time there was no object, then the second time.
Another strategy is to repeat your steps, although the key here is a lively rethinking of what you were doing or feeling, the time of day, or whether anyone else was there when you last saw this missing element. This process is called context recovery and can help you remember a detail you might have missed when searching. If you ask someone about a missing item, avoid leading questions such as “Do you remember I put chapstick in my gray sweatpants or blue sweatpants?” Keep them open to allow new parts to come to the surface.
There are also several strategies to prevent item loss (again). If possible, stick the item to something that stands out, such as a giant fuzzy key chain or flashy stickers. Alternatively, you just need to allocate space exclusively for the item (or items like it). Maybe a hook on the door for keys, or a basin on the chapstick counter.
How to Find Missing Keys and Stop Losing Other Things | New York Times