Before you leave, put the keys in a bowl by the doordaily

Just before you step out, the search for the keys begins. A pocket, a bag, yesterday's coat. Your shoes are already on.

The search is short, and it is still the first rush of the day, right at the door. One place to put them, and the search is gone.

Keep one small bowl by the door. Not inside a drawer. At a height your hand can reach.

When you come home, the keys go only in that bowl. The table and the side of the bag are no longer options.

The bowl holds keys only. Receipts, earphones, and coins live somewhere else.

Before you leave, look only at the bowl beside your shoes. If the keys are there, pick them up. If not, look only nearby.

Tomorrow morning the doorway does not start with a search. A hand on the bowl, and the door opens.