Am I a Hoarder?
For years I have being living life and buying things here and there because I needed or wanted something and the next thing I know it seems that all the space I have is full and now things are stacking up.
And in getting a roommate and having a parent pass away and now there is even more stuff.
Where did all these things (toys, photos, Halloween costumes, Christmas decorations, arts & crafts, clothes, tools, and so many more items) come from?
Most of the items came from living one day at a time, and having a specific need or want tied to that moment or current passion.
Related Video – Am I a Hoarder? & Why do I have so much Stuff?
One example that stands out is when I got certified for scuba diving. I live in Florida and loved the idea of going diving. So I bought the mask, fins, weights, a bag to carry everything and got my scuba certification.
I also got a double ear infection during my final test (that lasted 2-4 weeks) and always had issues getting my ears to pop, that I have never gone scuba diving again and don’t see it in my future. Snorkel, yes but scuba no.
So why do I have my scuba gear 18 years later?
Why didn’t I just move it on when I knew I would not scuba again?
I am not 100% sure, but most likely I kept it just in case I ever decide to try it again and I wasn’t sure how to best to get rid of the equipment I didn’t want to keep.
So the scuba items, sit in the garage with a lacrosse stick from the 90s, a skateboard from the 70s, rollerblades and few other sports related items; all waiting to be used and all get moved around in my garage when I do my major cleaning and reorganization i the spring and fall.
The collection of random sports items didn’t just appear overnight but was acquired slowly over time. And then all at once, you notice that you have a lot of stuff and it seems overwhelming. For me that point was when I had to bring my thing and some of my dad’s things back to my home and things started to pile up quickly.
I started to wonder, “Am I a Hoarder?”
There were some many items that were personal and I was persistently challenged with discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value.
My list as to why I was keeping something included:
• Opportunity – I could use this in the future
• Personal memory, family heirloom – Emotional Ties
• It could be worth something
• I don’t know what it is, but it might be part of a larger project – If I toss it, I might toss something important
• One of my other siblings might want it
• I don’t know how to recycle it, but don’t want it in a landfill
• It’s collectible
• This item is cool or interesting
• I’ve always wanted one of these and now I have it
And the list goes on.
But at some point something has to give and you realize that you can not curate everything you have accumulated in your life and other’s lives. You can not clutter parts of your home with boxes and boxes of things until the home becomes unusable. You must make a change and just like losing weight the decision, must be the person who owns the items.
While I have never filled my home with enough stuff to clutter walkways or make rooms unasable. I may have some hoarder tendencies to keep items, but I am not a hoarder, but my dad kind of was so I am making changes to live with less.
This site (Super-Seek) / blog is going to be about a lot of topics on clutter, organization, deal with the stuff left behind from a parent or relative and how to develop a process that works for you. One fact I can share is that avoiding dealing with clutter after someone passes is worse that dealing with items and things when they are alive as you can ask them what things are!
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