Celebrate Pack-Rat Day: Ideas to Get Organized on May Holiday

Let's be realistic: Many of us have a tendency to put things away, hoping or planning possibly one day to use the item again or even for the first time. No matter what you call it - being a clutter bug, collector or slob - this is actually having a pack-rat mentality.

Although there is no known creator or origin of this holiday, May 17 has been set aside to observe Pack Rat Day. And while this idea may seem frivolous to some, it may be a relief to others. Take Fred Sanford from the hit television show Sanford and Son, to many he may have been considered a junk man, but to him he was sitting on a gold mine of specialty items.

Sad but true, we're all guilty of it. We stash things away and use the excuse "we'll get to it later", or "I may need that at some point in time", or even "someone may need it" - so on and so forth. Our homes, cars, offices, closets, beds, garages, attics are just some places we pack rat. Mail, clothes, pictures, appliances, old tools, and other treasures are just a few of the items we clutter into places.

People who are organized are sometimes called neat freaks, anal retentive and even obsessive-compulsive. These folks feel if their surroundings are unorganized then their lives are unorganized. When they are unable to find things easily they can quickly become completely overwhelmed! When a neat freak and pack rat live in the same environ or home, this is a situation ripe for anxiety, anger and misunderstanding.

The two different personality types need to learn to communicate about how it feels to live in an unorganized - or an over organized environment - and come to an agreement on the level of orderliness or disorderliness. The remaining part of this article is going to talk to the Pack Rat and provide some ideas about how they can become less of a hoarder and keep their agreement with the neat freak.