Store things near where you use them

8 February 2012

One thing I always tell my clients—and I mention it when I give talks—is that it makes life a lot easier if you store items near where you use them. If you select a distant place to store stuff, it gets that much more difficult to put things away when you’re through with them.

Here’s the example I use in talks to illustrate this important principle.

My husband I are dog lovers, accustomed to having a pair of standard poodles (though right now we have just one). Our poodles have a complete wardrobe of leashes and collars, passed down through the years and supplemented by absolutely gorgeous ones from my friends at Paw Paws.

When we first moved back into our house in 2001, I decided we should store our leashes and collars in a hanging shoe organizer in the coat closet. Because our house is old and odd, however, the coat closet is probably 25 feet away from the front door we use. Right next to that front door is a table.

So I bet you can guess what happened: Rather than walk 25 feet to put away the leashes and collars after a walk (our dogs go naked in the house), we had a natural tendency to put the collars and leashes down on the table just inside the door. For a little while, I tried to put them away properly and I tried to get my husband to do the same, but it really made a lot more sense to just put them down right next to wear we use them.

So I stopped getting frustrated and instead got a basket. I put it right under the pile of leashes and now they’re contained. The messy pile is gone and a basket is in its place. And heaven knows how many minutes have been saved over the last ten years!

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Comments

Our leash is also on a table by the door, right next to the basket of keys. We tried putting it IN the basket, but then every time someone went out, the dog thought she was going for a walk. Obviously we haven’t yet found a good solution!

Janet Barclay February 9, 2012 05:09 AM

That’s funny, Janet. No fair teasing the dog, right? It’s amazing how they know the sound of their leash being touched!

I lost my prescription sun glasses for six months and just recently found them buried in the basket of leashes. So my solution isn’t fool proof!

Janine Adams February 9, 2012 06:12 AM

Now THAT’S smart organizing. Such a simple thing, but makes so much sense. Great story to illustrate that it often only takes a slight adjustment to make a huge difference.

Linda Samuels February 14, 2012 08:16 PM

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About Janine

Hello! I’m Janine Adams — a certified professional organizer based in St. Louis, and the creator of Peace of Mind Organizing®.

I love order, harmony + beauty, but I believe that the way that you feel about yourself and your home is what truly matters.

If you’re ready to de­clutter with a purpose and add more ease to your life, you’ve found the right blog — and you’ve found the right company.

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