Do you have a serious problem with clutter and disorganization?

The professional organizers we interviewed suggest asking yourself these questions and providing answers on a scale of 1 (perfectly organized) to 10 (overwhelming clutter). If your responses tend to be (5) or higher, you have a problem.

1. Does the amount of clutter in your home, car or office seem overwhelming?
2. Do your de-cluttering and re-organizing efforts repeatedly relapse into disorder?
3. Are you ashamed when visitors come to your house?
4. Do you refuse to let visitors inside your house?
5. Do you own multiple copies of the same item — nail scissors, charging cords, a specific book, flashlights — because you couldn’t locate the original item when you needed it?
6. Do you keep something that’s broken because you intend to repair it someday?
7. Do your closet and dresser include clothing more than 10 years old (OK, fine, we’ll make exceptions for a few vintage and costume pieces).
8. Do your family and friends express concern about disorder in your home?
9. Is it hard for you to pare down your things because they might be useful someday?
10. Do you save appliance boxes, fast-food boxes and other things that most people automatically throw out?
11. Does your concern about saving food for an emergency result in a larder could easily feed everyone on the block?
12. Do you tend to get distracted during chores, shifting from one task to another before the first job is finished?