HELP!! I just returned from my national organization’s annual conference in Baltimore, I have no food in the house, I have a ton of laundry to do, and I can’t see my office floor, or even walk into my office for that matter. Doesn’t that sound funny coming from a Professional Organizer? I am a Professional Organizer, and I am feeling so overwhelmed right now that I want to hire one of me to help me organize my clutter.
Before I go on with my story, some of you may not know what our national organization is and what a Professional Organizer can do for you. The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) was founded over 25 years ago and is a group of more than 4,000 Professional Organizers committed to helping individuals and businesses bring order and efficiency to their lives. NAPO’s mission is to develop, lead, and promote Professional Organizers and the organizing industry.
So, with that being said, I now had to tackle my office, my laundry, and my empty refrigerator. I am going to fast forward in my story (laundry is under control and food is in the refrigerator) to talk about my incredibly messy office. Since I really didn’t want to trip and hurt myself, I decided to follow my own 5 basic steps to get things under control.
- I sorted everything I had thrown all over my desk and the floor, putting like with like. For those of you who have been to conferences, you know how many goodies you bring home with you.
- I purged what I knew I didn’t need or wasn’t ever going to use. Okay, things are looking a little better. I don’t seem to have as much as I did when I got started.
- I containerized my new workshop materials and products. After sorting and purging, I knew what I needed to house everything. I did not have to buy anything new since I already had containers from one of my other de-cluttering and organizing projects.
- I found a home in my office for my new items. I am even ready to start using some of them immediately.
- I was also able to maintain my original system. I knew of homes that I already had for materials and products from other events. Already having homes means I was placing the things where they should be, thereby, maintaining my existing system.
I set aside time in my schedule to organize, and I made sure that I followed my own advice of setting SMART goals (specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and timely). I did not bite off more than I could chew, meaning I didn’t start cleaning out a file drawer that had nothing to do with organizing my conference materials. And, guess what! I also had fun. I can now begin my week organized and ready to go.
I won my clutter battle, and so can you! As you can see, even Professional Organizers have the challenge of staying organized. As I say to my clients, I go to the gym and attend classes so an instructor, my Accountability Partner, can help me exercise for a certain amount of time. Left to my own devices, I would probably lift weights for 10 minutes, get bored, and leave.
I can be your Accountability Partner. By working with you one-on-one, I can keep you motivated and on track. I help you decide what to keep and what not to keep and develop systems and strategies for you that are easy to maintain. All this is done without judgment because my hope is for you to be organized so that you have the time to do the things you want to do and not feel stressed or overwhelmed by your clutter. Another outcome of being organized is that you will also save money and time by knowing what you have and where things are.
And the best part about this is that we can have FUN!!!
P.S. If you look to the right of this picture, you will see that Takoda, my cat, also wants to see what new products I brought home with me.
Ready Set Go from Bedlam to Brilliance!
BB’s Clutter Solutions is located in Cherry Hill, NJ and serves New Jersey (north and south), Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania suburbs, and New York City. Contact information: www.bb-clutter-solutions.com, info@bb-clutter-solutions.com, 856-912-0077.
