Hello, my name is Bonnie and I've been a pack rat my entire life.

This post shouldn't surprise you, as I spend a lot of time moaning about how much stuff I have on my plate. Only this time, it's actual stuff I'm whining about.

Where does all of this crap come from? And how do I let it accumulate to a point where there's so much of it, it's easier to just stop using a room than deal with any of it? Le sigh.

Well, I started doing something a little freaky yesterday. I threw some stuff out. Just a few things here and there, mind you. Tossed some expired take-out coupons from the kitchen shelf into the recycling bin. Put some shoes into the cupboard. Started a donation bag for the stuff too good to toss out.

Sure, they're baby steps, but Rome wasn't built in a day. And I'm sure it didn't get all piled up with crap in a day either. No, that was Pompeii.

I can't blame the state of my home on a natural disaster. It's all about my inability to let things go. And, even though the decluttering guru Peter Walsh has another book out on how to deal with clutter, I'm not going to buy it. Why? Because I can't find where I put his last one -- and I even had him sign it for me. ;)

One rule for dealing with the clutter mayhem that seems to be working for me so far is keeping it small. One shelf or one drawer, not both. One bag of stuff, not the whole room full of them.

The thing is, I know this clutter prevents me from writing. It's my built-in procrastination station. When I don't feel like doing an interview, I go through the stack of magazines. Or if I don't want to proof an article just yet, I can organize my gift bag collection.

Acknowledging the problem is half the battle, right?

Good, now I have to clear off all the crap on the coffee table. Or maybe just half of it. ;)

Labels: blahs, goals, skills