Professor Solomon outlines his 12 Principles for finding lost objects like a bloodhound. The first one is called "Don't Look for It":
Something’s lost, and your first thought—your basic instinct—is to look for it. You’re ready to start rummaging about. To hunt for it in a random, and increasingly frenetic, fashion. To ransack your own house.
This is the most common mistake people make. And it can doom their search from the start.
I know you’re eager to find that lost item. But not yet. Don’t look for it yet.