One of the most insidious productivity killers when trying to pack is getting caught up in the sentimental memories of a given school book report, or love letter. I know it sounds funny, but it happens to the best of us. You’re on a good roll, throwing out stuff left and right, and packing up a storm… and all of a sudden you find your old high school yearbook. You can’t resist opening it. You see names and faces that you had long since forgotten about. Next thing you know, you’re sitting Indian style on the floor and going through a dusty box of photos. You laugh, you cry…. And two hours of moving time has effectively gone down the drain !
Going through stuff requires a special type of ruthless discipline. You have to continually remind yourself of the task at hand. You have to sort through old letters, quickly determine their meaning, then put them where they belong, whether it’s in the waste basket, recycling bin, or shoebox. Just as we’re all packrats, in a similar way we’re all vulnerable to getting caught in the grip of nostalgia. Never linger too long on any one item during a move. Keep your progress moving forwards at all times. You can make rules for yourself that can be effective in keeping “memory lane” at bay. Here’s a good one for you: when packing and organizing your belongings never hold onto anything longer than 15 seconds, and if you have an old notebook in your hands, don’t open it up. Assume it’s valuable, and pack it somewhere safe. There. You’ve just saved yourself two hours !