A couple of years ago, I got into a bad habit of misplacing my car keys. They would seem to just disappear for hours at a time, leading to some pretty inconvenient situations. Finally, to rid me of the habit, my wife placed a box in the kitchen where all family members had to leave their keys. 

Creating memory places is one of the best practical methods to avoid misplacing frequently used objects. It’s easy to do at home or at the office. I put my glasses in the same place on my bedside dresser every night before I go to sleep. I keep my sunglasses, wallet, and change in the same place so I don’t forget them when I leave the house in the morning. If we give some thought to our memory places, making sure they are logical and convenient, they will serve us well.

Of course, when you’re traveling, memory places can be more of a challenge. Recently, I nearly lost a pair of expensive glasses because I was distracted and forgot to pick a memory place in the hotel room. Now I am systematic about placing glasses, keys and wallet in a particular drawer in every hotel room I stay in.

 
Dr. Gary Small reveals how you can improve your memory and mental sharpness in The Mind Health Report.