One of the key insights I think I’ve had is the importance of being able to work a medium that you keep around.
If the majority of the things around you are made of metal and plastic, either know how to work finished metal or plastic, or keep other materials around.
Case in point: Cardboard!
I had an Anker 5 port USB charger on my desk to charge some of my geegaw. It was always in a big nest of cables, even when I bought short cables for it. After a year of being irritated at the messiness, I grabbed a cardboard box that I bought to hold filled breadboards, took out my multitool, and cut some holes. There’s plenty of space inside, it doesn’t get too hot, and the cleanliness pleases me everyday.
I’m really glad I finally took the ten minutes to do this!