Today, I was helping an 87yr old client, Henry* who had finally decided after 20yrs that it was time to go through his late Mother’s bedroom and get it organized.This was the last room in the apartment that we had to work on, it was the worst and had boxes of stuff everywhere. I have been helping him for the past two years and we built a nice friendship and he knew that I would respect his Mothers possessions and that we would talk and remember the past and her life. As we sorted through everything, we were amazed at all the stuff we found, a lot of it was junk and some of the clothing was so thread bare it fell to pieces. We looked at photos, each having a story, there was jewelry that were gifts from him and his dad and there were documents we put aside for another day. We found a box in the closet with Henry’s name on it, he had moved in with his mother when she became ill , and he must have forgotten this box. We found original LP’s of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong and lots of Big Band Classics, he was delighted with the find. I now have to go buy a record player for him and we have set a date to  get together for a drink and listen to some great music.

Why am I telling this story, there are two reasons; One is sharing what I do as a Professional Organizer and why I am so passionate about it, I get to meet great people of all ages and backgrounds hear their stories and share their memories. The second is, to ask the question; Why do we keep stuff? we can’t take it with us and it is painful and sad for those that are left behind to have to go through it all and try and figure out what to do with it. It took Henry 20yrs and he had to wait until the time was right and to get the help to work on the room.

If you have a lot of Stuff that you don’t want to throw away, as it has sentimental meaning. I love the idea of a Memory Box and if you have things you will want to pass on to family members then create a box for each of them. It can be a family project where everyone can get involved or you can keep it a secret until you are ready to pass it on. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it can be a plastic tote with a name on it or a cardboard box that you decorate. I feel that this has more of a sentimental value.  It is also a lot easier on the person who has to sort everything out after you are gone.

In my before and after pictures you will see the before pictures, I will update to show the after when we are finished, we still have a lot of work  to do!

*name changed 

Disorganization: Disorder, Confusion, Chaos, Disarray and Mess

Stress: Physical, mental or emotional strain or tension

These two words go hand in hand in most circumstances, why I say most is that I know some disorganized people, but it depends on where they are disorganized, I have friends whom I deem disorganized in areas of their homes, yet they seem to go through their daily activities without any stress. I suppose it depends on what their stress triggers are!

As a general rule, where there is Disorganization there is Stress

I will use my son Daniel as an example:

Daniel is a first year university student; he lives at home which should be easier for him as he doesn’t have to worry about cooking or laundry etc.

He was extremely disorganized in every aspect of his daily life, his bedroom was in chaos and you couldn’t see his desk with all the papers. He was always running around looking for things, before he left for class, he was forever misplacing and forgetting things (calculators, lab-coats and goggles) and had to buy new ones.

When his first exams were coming up, you could clearly see the stress, and he was not able to function properly. He suffered from lack of sleep due to studying all night; he was living off energy bars as he had no time to eat.

I felt it was time for an intervention, or one of us was going to have a breakdown.

Time management was the first issue we addressed so that he could establish some order and a routine. We got a large calendar and hung it on the wall; we entered all important dates and class times. He had to learn to plan ahead.

Reorganizing and decluttering his room and desk was the biggest challenge as we had to establish what was going to work for him and if he was going to be able to maintain it.

Daniel’s stress levels are lower now and he sees the difference being organized makes not only to him but also those around him.

These are great words; let us first find the meaning so we can understand them better

Goal: Aim or Purpose,

Clarity: Clearness, to get free from obstruction

Abundance: More than enough, sufficient

Fear: an unpleasant emotion caused by the awareness of danger, to be afraid of.

Inspiration: The act or power of moving the intellect or emotions

Enlightened: Well informed, spiritually aware, rational

I was at an event last week called the “Enlightened Entrepreneur” and we discussed these words and how we use them personally and professionally to help our business grow.

It was two hours of inspiring women talking about how they have overcome their Fears and focused on their Goals, how they have learned to live with Abundant Clarity

In my last blog I talked about simplifying our lives by being Organized and Decluttered

What I learned last night is that you have to have a clear vision of what you want out of life and the Enlightened Inspiration of your friends your environment, education, and life experiences.

As we enter the second month of the year we can still set Goals for ourselves.

If getting Organized and Decluttered is one of them then keeping touch and I can help you,

I will have lots of great tips ideas and ways to help you enjoy the space you are in.

TIP of the week: To get salt stains off swede or leather mix 1cup water & 1cup white vinegar

Using a soft cloth gently rub in a circular motion to remove the stains let dry repeat if necessary

Important !! When dry and stain free spray on protector.

Definition: to Streamline, to Clarify, to clean up, Disentangle, Straighten –out, Unscrabble, Cut-down, Reduce, to make things Simple, less Complex to Clarify.

Sometimes the definition of a word says it all. To me this is  being Organized , it can be the space you live, work, or relax in, could be the space inside your head.

To really understand what we want from our Space and our Life, we first have to Simplify

Why should you Simplify?

Less stressful:  no visual distractions or mental stress, procrastinating while you don’t want to think about all you have to do

More peaceful: Relaxing in an uncluttered space is much easier. Less is More.

Saves time: when there is clutter and chaos you always have to waste time looking for things

How do I start?

Have a vision for your space, ask yourself why did it get this way?

What is stopping you from getting it sorted out?

Set your goals, and a plan of action, when you are going to start, have friends and family involved, or work alone. Whatever area you have decided needs your attention the same procedure that I use, works every time.

Choose, Sort, Eliminate, Organize

Choose the Space that needs to be Organized

Sort all the clutter into categories Toss, Keep, Donate.

Eliminate: when you have your categories you can see what you have and it is easier to decide.

Organize: Now you know what you have, you can organize your space to make it work for you.

Happiness is not a destination it is a method of life.   Burton Hills

Now that I am an official citizen of the Social Media Country, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and now Blogging. My goal is to blog twice a week ,Monday & Friday and give you and insight into my world and profession as a Mother of two great adolescents, Wife of twenty years and Professional Organizer. I will bring to you my knowledge, wisdom and all of my mess-ups and mistakes along with great tips, ideas, and products.

Michelle O’Sullivan