10 Things I Have Learned About Organizing As a Professional Organizer
1.
No client
or space is the same. My clients come to
me for different reasons and each of their cases is different. No house is the same, so no space is the
same.
2.
Clutter attracts clutter. Many of my clients have a space that just
seems to accumulate stuff and clutter.
The reason is because that specific space does not have a specific use
so it just attracts clutter that does not have a home.
3.
Lack of time management causes clutter. It is very difficult to control the amount of
clutter when one lacks the ability to manage time. Without scheduling time to do tasks, things
get out of control and clutter piles up.
4.
The inability to make a decision causes clutter. I have clients who have a very difficult time
making decisions when it comes to what to do with specific items. This causes nothing to be done with the item
and clutter again, accumulates. The same
can be said for paper and emails.
5.
Shopaholics are usually trying to replace
something in their lives they are missing and clutter is the end result. I have many clients with unopened boxes from
Amazon, QVC and various other stores.
Once the items are purchased, the “high” from purchasing is gone and when
it arrives there is really no interest in it.
6.
A space gets messier before it gets better
during the organizing process. For many
clients, the process of organizing is very stressful and they become very
anxious when their items are spread out and many of them visible for the first
time. It gets worse before it gets
better is a very true statement in organizing.
7.
Frequent purging is the key to maintaining the
space and conquering the clutter. The
best way to keep all the clutter from coming back is to purge often. Some clients do well with 1 new item in, one
out. This is especially true when it
comes to clothes.
8.
Having countless containers does not make you
organized. A system is needed and most
often a behavioral change is needed to be organized. It takes time and effort to accomplish the
organized space.
9.
Paper
needs to be tackled consistently or it will get out of hand quite quickly. The trash can, recycle bin and a shredder
should be your friend when it comes to bringing paper in your home. When you have your mail, try to eliminate
what can be tossed or shredded before you bring it in your home.
10.
To do lists will never be accomplished unless
they are scheduled. In order to get that
infamous to do list complete, you will need to put it on your calendar just
like a doctor’s appointment.