By Gretchen Rubin, thehappinessproject.com
It’s hard work being disorganized. People who are disorganized spend a lot of time hunting for their keys; they have to order a replacement birth certificate; they know they must have a dozen hammers, because it’s always been easier to buy a new one than to locate one in the house. Often, however, people don’t realize how disorganized they are. Are you? Take this quiz.
At a minimum, you should know exactly where to find these possessions:
stamps
your passport and if you’re married, your spouse’s passport
a corkscrew
Band-aids
a safety pin
a flashlight
a functioning alarm clock
paperclips or a stapler
your phone charger
a spare set of keys
your doctor’s phone number
cinnamon
your tax statements from 2003
fabric stain remover
a pair of mittens
spare AA batteries
Congratulate yourself for being well-organized if you can also say exactly where you’d find these objects:
a tape measure
your high-school yearbook
a Swiss army knife
a pencil sharpener
a copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting
the instruction manual for your camera
silver polish
a vase the proper size to hold a bunch of tulips
food coloring
a tube of lip balm
a cheese knife
an extension cord
a recipe for a favorite food your mother or father used to make
a pack of playing cards
a pad of Post-its
Disorganized people often aim to put things away approximately. They’ll keep something “in a kitchen drawer” or “in my office.” It’s much more satisfying to put things away in an exact location—like a particular kitchen drawer. It takes some effort, at first, to decide where everything belongs, but once you’ve put objects in their proper places, it’s much easier to return them there.
