help a pack rat get organized

by Maria Gracia

Are you a Pack Rat? Do you have boxes of old records, reams of outdated paperwork, various decades of clothing, piles of magazines, toys from children who moved out on their own years ago, that horrible artwork from dear Aunt Martha, taking up every last inch of space?

Here are 10 ideas to help Pack Rats free themselves from clutter and stress:

THINK ABOUT IT. Determine why you’re a Pack Rat. Are you sentimental? Are your items proof of places you’ve been, work you’ve accomplished, projects that lie ahead? Does the thought of decluttering seem so huge that you can’t find the motivation to tackle it?

DON’T BE A PRISONER. Beware of being held hostage by your possessions. When your stuff begins taking over your life, you are wasting precious time you can never buy back.

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL. If your children learn your Pack Rat style, they will have the same problems when they’re out on their own. If you get organized now, your children will see how important it is and hopefully follow your lead.

RECOGNIZE CLUTTER. As a rule, if you don’t use it or enjoy it, it’s just clutter. If you don’t know what it is, it’s clutter. If it’s too nice to use, it’s clutter. Toss it or give it to someone who will use and appreciate it.

MAKE IT A FAMILY GAME. Get your family into the De-cluttering Game. Make a party out of it. Play music, have refreshments, Toss-Toss-Toss. Have a reward ready, such as a family dinner at a favorite restaurant after you’ve significantly reduced your clutter!

DESIGNATE A “MAY COME IN HANDY” BOX. If you save things you feel you may use someday, create a May Come in Handy Someday box. Place those things inside and when the box is full, discard something before you put anything else in.

USE THE ROTATION BOX SYSTEM. Instead of displaying everything you like at once, display a little bit at a time. Keep the rest boxed up in storage. Every few months, put a few of these things in your box and take a few other things out for display.

FIX IT OR GET RID OF IT. Have you ever put aside broken items with the expectation that you’ll get them fixed one day? Chances are, these items are still where you left them and they’re still broken. Immediately schedule a date on your calendar to repair them or toss the items right now while you have it on your mind.

PICTURE IT! Take photographs of possessions you don’t want to forget, but don’t have space for. Save the photos in a scrapbook. Keep the memory, rather than allowing the memory to take up space.

AVOID THE HALFWAY HOUSE SYNDROME. That’s when you put things aside that you’re not sure what to do with. Temporary storage almost always turns into permanent storage. Force yourself to make a decision whether to keep or toss.

by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now! Visit her Web site at, www.getorganizednow.com.