1 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: tip is that when you are figuring out where you 4 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:24,760 Speaker 1: should store something, ask yourself this question, where would I 5 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: look for this first? Then put the item in that place. 6 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: Today's tip comes from Dana kay White, a decluttering expert 7 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: who shares her tips through a podcast, YouTube videos, and 8 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: her blog, A Slob Comes Clean. Dana was a guest 9 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:49,880 Speaker 1: on my other podcast, Best of Both Worlds and shared simple, 10 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 1: sensible tips like asking where you would look for something 11 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: for creating a smooth, functioning home. I have thought a 12 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 1: lot lately about what should go where as we have 13 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: unpacked and settled into our new home. Some things are obvious. 14 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: Forks go in the silverware drawer and yep, that is 15 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: where we would think to look for them. But some 16 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: stuff is less obvious, like sleeping bags, scissors, bug spray, 17 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: the extra paper, towels and toilet paper. I love Dana's 18 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: approach of asking yourself where you would look for something first. 19 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 1: You are making a prediction. You are imagining your future 20 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 1: self wanting this item and tracing your steps to look 21 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: for it. You are not asking yourself where the item 22 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: should be. There is not a right or wrong answer. 23 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: People store their scissors in all sorts of reasonable places. 24 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 1: You are not going to be judged by whether you 25 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: put the item where an expert or a complicated set 26 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: of rules say you should. You are simply making your 27 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: best guess of where you would look for it and 28 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 1: putting it there. In our case, at least one pair 29 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: of scissors goes in the top right junk drawer and 30 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:18,320 Speaker 1: one goes in my top right desk drawer. I would 31 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: look in the top right drawer of anything for something 32 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: like that first, so now I know where they are. 33 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 1: Bug spray goes in the mudroom, since that is by 34 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: the door where people generally go out, so that is 35 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: probably where I would naturally be looking for it first. 36 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: Best to put it there from the get go. I 37 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 1: also like using similar language when asking someone else if 38 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:49,200 Speaker 1: they know where an item is stored. If you ask 39 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: your partner, or your roommate or your childcare provider where 40 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: they put the three whole punch, they may feel a 41 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: wee bit miffed. Why do you think I hit it somewhere? 42 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: Since when am I the keeper of the three whole punch. 43 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: But if you ask where's the first place you would 44 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: look for our three whole punch, that is less aggressive. 45 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: You are simply asking for a prediction, not judging the 46 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: storage spot or suggesting someone else has a database of 47 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: household objects and their locations in their heads. So the 48 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 1: next time you are deciding where to store something, ask 49 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: yourself where you would look for it first and put 50 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: the item there. And if you are looking for something, 51 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: ask your housemate for their ideas of where they would 52 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: look for it first. Focusing on predicting a search can 53 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: be a practical, judgment free approach to deciding what goes 54 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: where and for finding what you have. Do you have 55 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: any tips for keeping your space organized? You can share 56 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: them with me at Laura at Laura Vanderkam dot com. 57 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and 58 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our times. Hey, everybody, 59 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 60 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:31,359 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 61 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:35,799 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod 62 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: that's b E the number four then breakfast p O D. 63 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 64 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,479 Speaker 1: podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com that before Breakfast is spelled 65 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: out with all the letters, thanks so much, should I 66 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 1: look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a 67 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:03,720 Speaker 1: production of iHeart Radio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit 68 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 69 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.