But where is your favorite glass? It should be where it is easiest to reach, the bottom shelf where the door opens. What is on the other shelves? How efficiently are things laid out?
One key component to an ergonomic system is organization. If you are not organized things can get inefficient quickly. Not only do you need to know where things are so you can locate them when you need to, but you also need to know how often you need something so you can lay things out efficiently.
The more often you use something the more accessible it needs to be. Your favorite glass should be upfront, dinner glasses on the middle shelf and stemware for fancy parties on in the back of the top shelf.
The goal is to save time and effort through statistics. What you use most often should be the most accessible. And what you hardly touch shouldn’t get in the way of what you need. That’s where the rule of three comes in.
The Rule of Three
Look at what you need to organize it and divide it into categories based of frequency of use: frequent, intermittent or occasional. Just answer the question; have you used this item in the last three days, three weeks or three months?
If you’ve used it in the last three days it is most likely frequently used. It should be placed in the prime real estate. Immediate access is what you want. You don’t want to have to move other items or stop your current task to get it.
If it has been used once in the last 3 weeks it is intermittently used as should be stored in the intermittent space. Moving an item or two is accessible. Having to reach a little farther or pause a task to get it is fine.
If it has only been touched once in the last three months it is used occasionally and can be stored in a place that takes some work to get to. Pulling out a step ladder or moving other items around is acceptable. Even emptying most of the cabinet is ok.
If you have not used it in the past three months consider putting it in long term storage. Sticking the holiday punch bowel in the attic is actually good for you. Easy access to what you use makes you much more likely to use it and hopefully perform your task a little better. If things are cramped you are more likely to skip it and get frustrated in the process.
So the extra effort needed to get out the least used items is saved many times over by making the frequent tasks more efficient.
If you don’t know how often you use things dump everything in a box and only pull out something when you use it. Move those items to your three month storage location. If you use it again within three weeks move it to the next spot. Repeat if you use it within the next three days. At the end of three months you will have greatly improved your life.
