I have this thing where I don't like too much stuff in my pockets and I hate things clipped to my belt. One technique of keeping your pocket's spacious is to de-clutter your keychain to the bare essentials.
The picture above, is a picture of my current keychain with items I recently removed.
Now, all I have on my keychain are keys for:
- My wireless car key
- My wife's car, yea I need it often
- My house's front door
- My home's side door
- My office's mailbox key
- My safe
- My office wireless key
The most useful key by far is my office key. It opens the building's front and back doors, it opens my office's main door and all the doors inside my office and even the closets. Access control controls, yes, sometimes access control can go very wrong but most of the time it rocks.
My wireless car key also is cool, but I wish it took up less space. Why does it have to be so big? Why does my wife's car keys have to be so big?
What did I remove from my keys?
- I no longer have a key chain (those silver things in the picture, free from Lexus)
- I no longer carry a pathmark card, I never go (I got a good wife)
- Office bathroom key, it is almost always open
- Physical building key
I may decide to drop even more keys. I don't really need my house keys, I go through the garage door (which is programmed to open in my car). I don't really need the safe key at all times. I don't really need the office mailbox key at all times also. But I also think I may need them at important times....
Keep it de-cluttered!
How do you manage your keychain?
Comments
I have a quickrelease keychain that allows quick/easy removal of my keys and gadgets. I carry my husband's car key, my mom's house key, our non-profit's PO Box key, a small wallet, a small multi-tool, and my own car, work, and house keys. It's a heavy load.
BUT, when I need to travel light, I can simply remove the non-needed pieces. The trick is to keep each item on it's own piece of the keychain, so I can assemble any combination needed.
This is handy when I go to shoot a wedding (where I need the multi-tool for emergencies, but not much else), when I go out with friends (wallet and truck key), or when I'm going to the secure side of our office at work (work key).
Posted by: Lori | January 11, 2008 10:50 AM
Very cool Lori
Posted by: Barry Schwartz | January 11, 2008 10:58 AM
Funny how I was just this week describing to a colleague how the number of keys you need to carry is a measure of how complicated your life is. Last year, I was down to carrying 2 keys: one to the front door (which I rarely use) and one car key (which I deposit in the car key basket as I enter the house). Since I became gainfully employed again, I now have to carry 4 more keys and 2 ID badges, as well as a flash drive backup and laser pointer when I go to the University to teach. Of course, when traveling, I also carry my iPod nano to plug into my car radio.
Posted by: Leon Schwartz | January 11, 2008 1:51 PM
I ALSO HATE ALOT OF KEYS
I HAVE LIKE 3 thats it
Posted by: KEY MAN | January 14, 2008 10:01 AM