Picture This
You need to run out the door for an urgent Thing that starts in 20 minutes.
Where are your shoes? Not those shoes, the other ones! You need the receipt for that Thing you need to return while you are out. It might be in the paper pile in the kitchen, or it might be in your wallet. Where's your wallet? Your dog might get into the groceries sitting on the counter and that half-eaten sandwich your kid left on the side table. You shove the still-bagged groceries into the pantry, toss the sandwich, and leave the dirty dishes on the counter. Your keys are somewhere, too. And don't forget your phone. Where did you put that down last? You're going to be late!
Feeling the stress yet? And this stress has nothing to do with the urgent Thing you are leaving to do!
What if, instead, everyThing you need is all lined up for you to grab on your way out the door - right where they always live? You don't have to look for anything or even think about it! That receipt is already in your wallet, and the Thing to return is waiting for you in your car. You even have time to change your clothes if you want to. It's so much less stressful!
To Organize is to Prepare
According to the Oxford English Dictionary:
or·gan·ize /ˈôrɡəˌnīz/ 1. arrange into a structured whole; order. 2. make arrangements or preparations for (an event or activity); coordinate.
The first definition is the one that most commonly comes to mind for most people. You take a bunch of Things; you arrange the Things into an order. Done.
The second definition is much more valuable to me. Organizing is PREPARATION.
Yes. Preparation.
Organizing prepares your environment so it will be as easy as possible the next time you want to do or find a Thing.
My ultimate goal when working with clients is to help you create an environment where Things work for you to make life as easy as possible.
Organizing Things in your space makes doing almost any everyday task easier by eliminating unnecessary steps and complexity.
Prep Reduces Stress
When everyThing in your space has its own home, you know where to find it. You know exactly where it goes. You put the Thing there, and there it's the next time you or someone else needs it. It is easy to put Things in their home because the space is made for them. Each Thing lives with similar Things, or Things that you use at the same time.
Taking care of a Thing now makes it easy and accessible to find and use next time you need it. You save your future self time, effort, and stress. And, the easiest way to ensure you take care of the Thing now is to establish the right home for each Thing and the right strategies for its use.
Great in Theory. Hard in Practice.
As lovely and as easy as all of that sounds, the reality is not so easy.
Clutter and disorganization create a kind of slippery slope that derails preparation. A Thing gets picked up, used, and put down somewhere else. The Thing that used to live in that space has now been displaced or crowded. You can't find that Thing you need, so you buy another one. Now that Thing needs a space.
And so it goes until it feels like you are working for your Things rather than your Things are working for you.
Take the First Step!
A professional organizer can help you regain your footing.
A professional organizer helps you create structures and systems for a more effective and efficient space by listening to your needs, evaluating your space, and following a structured process.
The result is a more usable, manageable space, less stress, and more control over your Things and your time.
Contact me now and let's get started!
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