This is kinda funny, because I've had the opposite outcome. Well, "ish", because my situation isn't directly comparable.
When I'd leave the house in the morning, there were always five things I needed to have with me: Wallet, phone, badge, glasses, and smokes.
Once a month or so I'd get to work and realize I had left one of these at home. It was a tragedy to be caught an hour from home without my phone or glasses. It was annoying to be without my wallet, cigarettes, or badge.
So I decided to regiment this. Wallet always in the front right pocket, badge always clipped to belt, phone in left back pocket, cigs in front left pocket, and glasses in my backpack. I would pat each location and say out loud, "wallet, badge, phone, smokes, ... glasses".
It didn't work. I quickly just went through the motion of patting and saying without actually verifying the fucking things were there. The first time I forgot an item was a mini existential crisis. ("If I can't account for these simple EDC items when I'm trying to, what hope is there?")
WFH has solved the badge issue. ApplePay mitigates the wallet issue. Glasses are still forgotten sometimes, but my eyesight isn't that bad when I'm out and about (it was only terrible to be without glasses when I worked at a computer in an office). So I guess the situation just solved itself.
I only need to confirm my e-cig is with me. Everything else is either I remembered it or "oh well". And if I quit that, then I'm free :)
When I'd leave the house in the morning, there were always five things I needed to have with me: Wallet, phone, badge, glasses, and smokes.
Once a month or so I'd get to work and realize I had left one of these at home. It was a tragedy to be caught an hour from home without my phone or glasses. It was annoying to be without my wallet, cigarettes, or badge.
So I decided to regiment this. Wallet always in the front right pocket, badge always clipped to belt, phone in left back pocket, cigs in front left pocket, and glasses in my backpack. I would pat each location and say out loud, "wallet, badge, phone, smokes, ... glasses".
It didn't work. I quickly just went through the motion of patting and saying without actually verifying the fucking things were there. The first time I forgot an item was a mini existential crisis. ("If I can't account for these simple EDC items when I'm trying to, what hope is there?")
WFH has solved the badge issue. ApplePay mitigates the wallet issue. Glasses are still forgotten sometimes, but my eyesight isn't that bad when I'm out and about (it was only terrible to be without glasses when I worked at a computer in an office). So I guess the situation just solved itself.
I only need to confirm my e-cig is with me. Everything else is either I remembered it or "oh well". And if I quit that, then I'm free :)