I am the most out of sight out of mind human being I have ever encountered.
If you put something away and out my immediate field of vision, it is as if that thing never existed in my life. And I’m not just talking about stuff I find onerous to deal with (bills, legal documents, taxes) but it also applies to delicious things.
One time I bought an entire big bag of Ruffles sour cream and onion potato chips — God’s gift to snackers — and put them in a cupboard below the cabinet because I was having someone over and didn’t want the sole contents of my pantry to be this one bigass bag of chips.
TWO MONTHS LATER I opened that cabinet and oh wow you guys! Look what I found! I have chips!!
I’m not even kidding one ounce right now. That happened. Today. Which is why I am writing this and also eating some slightly stale but delicious potato chips.
Pros to out-of-sight-out-of-mindedness
- If I want to stop eating that big bag of chips I merely have to put it out of view
- My anxiety can easily be reduced by shoving a bunch of crap in a box
- I’m always unearthing treasures when I open a drawer or bag or cupboard
Cons to out-of-sight-out-of-mindedness
- Applies to everything — including friends I don’t see often, things I really like, and urgent stuff I need to address
- Not something I control so it makes me feel like a lame-o at times
- Probably contributes significantly to my clutter challenges
So I know this is something I should probably address and think of ways to work with it/around it etc. but right now I gotta go because these chips aren’t going to enjoy themselves!!