Pack-rat, Perfectionist, or Procrastinator

I’ve worked with a lot of people and pitched a lot of clutter over the past few years; it’s been a blast! However, it can be challenging to help so many different people find the best way to organize and manage their space; especially since their “P tendencies” always seem to get in the way.

Confused?

I’m talking about Pack-rats, Perfectionists, and Procrastinators — which one are you?

We are all plagued with one {or more} of these ‘P tendencies’ from time to time; and they ALL get in the way of simple, organized living. Want to overcome your P’s, get more organized, and be more productive? Keep reading!

Pack-rat:

I’ve never heard a pack-rat say they enjoy being a pack-rat…have you? Many pack-rats feel a sense of security from their stuff {I know, this sounds crazy but it’s true.} Unfortunately, pack-rats aren’t able to enjoy their things because they can’t ever find what they need.

The obvious negative to being a packrat is having a very cluttered home and a very stressful life.

So what can you do?

• Start Small: Challenge yourself to toss five items per day for a month. By the end of the month, you’ll lighten your load by 150 items! Everything counts and if you can find more than five things a day, all the better!
• Don’t Bring More In: If you toss five things on Monday and then go out and buy 20 things on Thursday…you are worse off!
• Get an outside perspective: Ask an encouraging friend or relative to help you weed out some of your stuff.

Feeling overwhelmed? Visualize how clean and open your space will be with less stuff.

Perfectionist:

Did you know that perfectionists are often very disorganized? It’s true; the majority of my clients show signs of perfectionism.

Perfectionism often prevents people from starting a project because they don’t know the “right way” to do it. I even know perfectionists who won’t clean their homes because “it will just get dirty again”! {That’s like not showering because you’ll get dirty again — come on!}

So what can you do?

• Take baby steps: Focus on one small area at a time and finish the entire project before you move onto the next area. Each small project is a big step towards your eventual goal.
• Realize that there is no ONE correct way to organize: The only wrong way is not to start at all.
• Be realistic about your expectations: The homes you see in magazines are staged. No one lives in them. There are no kids, no pets, none of life’s normal problems or challenges. Give yourself a break!

Feeling overwhelmed? Remember that doing something is better than nothing at all; start with 10 minutes today.

Procrastinator:

We’ve all been here a time or two, right? However, for some people, procrastination is a way of life, causing lots of stress and disorganization. Procrastination can lull you into a false sense of productivity by completing meaningless tasks while deadlines on important tasks inch closer.

So what can you do?

• Determine why you procrastinate: Are you unsure of the tasks that need to be done? Are you unsure where to start? Once you know the issues, list 5 things you need to do and get to work.
• Be honest with yourself: If you know you’re not going to do something, don’t even put it on your list.
• Find a cheering section: Let someone know what you’re trying to achieve and ask them to cheer you on and keep you accountable. Often, that’s all it takes.

Feeling overwhelmed? Buckle down, make a Top 5 List, and tackle your most dreaded task first.

What about you? Which “P” are you?

I’m a bit of a procrastinator… but mostly just a Purger!! I know, that’s not on my list, but I toss everything! Are you a purger too?