How do I make sure that I never lose or forget to bring my wallet in a place of business?

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An important skill you need to learn to adult well is to have a place for everything, and to keep everything in it’s place. You should also limit the number of things you haul around.

I keep 3 or 5 things on me any time I leave the house. Keys, wallet, and phone if I’m not on my way to work. Phone goes in my left pocket, keys and wallet go in my right. Wallet used to go in the right back pocket but I switched over to a much smaller wallet that fits in my front pocket much easier.

If I’m going to work then I’ll have my badge and train pass, stored in the same sleeve, in my right back pocket. The fifth thing is my Bluetooth headset, which I wear around my neck.

After a few weeks of having everything in it’s place, you’ll start to notice whenever something isn’t there. Every time I get off the train, I tap my pockets to make sure everything’s there. Every time I get up and I’m not in my apartment, I check my kit.

You also need to get deliberate about actions that move things outside their places. I hate having things in my pockets when I sit down, so I will everything in my pockets out and set them on the table in front of me, neatly ordered.

The closest call I had recently is when I left my wallet at a table in a restaurant where I was eating with my coworkers. The table was small so I couldn’t leave everything in perfect view. The wallet was hiding under a napkin when I got up and so I didn’t get it. I got 6 steps outside of the restaurant before I realized my wallet wasn’t there. I ran back and retrieved it.

Once you have your system down, you can relax, knowing that your subconscious has you covered. Relaxing has it’s price though, if you are off your routine for some reason, it doesn’t take much for a series of events to send you face first into a giant charlie-foxtrot.

I have a keyless entry system for my car, and it normally won’t let me lock my key in my car. Well this was all fine and dandy until the batteries fail, so the car can’t tell if the keys are there or not. While new batteries were on order, vigilance failed me and I locked my keys in my car.

Ordinarily this would be no problem, but the leasing office was closed for New Years Day so they couldn’t get me into my apartment. I had to get a locksmith out there for $180 to let me into my apartment where I keep my spare key, then I paid another $50 for another lock. Fun times. I now have a ton of spare batteries for my key fobs, they seem to fail every 3 years or so. Not gonna get me that way again, universe!