Drawers, where things go to die.

Adam Savage has a great quote on his YouTube video talking about a tool cart he constructed. When asked about keeping tools in drawers he said, " Drawers are where tools go to die." This completely resonated with me and the out -of-site-out-of-mind challenge I have with organizing things.

I've been doing more research in the world of ADHD and this is a common issue there as well. You go through the effort of putting things away neatly in drawers and boxes, feeling oh so organized, only to realize you can't remember what's where even if they're labeled. So often this results in purchasing more of the same, frustration, and reverting to cluttering horizontal surfaces.

I fight this problem all the time. It's gotten worse as I've gotten older so I've taken to a new strategy for dealing with this mental inventory. Recently I've taken to taking photos of the open drawers and their contents and storing them on my phone. The benefit is, when I'm looking for something I can flip through those photos way faster than I can hunt through the physical drawers.

This has also helped me when planning projects and shopping trips. Taking a picture of my pantry or storage closet means I can quick check no matter where I am to see if I need something or not. This isn't a new idea but it is a new implementation for me and seems to be working.

If you're struggling with the "box black hole" and have a smartphone with a camera this may be worth giving a try.