My Name is Pam and I am a Hoarder

My Daddy peeled pulpwood to buy the clock on the left. My in-laws gave us the one
in the center for a housewarming gift. The clock on the right belonged to my husband's grandparents.

It’s official. I am a hoarder.

But I’m also a two-weeks-before-Christmas-neat-freak.

Yikes!

Does this mean I have a split personality?

Every year about this time I go on a cleaning spree. It’s short-lived (unfortunately), and I usually only get a small amount done before the Christmas guests descend.

This year is no exception.

I don’t have time to clean, to search and destroy.

I need to be writing, working on blog posts, preparing for marketing calls. But the junk in the dining room calls. Junk that’s been there for years. YEARS, I tell you.

You think I jest? I do not.

Twenty years ago, I carved out a little corner of the dining room for my writing. Back then, I had a desktop computer, so I made a “corner” desk out of my grandmother’s treadle sewing machine table and a great-uncle’s hand-made desk. Very appropriate for an historical author, wouldn’t you say?

Desk made by a great uncle many years ago.
(Sans all its clutter...)

My grandmother's treadle sewing machine
(Also blessedly clutter-free)

Eventually, I stopped using that corner to write. I bought a laptop and moved to a nice, comfy recliner in the den. Three laptops later, I’m still happily writing from my love seat recliner.

And the little corner where my grandmother’s desk and sewing machine sat? All the old “stuff” was still tucked inside the drawers, the old computer forgotten, boxes stacked on the foot peddle. More boxes and books got stacked on top. Eventually, it was easier to ignore the mess than to try to go through it.

Sigh.

I’ve watched a few episodes of hoarders, but it’s never dawned on me that I have my own hoarder tendencies. Books and papers seem to be my Achille’s heel. However, the advent of ebooks has helped cut this problem for me in recent years. The scenario used to go something like this…

I’d attend a conference where there were free books from sponsors, a book store, or even ICRS where publishers gave away signed copies of their authors’ latest. I couldn’t resist. My suitcase would be full of books. I’ve even been known to ship boxes of books home from conferences.

But that box would likely get stacked on top of the last box of books I brought home. Or stacked in front of another box. Which was stacked on top of the rejections from publishers and agents. Which was in front of the contest entries and score sheets from oh… 2007. Which hid the Faith Hope & Love newsletters from 1998-2001, of which I was editor. To be honest, they were some really beautiful and artistic newsletters and a labor of love, so I’ll be keeping those.

Somebody's Clutter...Ahem

Anyway, you get my point. You don’t have to be a hard-core hoarder for things to just pile up. Because it’s easier to shove something in front of it, and shut the door.

Don’t shut the door. Put in some bright new light bulbs and shine a light on the clutter and get rid of it now.

We’re readers and writers, so our homes are easily overrun with books, papers, and electronics. And, for those of us who work from home and/or run multiple family businesses, the mountains of paper multiplies ten-fold. It’s no longer just racks and racks of clothes, old TVs, and worn out shoes that we couldn't bear to part with. It’s boxes and boxes of tax records and receipts.

Overwhelmed with the idea of taking back your space? Here are some ideas to get you started…

Electronics - New computer this year? Wipe the hard drive on your old one and either sell it or donate it. Don’t just stick it in the back room, thinking you’ll use it later. Do the same with the old TV, DVD player, cell phone, etc. And what about all those chargers that no longer fit anything? Ay yi yi!!!! If it still works, take it to Goodwill. Do it NOW. When Christmas is over, and you received that new Kindle, iPad or computer, don’t shove the old one in the back room. Get rid of it! If you don't, ten years from now, you’ll regret it.

Old books - This is really hard for me. I have thousands of books. Books that the libraries don’t even want. I even have a box of books that I loaned to the library in 1998 and when they finished with them, they asked if I wanted them back. I couldn’t bear to see them destroyed. But look how many times Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers was checked out while on loan to the library. Makes my heart glad.

Books that are signed and personalized are probably ones you’ll want to keep. Once you decide which books you will keep and which ones you can part with, here are 10 Ideas on where to donate used books.

Tax Returns and Receipts - Yes, you can scan old receipts. I haven’t gone that route. Instead, I keep my old tax receipts in boxes and rotate the oldest out every year. Come to think of it, I’m behind on that. When I finally do clear out old tax records, I do like to keep my tax returns, just not all the receipts and statements.

“Keep records for 3 years from the date you filed your original return or 2 years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later if you file a claim for credit or refund after you file your return. Keep records for 7 years if you file a claim for a loss from worthless securities or bad debt deduction.” - IRS.gov

Junk Mail - Do you receive a lot of junk mail? Discard it immediately. Even better, chunk it before it gets inside your home.

And, I'll let you in on a little secret. It's so much easier to concentrate on writing (or just reading!) when your space is free of clutter. Or at least I find this true.

Do you find that you're less stressed in a clutter-free environment? How do you deal with clutter every day so that you don’t one day wake up and realize you’re drowning in stuff? What’s your Achilles Heel when it comes to clutter?

Throw your name in the comments for a chance to win a Grab Bag of clut...uh...BOOKS!

Here's Wishing Each and Everyone a
Merry Christmas
and a Happy (Clutter-free) New Year!

www.pamhillman.com