Helping A Pack Rat Get Organized
by Maria Gracia

The wonderful, sentimental Pack Rat. So nice. So loveable.
So out of space!

Pack Rats desperately need more room, but can't bear to
part with their stuff.

There are boxes of old records, books since grade school,
reams of old, outdated paperwork, various decades of
clothing, piles of magazines, calendars and planners more
than 10 years old, old board games gathering dust, toys
from children that have moved out on their own years ago,
plus that horrible artwork from dear Aunt Martha, taking up
every last nook and cranny of space. I've known Pack Rats
that are literally possessed by their possessions!

The Pack Rat keeps everything--and won't get rid of
anything. There's an inconceivable abundance of
opportunities to acquire things in our lives.

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

1. FOCUS.
Determining why you're a Pack Rat will help you focus. Are
you a sentimental person? Are your items proof of places
you've been, work you've accomplished, or how much work you
have ahead of you? Does the thought of decluttering seem
like such a bear that you can't find the motivation to do
it?

2. DON'T BE HELD HOSTAGE.
Beware of being held hostage by your possessions. When your
stuff begins taking over your life and you spend all your
time climbing over things, looking for missing items, and
fretting over where you'll put your next treasure, you are
wasting precious time that you can never buy back.

3. HELP YOUR KIDS.
If your children pick up on your Pack Rat style, they will
have the same problem when they're out on their own. If you
begin to get organized now, your children will see how
important it is and hopefully, follow your lead.

4. RECOGNIZE CLUTTER.
As a rule, if you don't use it or enjoy it, then it's
nothing more than 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 it and appreciate it.

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

6. MAKE A SOMEDAY 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.

7. USE THE ROTATION BOX SYSTEM.
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.

8. FIX IT OR DITCH 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 and
repair them when the date rolls around or toss the items
right now while you have it on your mind.

9. TAKE A PHOTO.
Take photographs of possessions you don't want to forget,
but don't have the space for. Save the photos in a
scrapbook or photo album. Keep the memory, rather than
allowing the memory to take up space.

10. AVOID GOING HALF-WAY.
Avoid the Halfway-house Syndrome. You know. That's when you
put things aside that you're not sure what to do with.
These temporary storage areas almost always turn into
permanent storage. Force yourself to make a decision
whether to keep or toss.

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by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!
http://www.getorganizednow.com

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