“I didn’t have to get rid of everything.”
When people reach out to us, they often perceive that as organizers we are going to:
- Think that theirs is the worst space we’ve ever seen.
- Think that we are going to ask them to get rid off everything.
Thank goodness neither is true!
Lori began work with us, as most people do, with a Strategy and Planning Session.
During a Strategy & Planning Session, we ask a lot of questions to understand how you are using your space and interacting with your possessions and your time. We also walk around with you and look at what is going on. It’s easier to for us to understand clearly when you do not ‘clean up’ or use your space differently than normal. We make suggestions as we go and leave you with next steps to take to move your project forward.
Back to Lori’s story, when she called she would have people over for her business but only to her kitchen table. If she needed additional materials, she would need to go to her office and then come back.
Some people, who she was already comfortable with, she would allow in her office.
Lori had the same habits for 30 years. There were times that she started organizing projects but didn’t not complete them or follow through. She even had the same label maker as, Amy Onorato, her organizer! Things had piled up. In places there were parts of systems but not a whole system. And, she had too much stuff.
“I wasn’t using my space for its purpose. Little by little I learned the purpose, decision-making and then execution to organize & label. It’s wonderful! I discovered that I like see-through containers. Now, I have ones that I like!”
Since she began working with Amy, Lori has more space in her house and her brain. She is excited to share her home with her clients and friends. And, her organizing project has opened up opportunities for her business.
We asked her what the three biggest improvements she experienced were, she said,
1 – “I feel like I have been chipped away. Things that have been holding me down, the stuff and clutter, the guilt of stuff and clutter, the feeling of having both the power and the confidence to let go.
2 – I am confident and I am WHOLE without all this stuff. I was able to let go of the PTA things and still remain me. It represented who I am but I am still that person without it.
3- Physically – It’s easier to find stuff – it is empowering to say, ‘I know where that is, let me grab it.’ “
Lori has lots of stories from her journey. A few really stood out. I think you will relate to this one (and maybe giggle in the process.)
The Water Bottle Collection
Lori is a cyclist and very athletic. At the events she attends, she had collected many water bottles. So many that she was able to fill two large boxes. She was very proud of her collection and thought that Amy, her organizer, would be impressed.
“We had been working together for a little while when I showed Amy my water bottle collection. I thought she would be impressed. The look on her face was not the enthusiastic, joyful response I expected.”
“I thought at the beginning I would never part with any of my water bottles. But, we ended up working together to purge half of the bottles and I feel great about it!”
We are unlikely to be as enthusiastic about your things as you are J But, we will never, ever judge you. Our goal 100% of the time is to help you determine what feels right to you in your space and in your life. If Lori had keep all the water bottles, and that felt right, that would have been ok, too.
An opportunity to learn about yourself
If you would like to discuss the challenges you are facing and see how organizing services could help, schedule a Getting Acquainted Call. You will spend up to 30 minutes with me sharing what is working, what is not and determining your path forward.
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