Some might say I am chronically disorganized. Others may say I am a clutterer and quite possibly a hoarder. Hi, my name is Vicki and I hoard books. I don’t ever have time to read them, but I just have to have them. I also hoard papers because I can’t throw away those sentimental items from my kids lives.
I think it may have to do with the fact that my mother didn’t keep many of those items. I was able to salvage a few progress reports from preschool, but that’s about it. Here are some ways to declutter your life without losing those precious momentos.
Organization Tips and Quiz
So yes, I am in dire need of organization tips and help. I just don’t know where to start. Recently my SIL helped me organize the basement to give the kids a play and art area, but after she left, all of her ideas and instructions flew out the window. I don’t know why but thinking about organizing just stresses me out.
I thought this quiz would be super fun – I’ll let you know at the bottom of the page what score I got! Also, the printable mentioned at the bottom of the post was sent to me by none other than my dear sister-in-law to give me some organizing tips and help me regain some sanity.
Get the decluttering checklist below and get control of your life!
The non-profit Clutterless Recovery Groups has this quiz to help determine how seriously cluttering may be disrupting your life. This is not intended to be a diagnostic tool, but if you find that your answers lean toward ADHD or hoarding, it might be very helpful to visit one of the websites below for more information and support.
Are You a Clutterer? Quiz
- Do you feel overwhelmed when thinking about your clutter?
- Have you tried to “clean up” or “organize” yourself repeatedly, with no lasting results?
- Are you ashamed to have anyone come to your home?
- Do you feel more confused in your home than in the outside world?
- Do you find yourself buying more of everything because, “you never know when you will run out?”
- Do you have multiple copies of books, software, clothing or any other items because you couldn’t find what you already owned when you needed it?
- Has your spouse or partner expressed dismay about the way you live?
- Do you flit from one task to another, feeling like you never get anything done?
- Do you find that you concentrate better in noisy situations?
- Do you find yourself getting distracted easily?
- Do you feel like, “What’s the use, it will just get messed up again,” when you begin to declutter?
- Do you hold onto broken items because “they might come in handy someday,” or “I’m going to fix them someday”?
- Do you hold onto relationships that do not serve you because, “This is the best I can do”?
- Do you feel like there will never be enough for you? Do you believe that you do not deserve any better than what you have?
- Do you feel more “lack” than prosperity in your life?
- Do you find it hard to decide what is worth keeping and what is not?
- Do you obsess about saving food? Do you have enough canned goods to feed the neighborhood?
- Do you save garbage–fast food boxes and wrappers, obvious trash, things that smell bad, etc?
Four or fewer “yes” answers:
You probably are not a clutterer – unless you feel so overwhelmed that you are paralyzed.
Five or more “yes” answers:
You may be chronically disorganized: a clutterer. Visit Clutterless Recovery Groups for more information and support.
“Yes” to numbers 8, 9 and 10:
These are more typical of ADHD tendencies–although many clutterers have some ADHD without being diagnosed with ADHD, it’s worth looking into further. Visit the Attention Deficit Disorder Association website for more information.
“Yes” to numbers 17 and 18:
These are symptoms of hoarding. Visit the the Compulsive Hoarding Website of the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation for more information.
Results!
Ok, so my results were not as bad as I thought they would be. I got a 7, which means that yes, I am a chronic clutterer, but I already knew that.
Am I the only clutterer in a sea of organized people? I feel like everyone else is so organized and I am the one that can’t keep up with cleaning up after 3 little kids and working at home…I have never ever been good at time management. But I am getting better. Making time blocks for projects like my friend Lynn Terry suggests helps a LOT.
So…what was your score? What are your organizing tips? Don’t forget to take advantage of this awesome printable I found on Milk and Cuddles!
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