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How often do you put something down only for it to be completely lost the next time you go to look for it?!
Here are 10 handy tips for finding your lost stuff:
1. Has ‘THE LOST THING’ got a home? Look there first.
Check around here also, it may have rolled off or got covered up.
2. Not there? Now is the time to sit down, calm down and have a think. Or as Professor Solomon says ‘It’s time for the 3 C’s'. He has written a fabulous book called ‘How To Find Lost Objects’ It is entertaining and helpful and I highly recommend it!! http://www.professorsolomon.com/ ( the PDF is free!) The three C’s are
Comfort
Calmness
Confidence
By taking time to calm down and get thinking about where the object could be you can allay the panic and begin your systematic search.
3. Whilst you are taking time out - try to think back - where was the last time you used ‘THE LOST THING’? Head back to where you remember seeing it last. As you enter the room / vehicle STOP. If you are lucky a quick scan of the room might reveal where it is. If this doesn’t work, start your search. BE METHODICAL. Don’s rush around scattering cushions and newspapers in your wake because you are as likely to cover ‘THE LOST THING’ up as you are to find it!
A top tip is to act out your movements as you remember doing them when you last had ‘THE LOST THING’. You may feel a bit silly but it very often works as you get a flashback to where you put it down!
Don’t bypass an area of the room because you are sure you wouldn’t put it there! It could very well be the hiding place!!
4. Have you lost this object before? If so, try looking where it was found last time! This could become the new home for ‘THE LOST THING’!
5. Make sure it isn’t ‘hidden in plain sight’. Sometimes we only see the things we expect to see and when we are feeling stressed it is easy to overlook something or skim over an area. So take time to make sure you have looked at everything.
https://www.wikihow.com/Find-Lost-Objects have some great tips on this.
6. Be systematic and detailed in your search. Check pockets, bags (pockets inside bags!), between cushions and underneath cushions. In a car make sure you look in all the little compartments and under the seats.
7. Consider it might not actually be lost?! Has somebody else used or moved ‘THE LOST THING’?
8. If you think you may have left something at someone else’s house or in a shop or restaurant, get on the phone and ask them. Failing that, revisit the place and look for yourself.
9. A scientific study has found that people have more success finding an object if they consider it’s ‘hardness’ and ‘softness’. If they were told the object was hard they tended to look at the hard things in an area and find the object quicker than when they wern’t consciously thinking about it’s non-visual traits! Strange but true! The participants were not aware that they were doing it - it seems something we do subconsciously when we are looking for something
AND FINALLY…….
MY BIGGEST TIP………..
10. DECLUTTER AND ORGANISE YOUR HOME!!!!!
But you knew I was going to say that didn’t you?!
If losing things is a regular occurrence for you, let me help you out. You can look back through my blogs for ideas on how to get started with your own decluttering project, you can go to my Amazon Shop page and buy my Declutter Journal to give you some checklists to follow or you can contact me directly and we can work together to help you organise your home.
You can comment below ↓↓ or look at the end of the blog for all the ways you can contact me privately. I love hearing from you with all your ideas and photos of the areas you are working on!!
If you want to delve deeper into finding a ‘system’ which will work for you, you can contact me via my email lindajharper@yahoo.com or using the chat bubble on my website, I would love to help you!
You can message me on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Linda-J-Harper-Professional-Declutterer-and-Organiser-107805011001601.
I am also on Pinterest and Instagram if you need some inspiration! https://www.pinterest.co.uk/adnilenaj1314/boards/