The Pack Rat 90-Day Challenge:
Organizing Clutter At A Pace You Can Handle

Do you have boxes of "stuff" in your basement, in the closets, or the garage? The Pack Rat 90-Day Challenge will help you declutter and get rid of the things you don't use, but it will also bring up your hoarding instincts so can start dealing with them.

Now is the time to GET OVER IT and take back the organized life you deserve.

The Pack Rat 90-Day Challenge

1. Rent a storage unit or create a test area in the basement or garage where you can store boxes or bins. Gather together as many boxes as you can find that you haven't opened recently, whether you know what is in them or not, and put them in the test area. (NOTE: If you absolutely, positively, can't live without an item, it shouldn't be in a box. It should be in a displayed area of your home where you can see and use it.)
2. Tape a piece of paper to each box with today's date written on it, and keep a pen or marker nearby. Make a mental note of the date 90 days from now, and then set up a reminder in your cell phone or email for that date to update your pack rat challenge.
3. Over the next 90 days, When you actually need an item from the test area storage, make a note on the piece of paper saying what item you used. Also, do NOT return a used item back to the testing area. Find a separate permanent home for an item if you use it regularly.

After 90 days, go to where the boxes are stored. Do NOT open them! Remove the pieces of paper, and verify that you made a home for each item you removed from the boxes. Now, repeat steps 1-3 with the items still in the testing area for another 90 days. If you've discovered more boxes you don't use, add them to the testing area.

After the second 90 days, return again to where the boxes are stored. Do NOT open them! Remove the pieces of paper, and verify that you made a home for each item you removed from the boxes. If you have not used any items from the boxes in the last 180 days, transfer them to a new area... the 6-month challenge area.

Repeat steps 1-3 again, but this time make a mental note of the date 6 months from now, and then set up a reminder in your cell phone or email for that date to update your pack rat challenge.

Almost there!

After 6 months (one year total), go to your pack rat testing area. Do NOT open them! Any items still in the boxes are things you haven't used in an entire year. You would have had the opportunity to use holiday items, things you use rarely but at least once a year, and maybe a few other items. Face it... if you haven't used something in one year, you probably aren't going to use or need it ever again. Or, if you do, you can always rent it, borrow it, or re-purchase something (if all else fails). No one ever said organizing clutter would be easy!

Now for the TRUE pack rat challenge!

Without opening the boxes, take them to a donation center and donate them. At least somebody could possibly be using whatever items are in the boxes, rather than wasting precious space in your home and cluttering up your life. If this is particularly difficult for you, enlist the help of a supportive friend or family member to go with you to make the donation. Get a receipt and you may be able to use the donation to reduce your taxes.

Congratulations! You are on your way to becoming less of a pack rat, using what you buy, and helping others in the process. The best way of learning is by teaching what you know, so once you've mastered this technique, you can help others do the same.

Next...

Explore The Truth Behind Being A Pack Rat.