The Forgetful Person’s Guide to Better Finding (And Less Losing!)

Forgetful people: either you know one or you are one. One of those people who just can’t seem to keep track of their things. It can be frustrating, expensive, and all-around inconvenient to replace your lost phone, keys, or wallet. But hope exists! It's easier than you think to stop losing and start finding everything that matters to you. Read on for our expert-approved tips:

Tip #1: Be Present

Research shows that, in order for us to remember things (i.e. where we left our backpack), we have to be present and mindful in our everyday activities. This means no more multi-tasking! When you want to remember something important--like where to find your car--make the effort to take a mental note. As the psychological adage goes, “if you don’t encode, you can’t retrieve.”

Tip #2: Identify the ‘Problem’ Things

While forgetfulness doesn’t discriminate, there may be items you lose more than others. Significantly more. Make a list of what you lose most often so you can brainstorm specific methods to keep track of each.

Tip #3: Have a Place for Everything

Channel your inner drill sergeant—at least for the essentials. Install a hook next to your front door for your purse or backpack. Designate a table for mail, and get creative with labeled storage containers. When everything has its place, you’ll always know where to look.

Tip #4: Visualize

Visualization has been proven to help people keep positive habits, like improving our ability to find lost things. After you’ve decided on the right place for something, visualize placing it there. It might feel silly, but give it a shot. It’ll help you remember where your stuff belongs while training your brain to do the task automatically. 

For those moments when something's really lost? That's where we come in. Tile is a community of finders, ready to lend you a helping hand. With the touch of a button on our app, any Tiled item or device is instantly findable. Needle in a haystack? No big deal. Now, go forth and start finding!