I've been getting into cleaning, and my parents recommended a book called "Clutter's Last Stand" by Don Aslett. It's about getting rid of junk and things you hold on to, you know, the saying, "Oh, one day it will come in handy, so I'd better keep it." At least, that's what I always say when I see something I never use, but knowing maybe one day I will have a use for it. So I keep it, and the junk keeps piling on.
It talks about how to get rid of those things holding you down and finally let go of them, for a better, cleaner, and freer life.
They have their own exam that you can take inside the book. Even though it's for adults who actually own houses and have kids, I took the exam for myself, just curious to see what I would score. There were 48 questions in total, and you could circle one of the three answers. Whatever answer you circle, there would be a number next to it. Either 1,2,3, or 5. So you would write the number down in a column, and you go through all the questions. Then add up all the numbers and write down your total.
If you got 0-100 points, this is what it says you are:
A TERMINAL CASE...
Therapy or a massive transplant might help, but maybe you should just give up.
If you got 100-150 points, this is what it says you are:
THE END IS NEAR...
You're in trouble. Read "Clutter's Last Stand" three times, gird your loins, and start de-junking ruthlessly. You might possibly survive your junk.
If you got 150-175 points, this is what it says you are:
YOU'RE ON THE BRINK...
If you start to de-junk today, you can make it. Read "Clutter's Last Stand" and commit yourself to do it.
If you got 175-225 points, this is what it says you are:
THERE IS HOPE...
If you can clean up/come to terms with those few problem areas, clutter won't have a chance to spread.
If you got 225-240 points, this is what it says you are:
YOU ARE PURE...
Read "Clutter's Last Stand" to perfect yourself and then pass it on to a junkee friend or relative.
So you can see that this book is sorta a comedy, but it can truly help you through a lot. Do you want to guess what I scored as? Well, I added up all my points and got a total of 183. So that puts me at the "THERE IS HOPE" spot.
One thing I really like about this book, after reading the first chapter, is all the graphics. There are a lot of cartoon drawings inside. Showing how terrible it is as a family to keep all your junk and things you don't need. It keeps your attention and makes you want to read the book more.
