There are things we own that are only needed periodically: for a certain holiday, or season, or activity. Unless you are very organized and never forget to put things back where they belong chances are when the time comes to put such an item to use you may have difficulty locating it.

Even worse for your frustration level is that you likely ran across these items while looking for something else and said to yourself, “Ah ha! That’s where that is! I’ll remember that in X months when I need it” … but later all you remember is that you did find it somewhere!

Here’s a trick to avoid that frustration:

When you find that item you will need later, put an appointment about where it is located in your Google calendar (or whatever calendar you use) for a date close to when you will actually need it, and set it to email you a reminder on that date!

For example, today while looking for a nail to reattach a window shade hanger I found the brand-new insulated faucet sock I’d bought for our outside hose connection, which I hadn’t been able to locate last November so bought an inferior substitute. I put an entry in my Gcal on October 24th: “Faucet sock is on shelf under tool grid at top of basement stairs” and set the event to email me a reminder at 6pm that day.