During this 4-hour work session, we literally began working our way through the room. We started at one end of the room and began sorting and purging everything into one of the following categories:

• Trash
• Consign/Give Away
• Relocate (move to other areas of the home)
• File – Long term (will be moved out of the office)
• File – Current
• Office
• Craft
• Gift Wrap
• Memories

As we were sorting, we came up with the following zones within the room:

• Bookshelf
• Craft/Sewing Area
• Desk/Office/Files
• Closet: Off-Season Clothing, Gift Wrap/Craft Storage, and File and Office Supplies

I mentioned earlier that it will look worse before it gets better. This is almost always the case. It takes space, energy and time to pull out everything and sort. But it is a necessity, before you purge. How can you begin to make decisions about what to keep, if you don’t truly know what you have? The answer is, you can’t! Becky and I were working in a relatively small office space. Therefore, it was necessary to spread out a bit. You will see photographs of us working in her daughter’s room which is located across the hall from the office. We also used the hallway for storage of our supplies along with bags, boxes and bins, which were being permanently moved out of the space.

At the end of the day, we had an even better direction of how Becky would like the room to function. We also had several huge bags of trash, several “relocate” bins and a gigantic pile to take to the consignment shop. It truly does pay to get organized!

I am often asked if I will throw out or get rid of other family member’s belongings. I always assure clients that it is my policy to only work with my their belongings. If there is ever a question about other people’s belongings, they are set aside in a pile or bin so that the owner(s) can sort through and make decisions.

I also don’t try to talk clients into getting rid of belongings. I do help them see the trade off (and there is always a trade off!). The reality is; more stuff = less space and less breathing room, while less stuff = more space and more breathing room. Generally by the time a client contacts me, they are tired of living in the midst of so much stuff, and are ready for change. The truth is, you cannot organize clutter. I love Flylady’s definition of clutter:

“Clutter is anything that does not bring you joy, you do not love, or you don’t need. Things that you use, love, and enjoy are necessary and important to have. Things that you have in your home that you don’t need or don’t like will have the opposite effect on you: they will make you feel negative and dragged down.” FLYlady

So, my job is to help clients eliminate clutter. But this is a process that we work through together. It begins by first helping clients identify what things they use, they love, and they enjoy. Then we figure out what to do with the rest. We don’t just “get rid of” the rest. We thoughtfully make decisions. Are there family or friends who might enjoy an item? Is this something that they might be able to sell or consign and make a few extra dollars? Are there people in need who could truly benefit from the donation of these items? When put in this context, most people are much more likely to begin the process of eliminating clutter.

As I work with clients, I suggest specific “homework”, jobs that they can accomplish on their own.  This can reduce the number of hours that we work together. Clients can, of course, choose to have me work alongside them throughout the entire process. The choice is theirs.

After this work session, Becky was left with the following homework:

• Go to the consignment shop
• Empty “relocate” bins and move to the appropriate areas of the home
• Remove 2 extra file cabinets from the room
• Purge and reorganize 3 “memory” bins
• Purchase additional clear plastic bins for memories

During our next session, we will dive into the paperwork. We will begin to set up a family filing system. This is going to be a tedious and time-consuming task, but will both simplify Becky’s days and significantly de-clutter her office.

Check out Blog a Job! Part 1, Blog a Job Part 2,  Blog a Job! Part 4 and Blog a Job! Part 5.

Check out our progress in the coming days!

My client, Becky, has graciously agreed to allow me to “blog” her first experience working with a professional organizer. I thought it might be eye opening for you to see how the process plays out through an actual job.

Becky is a creative soul. She is one of the most vibrant and gracious people you will meet. She is overflowing with personality and style. This is going to be a FUN job!

Clutter Piled On Top of Important Files

We will be focusing on her home office space. Becky was a successful business women, who has now chosen to commit full time to the new job of raising her precious daughter (the darling girl you will see in the pictures). In the midst of the transition from the business world to the home world, Becky never made the transition in her home office.

She is an organized girl and has a beautiful home. But, she has a room. Many of us do. It’s the one place we “pile”. It is the “extra” room. It is the room that no one sees. Therefore, it is the room that we put anything and everything that doesn’t have a place. And it becomes THE room to accomplish many tasks. While accomplishing many tasks, it accumulates lots of stuff. That’s the reality of many of our homes and lives.

During our first meeting together, Becky shows me her home office, which is causing her stress. I ask many questions, attempting to get a feel for how she and her family work, what systems they currently have in place, and how we might improve on them or create new systems. At the same time I’m trying to get a picture of her vision for the finished project. How would she like this room to function? What tasks will be accomplished in this room? I take pictures, both to refresh my memory throughout the process, and to motivate us both along the way.

An Inefficient Work Space!

With this information in hand and pictures in my camera, I can begin to create a plan of action.

During our next appointment, the hard work will begin. Next time we will get down and dirty.

It generally gets worse, before it gets better. But, as you will soon see, the results are definitely worth it!

Check out Blog a Job! Part 1,  Blog a Job! Part 3 , Blog a Job! Part 4, and Blog a Job! Part 5

Piles and Bins and Tubs, Oh My!

Check out our work progress next week!

Cheryl

Have you ever wondered what in the heck a Professional Organizer actually does? Will she take over your home? Will YOUR mess shock her? Will she work for endless hours, working you right into the poor house?

You have the opportunity to have your questions answered, as you follow Cheryl Osterhouse, owner/operator of In Order for Life, LLC, in action. You will be able to witness the progress of a “typical” organizing project through each step of an actual organizing job. You will see first hand, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Let’s start at the beginning. When I get a call from a potential client, I am sensitive to the fact that it has taken much nerve and often weeks or even months to pick up the phone and make that call. Why is it so difficult to make that call? Why do we assume that everyone should naturally be organized? We each have gifts, strengths, and areas in life where we naturally excel. Organizing may or not be, one of your gifts.

I think creatively when it comes to organizing. Otherwise, NOT! I have finally come to terms with this fact. I’m on our Women’s Ministry Team at our church with some ridiculously creative women. They can brainstorm and come up with ideas, themes and programs in no time flat. Myself, not so much. I could come up with fresh and creative ideas, but at too high a cost. So, they come up with creative ideas, and I keep us organized. It works.

Gardening is another area where I do not excel. I enjoy gardening. I love the IDEA of gardening. I feel like I SHOULD be a gardener. After all, I live on 5 acres with great potential for beautiful gardens. Again, I have come to terms with the fact, that at this time in my life, gardening just is not one of my strengths. I simply don’t have time and/or energy for it. It’s OK. The stakes are low. I maintain the gardens around my house, and let the others go for now. Maybe one day………

So, what if you are not naturally organized? What if you simply haven’t learned organizing skills? Or, more likely, what if, in the midst of your crazy, ever changing life, you haven’t had the opportunity to re-group and get reorganized? Well, I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that the stakes of maintaining a disorganized home (and life!) are high.

Being disorganized costs you financially, in loss of time, and emotionally. NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) estimates that the average American spends nearly an hour every day looking for simple things. That’s for the average American. If you consider yourself “disorganized”, chances are you spend more than an hour a day looking for things. Think what you could do with that extra time each and every day. Aside from wasting time, being disorganized can quickly lead to financial loss as well. Do you find yourself paying late fees on bills that you had the money to pay, only because you had misplaced the bill? Are you purchasing duplicate items because you simply can’t find or don’t have time and energy to look for the items that you know are “around here somewhere”? Are you running to fast food restaurants and purchasing pre-made dinners from the grocery store, not because have want to, but rather because you have to?

Finally, do you feel burdened and overwhelmed by all the stuff surrounding you?  Are you unsure of which way to turn, where to start, or do you feel stuck?

Organizing is a skill to be learned. My favorite definition of organization comes from Julie Morgenstern in her book  Organizing from the Inside Out:  “Organizing is the process by which we create environments that enable us to live, work, and relax exactly as we want to. When we are organized, our homes, offices, and schedules reflect and encourage who we are, what we want, and where we are going.” That’s my job in a nutshell. I work with clients to create processes within their homes and within their lives, and at the same time, teach them the skills necessary to maintain those processes.

At times I am called upon to assist with a specific room, while other times it may involve the entire home. Occasionally, the request for help is in the area of time and life management. In each situation, the process remains the same. I begin with a visit to the client’s home, at which time they have the opportunity to show me, first hand, their current situation. I ask many questions, attempting to get a feel for how they work, what systems they currently have in place, and how we might improve on them or create new systems. I will then create a plan of action personalized for both their budget and style. Finally, we jump right into the work. We work together as we sort, purge, and reorganize, one area at a time. I usually suggest specific “homework”, jobs that they can accomplish on their own, reducing the number of hours that we work together. They may, however, choose to have me work alongside them throughout the entire process. The choice is theirs. Throughout the process, it is my goal to teach my clients new skills, giving them the tools and tips necessary to maintain their newly organized space.

My Brave Client, Becky

So, come along with me as I work through an actual job, from beginning to end. My client, Becky, has graciously agreed to allow me to “blog” her first experience working with a professional organizer. I thought it might be eye opening for you to see how the process plays out through an actual job.  So, come along with us. Next week, Part 2 will be posted, showing the first stage of any organizing job, the in-home consultation.

Check out Blog a Job! Part 2,  Blog a Job! Part 3,  Blog a Job! Part 4 and Blog a Job! Part 5

Come On Along!

Cheryl

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