Where do I start with organizing?

Organizing isn’t pretty boxes or bins.  It isn’t fancy organizing products or systems. Being organized is finding your stuff when you need it.  One of my first questions to a new client is:  “What does being organized look like for you?”  And I’m not talking about the Container Store or Pottery Barn catalog – both great things! – but that’s not a vision; those are products.  Is being organized a launching/landing pad that gets you in and out of your space with minimal stress and time?  Will an organized a closet and wardrobe make it quick and easy for you to choose an outfit that makes you look and feel great?  Is being organized feeling less stressed by tasks and projects and in better control of your time and space?  What’s your vision for organizing?

How do I implement my organizing vision?

As a professional organizer, I help clients articulate and create a vision for organizing.  Often when a client has lived with a level of disorganization for a period of time, they are unable to envision a solution or “see the forest through the trees”.  Once I understand what a client is trying to accomplish, we can work together to create a plan to manifest that vision.  Effective, intuitive organizing starts with a vision, not a process.  Any good project starts with the “why” and not the “how”.   The saying is “10 minutes of planning is worth 60 minutes of work” – and it is very helpful when thinking about organizing.  Clients often want to jump into a certain project without working out an overall plan but that can lead to more frustration.  So, how do you create your vision for organizing?  To create a vision for organizing, ask “what’s my greatest challenge”?  What area(s), when organized, would have the greatest impact on my everyday life to reduce my stress and improve day to day functioning?  Pick the most impactful place(s) and prioritize from there.   Priorities often shift once organizing starts and plans need to be flexible enough to accommodate changing needs.