Finished reading Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding (2nd edition, ©2014) by Tolin, Frost, and Steketee. A statement on page 45 made me laugh out loud because it so accurately describes my response to little bits of string, cardboard, or plastic packaging materials:

People with hoarding often run into trouble because of their intelligence and creativity. One way this occurs is when the person engages in over-creativity – the tendency to think of more and more uses for an object.

The passage goes on to describe a hypothetical situation with cardboard toilet tissue tubes! Yes, I periodically begin to compulsively save cardboard tubes because of their potential uses in diorama projects. Sometimes, when the clutter is particularly bad and I can’t find the box in which I’m collecting tubes, I simply pitch them into the room, intending to put them in the appropriate place when I get around to clearing the room.

Eventually I go on a cleaning binge and discard all the tubes. They burn really well in the fireplace… altho’ that is another potential reason to hoard them. Currently, however, I do not have any cardboard tubes stashed anywhere… altho’ yesterday I was tempted by an even more desirable paper towel roll tube!

Other than the quote above, I did not find Buried in Treasures to be particularly helpful or enlightening. Of course, being the third book I’ve read in the past few days on the same topic, it was unlikely that I would discover anything particularly new. Buried in Treasures takes a “workbook” approach to the process. To me, it seems like the book itself could be distracting, as it is filled with forms to fill out, surveys to take, and “experiments” to complete. The process as outlined in this book calls for quite a bit of writing. It’s an excellent book for people who like to procrastinate. There was a time when I would have happily immersed myself in the surveys and introspective writing exercises. At this point, I’m looking for insight into the psychological aspects of being attached to “sentimental” items, for practical tips on cutting ties with things and getting rid of stuff, and for motivation and “pep talks” to keep me rolling.

I have taken at least three filled trash cans out to the big trash can since starting to read these decluttering books, and I’m putting items to try to sell on eBay into a couple of clearly marked tubs. I am going through my boxes and tubs again, sorting things a bit better, and trying to thin things out. It’s slow going, and I still hang on to too much stuff. I also cleared away more outdoor clutter, like piles of yard debris and some broken tools and containers. I have some areas in mind on which I’d like to focus my attention next.

Additionally, having completely read three two-hundred page books, I think I have read more books in the past week than I read in all of last year! And I didn’t buy any of them!

We took some containers to a rental storage facility today. This will be a temporary situation, for no more than three or four months, in an effort to get the house cleaned up and listed for sale. Of my containers, I only took boxes of books today. I had thinned my book stash pretty thoroughly last summer, or so I thought. I still had seven tubs of books. I’m sure I could thin them out a bit more. I will do so before we actually move, if, indeed, we are able to sell the house.

I did not run today, but I got plenty of exercise moving boxes and tubs, plus cutting up a considerable pile of yard debris.