A few months ago I embarked on a new adventure in my life. I moved out of my parents' home and into my own place. This new experience put me face to face with a lifelong battle against a bad habit - being a pack rat.
Clutter just seems to collect around me, and I struggle with whether to keep or not to keep. I have years of items that have too much emotional attachment to throw away.
I discovered that there is something magical, at least for the organizationally challenged, about moving to a new place. First, the move helped me establish a clean slate. I found that, instead of dealing with years of guilty clutter collecting, I could start anew and with a greater awareness of my problem.
The move enabled me to reconsider my collection of items and to discard things I did not need. While the purge initially brought feelings of emotional stress, it was nice to be free from the burden of physical items.
Moving also brought a different perspective because disposing of items became a necessity rather than something that I should do. My apartment was going to be much smaller than my house and, to avoid feeling overwhelmed, there were things I was going to have to leave behind. I will admit, however, there were several "limbo" items I left behind, such as framed pictures or old clothes, that still clutter my parents' house.
My apartment is one bedroom and a good size for my needs, but some might think it is too small. I have loved the size because it has forced me to designate a place for everything and anything. I know what is in every single drawer and, whenever I get something new, such as clothes, magazines, books or even receipts, I know exactly where to put them.
This sustained degree of organization brings me much joy and happiness and, while I'm sure many others might consider this delight to be silly or not something worth appreciating, these small lifestyle changes make my life so much easier and more enjoyable.
I also have a tendency towards anxiety and establishing this level of organization helps dissipate stress. It can be difficult to establish new habits, and I fear laziness or somehow slacking off from these new routines that I have worked so hard to establish. There are some days when all I want to do when I come home is throw everything on the floor and take a long nap.
Cleanliness such as dusting and making sure there are no dishes in the sink is also a part of my new organizational inclination, and I delight when I find myself doing these things automatically, even in another setting, such as someone else's home.
I have discovered other motivations such as a desire to keep my new apartment feeling new for as long as possible, and my insectophobia (fear of bugs,) which I strive to remind myself will result from neglect.
As the summer has progressed, I have worked hard to become as organized as possible and to enjoy the effects of a clutter-free home. As the school year picks up -- I am a teacher -- and the desire for relaxation overwhelms the need to vacuum, I might be writing an article about how depressing it is to fall back into bad habits, but hopefully I can keep up the good work.
Contact Corin Harpe at corinharpe@gmail.com.