Certainly not reformed yet. I guess I had a mindset once upon a time that it was necessary to hang on to just about everything because it might be usable some time in the future. And being that I've lived here now for 18 years there wasn't any real incentive to start clearing things out. That is, until the closet rods started getting stuffed and it was getting tough to close the dresser drawers.
Finally, with some prodding by internet articles and the Sunday paper, I finally got around to trying to figure out how to shake down the house. I think what was stopping me before was it seemed to be such a daunting task to declutter the whole house.
I've often said that my CPAP machine had increased my problem solving ability. So finally I decided that I needed to narrow my focus and break the big problem into a bunch of a smaller problems. So the first problem to solve became clearing just the coat closet. I took enough out of the coat closet that I couldn't wear anymore to practically fill the back seat of the car. The local Rescue Mission got a big donation.
I eventually repeated the process with the shirt closet and dresser in the master bedroom. But the amazing thing was the blanket closet in the living room. In the bottom of the closet was a huge pile of tote bags that I had acquired over the years at builders shows and bar association meetings for carrying the stuff vendors were passing out. I'd get home, go through the stuff from the vendors and then toss the tote bag in the closet. I kept a couple of the very sturdy tote bags and the rest went to the Rescue Mission today, all 23 of them.
So yeah, I'm recovering but not recovered from packrattery. But from looking at my records I've probably done more clearing of stuff in the house in the last month than I've done in the last year. I just finally figured out how to get it done.
Finally, with some prodding by internet articles and the Sunday paper, I finally got around to trying to figure out how to shake down the house. I think what was stopping me before was it seemed to be such a daunting task to declutter the whole house.
I've often said that my CPAP machine had increased my problem solving ability. So finally I decided that I needed to narrow my focus and break the big problem into a bunch of a smaller problems. So the first problem to solve became clearing just the coat closet. I took enough out of the coat closet that I couldn't wear anymore to practically fill the back seat of the car. The local Rescue Mission got a big donation.
I eventually repeated the process with the shirt closet and dresser in the master bedroom. But the amazing thing was the blanket closet in the living room. In the bottom of the closet was a huge pile of tote bags that I had acquired over the years at builders shows and bar association meetings for carrying the stuff vendors were passing out. I'd get home, go through the stuff from the vendors and then toss the tote bag in the closet. I kept a couple of the very sturdy tote bags and the rest went to the Rescue Mission today, all 23 of them.
So yeah, I'm recovering but not recovered from packrattery. But from looking at my records I've probably done more clearing of stuff in the house in the last month than I've done in the last year. I just finally figured out how to get it done.
Don
