3 P’s for Putting Things Away

Have you ever been looking for more printer paper in the back of a drawer to find your long-lost expensive left-handed scissors? You think you’d be delighted, but in a pinch you’d already bought a new pair. I wonder are you baffled by the race up and down the stairs every time you have to leave the house because your keys have done a runner… and there are no masks left… and wait, where’s my wallet…

You know the answer is giving things a home so you know where they’ll be.

But… the trouble is putting things away. It’s boring. It’s hard.

I’ve got you! Learn how to make yourself want to put things away with these 3 techniques. Even when it feels…. ugh.

Because, this is where the magic happens.

Three P’s for Putting Things Away

1. Make it Pleasing

Have you ever walked passed a display of t-shirts arranged by rainbow colours or have a spot in your house where the hoover attachment glides in exactly (mine is by the shower!) - it’s oddly satisfying. It’s actually giving you a little boost of dopamine, a hormone responsible for many things including a feeling of reward. Have a look at r/oddlysatisfying to see what I mean.

So, let’s make putting things away pleasing to the eye and fun to do - there are lots of products to choose from (see below for examples). The key here is to choose things of good quality (no tack or novelty crap that will break) and that fit your aesthetic (so skip Hello Kitty if you’re into darker, dramatic colours). Try using the click of a Lego brick keyring fo for that childhood buzz, or a friendly duck that pops out to say hi when you hang something up. My friends had a knife victim on their countertop in their college accomodation that was a conversation starter, and my best friend uses a helpful little penguin to holder her glasses.

Embrace your inner child - like, remember donating coins to charity in those spinning collection containers. The act of doing an otherwise mundane task becomes fun and rewarding.

2. Make it Painless

The amount of times I’ve left brushes, plant pots or notebooks next to my craft box but not in it baffles me. If I have to open, struggle, find and seal anything I give up in seconds.

So, let’s make it easy. Let’s remove as many obstacles as possible.

This means where possible remove lids, put things in clear containers, avoid extra steps (like folding, winding, punching holes or wrestling into plastic pockets. If you can, make it a 1-second job to drop and leave anything. Boxes and trays are great for this.

You get a bonus point if you make labels - check out Little Bear Labels who make custom vinyl labels from Cavan, Ireland.

Some examples below include a guitar stand (a huge space saver in our house) that takes the place of zip-closed guitar bags, an ottoman file folder that involves zero fuss and easy dividing, and labeled clear containers for easy spotting of that thing you need quickly.

Visible contents that are easily accessed in this box from The Organised Store

3. Store where Practiced

Store a things where you use it - even if it’s a bit weird or unconventional. Let me explain.

This starts with observing yourself and asking, ‘Why did I put it there?”.

For example, you might plop your coat on the couch and stash the keys on the coffee table. The coat doesn’t go on the hook because there are so many others already hung up - maybe give it an extra hook with a smiley face that seems approving of your decision. Or put some out of season coats in a wardrobe elsewhere.

The coffee table is not a great spot to keep your keys, but your hands are always full coming in the door - so it seems the best option every time. Give yourself a cute key tray in the kitchen, shaped like a vintage bathtub to let them put their feet up (and giggle each time).

The weirder, the better! It actually helps our brains to remember these spots better.

Here are a few examples from my house:

Rather than in my bedroom, I store my jewellery in our bathroom cabinet because I put it on or off before a shower, or after a face wash before bed

Rather than in the shed, I keep a small, filled watering can by the seedlings growing on my widow sil because if I don’t I forget and they whither…

This is my watering can - how could you not use something so pretty! (From Urban Plant Life)

Rather than in the kitchen, I keep my vitamins by my workstation and plop them by my laptop the night before

My awesome daily meds and vitamins organiser (promotion from Lidl)

Bonus Tip: Organise your Computer Files by ‘Feeding the Dog’

This TikToker realised putting files in folders was a lot more fun when she changed the file to dog biscuits and a folder to a dog… see below.

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@rightlife31
I have so much power now. ##lifehack ##dog ##computer ##fyp ##corgi ##thebestskillihave
♬ original sound - Brittany Wright

At the end of the day, try things out and give yourself permission to change it up. I’d love to hear your best keep tidy tips over on instagram https://www.instagram.com/suzykelldecluttering