Our brains can only handle so much during a day. The Globe and Mail recommends using a junk drawer to easily categorise the miscellaneous.
Picture: Stephanie H/Flickr
The junk drawer isn’t a new concept, but many think it creates more clutter and confusion. Drawers, by nature, are used to categorised and store items. This isn’t always a quick task when we need it to be. When having more trouble dealing with an item than it’s worth, Wency Leung suggests using a junk drawer:
Although our brains are hardwired to create categories for all the things and ideas we encounter, there are times when deciding the right category for an item is counterproductive.
Say, for instance, your plumber gives you a tool needed to fix your garbage disposal, and asks you to hold onto it until the next time the appliance needs repairs. Instead of agonizing over the best place to put it, Levitin says, “we throw it in the junk drawer. We’re not wasting more time making a decision than it’s worth, and we move on with our lives.”
Non-physical items that are difficult to place also belong in a junk drawer. You can also use this method with Evernote, Email and any other virtual place that forces you to categorise the items you place in it. You can even keep your junk drawers organised to find items quickly. When you have more time and energy to give those items a permanent home or category later, you’ll know where to find them.
Your brain has limited capacity: Here’s how to maximise it [The Globe and Mail]
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