When I work with my clients to organize, I am always thinking about how I can help them learn this skill and make it a natural part of their day-to-day living. Because I am well aware of all the stress these days, I truly want to help people transform their space, so they, too, can have some peace in their lives. There are many things in life we cannot control, but clutter, for one, is something we can learn to control. Some people instinctively know how to organize, and some have to be taught.
I would like to share this story of how organizational skills can be learned. One project with one of my clients was to organize her scrapbooking room. When we started the project, we could barely get in to the room without stepping on something. In 3 short hours, we got the room organized. Later that day, she emailed me to say that another consultant contacted her, asking if she had a particular item in her inventory. Guess what – not only did my client have the item, but she was able to walk straight up to her closet and find it right away, without having to dig her way in. Talk about saving time and reducing stress! She thanked me for keeping her motivated to get control over her clutter. I just love knowing that I was able to make a difference in someone’s life that day.
That particular night, my client wanted her daughter, who is in elementary school, to pick one project in her room to organize. They decided on the clothes closet. My client told her daughter that the she was able to get her scrapbooking room in order because she had a Professional Organizer come over and keep her focused. She also told her daughter that this is my job, and she pays me to help her. My client wanted to do the same for her daughter, so she could feel a sense of accomplishment. Her daughter paused, looked at her, and asked, “Do I have to pay you?” (Out of the mouths of babes.) They followed the steps that we had done earlier in the day, and the whole closet was done in about 45 minutes. Not only was it organized, but they had several items to donate.
Of course, I was intrigued with how the payment situation was handled. The answer to my question was that her daughter could pay her in snuggles. Her reward was snuggle time in bed with her mother, while talking about her day and her Halloween costume plans.
Here is the perfect story about how you can teach children to organize. What stories do you have to share? We would love to hear them.
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.
