Well folks, today is going to be a pretty short one. I spent most of my time in London today sight seeing. It was freezing, and I am tired! This weekend, I have come up with an activity. Are you a pack rat? Is your living room so cluttered that you can barely make it to the kitchen? Why not take some time to do some spring cleaning and add some order to your life? It’s a new year, leave the messy you in 2009. You will feel lighter, and it’s also sending a mental wave into the universe: you are getting rid of what you don’t need and opening a passageway for all the new and good things to enter. Here are a couple pointers to get you going in the right direction.
1. Start with the things you haven’t used in 3 months or more. That includes everything! Are you really going to wear that sweater with the tag still on it that’s been sitting in your closet since last Christmas?
2. Ask yourself if you really need to keep a particular item. Being a pack rat myself, I know how hard this can be. You don’t need to keep every magazine you have bought for the last four years, or every liquor bottle you have ever opened. (Yes, people who collect bottles of alcohol do exist!)
3. Organize your things. Don’t leave anything hanging around. Get plastic bins, place things in your draws, or on bookshelves. Put things away.
The key is to remember to put things in their proper places. The goal is to simplify. Clearing your space will have both physical and mental impacts on your life.
Pam Harris says
I used to be a MAY-JAH pack rat (that's ghetto talk for "major" in case you missed it). In fact, I still have things from when I was a kid that I can't bear to throw away, such as my Michael Jackson doll, my New Kids on the Block dolls, my Cabbage Patch dolls, and my Archie comics. I tell everyone that it's because I think they'll be worth something one day, but it's mainly because I'm weird. But I will take your tips into consideration when it comes to clothes and items I receive from conferences.
M. Hockaday says
Awesome advice! I am still a pack rat to some extent- I have old magazines that I REFUSE to get rid of, but that is b/c my husbands' litter the covers (Ashton Kutcher, Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal, Hayden Christensen, Eminem etc.) These mags are all in two bins in my closet…does this make me lame? Also, you're right about the clothes, I have a bunch of ugly clothing (with the tag still on) hanging in my closet that I know I will never where…why can't I throw them away??? This post will be helpful though b/c I realize how sad it is that I am attached to this crap. As soon as we get our a**es out of England I am going to clean up and clear my clutter! (Maybe ๐ )