The more I over-commit myself and take on too many things the more I seem to procrastinate. Making myself get things done lately is like pulling teeth, even though I like some of the things I am doing. But today, after reading Leo Babauta’s post “The Do Plan, or Why We Know But Don’t Do,” it’s time to stop letting myself avoid and start doing.

Today I finished “expertly” shoving all of my belongings into the back of the car (I pride myself in being an expert at car-Tetris). While packing I realized I am incredibly thankful this is my senior year, mostly because I am so tired of packing and unpacking two, almost three, times a year. It’s exhausting. I find myself incredibly tempted to pick one suitcase and my backpack and say forget it to the rest. Unfortunately that would be mean I would have very little to wear and my roommates and I would be eating cold food off the counter.

The good news is that with my moving comes more time for blogging and more ideas. I have a busy year ahead of me, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

First on my list (other than unpacking) is decorating my dorm. I can’t wait to share my new ideas.

One of the most annoying things is spam email and junk mail. I can’t stand the constant influx of spam email from things I have never signed up for and sometimes even heard of. While procrastinating today I emptied my spam box, but instead of hitting delete all like I usually do, I went through and unsubscribed to each one.

I felt so good after clearing it all out that I realized it was time to do the same for our mailbox at home. Most days there is no actual real mail, just a bunch of catalogs and other junk that we take straight from the mailbox to the recycling bin. On average, people receive 41 pounds of unwanted or “junk” mail every year, and 44 percent of that goes unopened (http://www.41pounds.org/impact/).

On the back of every catalog is a number to call if you no longer wish to receive it. If you already have an online account with the company there is often a box online that you can uncheck to stop receiving their mailings.

It may take a few phone calls, but I am tired of having all the clutter and junk, not to mention the enormous amount of waste.

For tips and steps on how to get started, go to Better Paper.

As move-in day gets closer and closer for me all I think about and dream about is moving in. I have nightmares that my place isn’t ready, I forget to pack the most important things, or other moving catastrophes happen. Even though students on the semester system have already moved in, quarter system students and countless other people will be moving soon, especially if you are in your 20’s where there is a 1 in 3 chance you will move this year.

Tips and tricks for moving:

1. Get your friends to help you move.

Whether you barter your own time and help when it’s time for your friend to move, bribe with food (or other shiny things), or give away the things you weren’t planning on moving anyways, it should not be too hard to find a few willing people to help. (I also recommend getting family to help, they typically feel obligated and do not require as much begging and bribing.)

2. Pack all of your stuff in advance.

I once helped family friend’s move out of their house and into their new place in a hurry. They had found out the day before that their home had sold and they had until the next day to move into their new home. We were shoving items into cars and taking armfuls of things at a time. Not only was the move ridiculously stressful, once they got to their new place they faced the frustration of not knowing where anything was and having it all jumbled into a huge mess. Avoid the disaster of last minute packing  (or should I say shoving) and start packing at least a week before you move. I recommend packing a few boxes every day for a few weeks before you move.

3. Pack according to where items need to end up.

Group objects from the same location together to make unpacking that much easier (for example put your stuff for your kitchen in the same boxes and do not mix them with things from your living room or bedroom).

4. Label your boxes.

At a bare minimum put the general locations of where they need to go on the outside (bedroom, kitchen, ect.). It would be even better if you could put what is in the box as well as where it needs to go so you do not have to dig through every box to find what you are looking for. If you are incredibly organized you can give specific directions for each box so it can be placed and unpacked easily by anyone. For example say what is in the box and exactly where it should go (bookshelf by the door, cabinet under the sink, ect.).

5. Pack the car or truck according to where things will end up.

In my new place I have to walk up a flight of outdoor stairs to the front door and my room is up another flight of stairs inside. I am putting all of the boxes that go to my room in the car last because I know that I will not want to drag all of those items up both flights of stairs at the end of the day. I am going to instead move them when I have the most energy and I’m not completely irritated with moving yet. It also makes it easier to get things out of the car quickly because numerous things will go to the same location at once and there will not be wasted time trying to figure out where each box should go.

6. Downsize!

Get rid of all of the items you don’t really need. It’s not worth it to lug around extraneous items from move to move for the next few years until it ends up shoved in a garage or closet somewhere for the next 10 years. Do your future self and your friends’ backs a favor, sell or donate unnecessary items.

7. Never buy boxes.

Why waste money on something that is so easy to get for free? Boxes at moving and home improvement stores are incredibly expensive, especially because you can save boxes or get them for free from stores around you. You would also be reusing a valuable resource.

As the last few weeks of school are coming to an end I am starting to face the inevitable. I have to pack.

I do not know how it happens. Somehow between the time I moved in and now all of my things have multiplied. I did not notice how much more stuff I have since the last time I had to pack it all up in September.

As my roommate and I stared at all of our stuff last night wondering how we were ever going to fit it all in our cars or storage, I began to realize that this is a common problem. I know not everyone is moving out right now, but as college students across the country stare at all of their belongings in fear of packing them, I thought maybe we could all use a little advice so none of us end up like this:

Ways to pack with less stress:

1. Start by asking yourself if you still need the item. If you do not, you can donate or sell the item (which means less to put into boxes and carry, yay!).

2. Pack a section or a few things at a time. It’s easy to get burned out when packing. If you know when you have to move out, you can plan ahead and just pack a section a day at a time. I find that when I do this my stuff is better organized, I am able to fit more into the limited space in my car as well as the boxes. I also remember where things are better a few months later when I’m moving in again.

3. Label boxes and items. I know it seems unnecessary at the time, but when you are loading up the car it’s nice to know exactly what’s in the box so it can be safely packed. It also makes unpacking a great deal easier.

4. For college students, open your door and talk to people while you pack. One of the nice things about dorms is that everyone is going through the same things you are. I had a great time moving out with everyone on my floor last year, and it’s a nice way to have one last time together before everyone leaves for the summer.

5. Plan ahead. No matter what else you do, if you keep when you need to be packed by in mind and you don’t leave everything for last minute, you will be less stressed and your packing and unpacking will be much smoother.

Tips to decreasing waste when moving:

College campuses are especially notorious for creating enormous amounts of waste when students move out. Carpets, furniture, and other items are just tossed into dumpsters so they do not have to be moved.

If you are a college student, or anyone else, who just cannot take an item with them even though it’s still in good condition, donate or sell it. Many places will pick up the item, or you can drop it off before you have packed your car.

For Santa Clara students, every dorm will have a location to drop off small and large items to donate, e-waste, used carpets, and things that actually need to go to the trash. The carpets, depending on what shape they are in, are recycled or reused. This diverts a great deal of unnecessary waste from landfills. For more information about where these services are located near your dorm, go here.

Before you move, (college students and everyone else) check out the services available to you to be sure that you can recycle and reuse as many things as possible.