|
Hello, organizing clients and friends!
I’ve now worked more than 5,000 hours with clients. Thank you for inviting me into your homes! Here's the best of what I've learned, distilled:
- Clients sometimes ask what they should do to prepare in advance for an organizing session. I suggest they get a good night’s sleep and remember to eat breakfast. The rest we’ll figure out together.
- New clients sometimes say they’re embarrassed to have me see their homes. After working in hundreds of houses, I can tell you that people’s clutter is more similar than different. Clutter happens and that’s ok.
- We all have limited time and bandwidth. If you have a job and family responsibilities, you’re already living a big life. If you could've organized on your own by now, you would've.
- There’s no embarrassment in hiring help if organizing isn’t your skill set. I don’t repair my own car or do my own plumbing: those aren’t my skill sets, and I’m fine with that. Save your energy for what you like to do.
- The key to organizing is decluttering first. If a space is not manageable, in my experience, 100 percent of the time, there's too much stuff in it.
- If you have to make yourself smaller in your home, there’s too much stuff. (Examples: squeezing through narrow doorways because the doors can't open fully; ducking around overflowing closets; picking your way between piles on the floor; not being able to cook properly or sit down for dinner or work at your desk because those surfaces are so crowded that there's no space for you.)
- The goal of organizing is to reduce the levels of friction and frustration in your home by setting up intuitive systems so that you can easily see what you have on hand, easily find what you’re looking for, and easily put it away again.
- The decluttering and organizing process creates space so you can live your life more fully and freely. It also highlights your favorite belongings so that you can see, use, and enjoy them every day.
- Your belongings are meaningful and precious to you, but probably not to other people. Very frequently I see clients keeping family heirlooms not out of enjoyment, but obligation.
- If you’re saving items for friends or family, it is a kindness to text them photos and ask if they actually want your stuff. In my experience, sometimes you'll get a delighted yes, but more often it's a definite no.
- If you’re holding onto items to resell someday, consider if, in the context of your total financial picture, is it worth your time to photograph and advertise items, then meet with buyers? If not, donate the items and enjoy the extra space and free time.
- When I ask repeat clients if they miss anything they decluttered during the previous session, almost everyone tells me: “I don’t even remember what I let go of.”
- When clients are deciding whether to save an unused, unloved item because it was a gift, or it was expensive, or they might need it someday, I find this question useful: “Do you want the freedom, or do you want the stuff?” Both answers are valid and give us direction.
- As always, my best advice is: Enjoy your beautiful things! Use the good stuff! Eat off the good china, drink from the nice glasses, cook with the fancy ingredients, light the expensive candles, use up the skin care products, wear the new clothes, carry the fabulous handbags, write in the elegant journals, play all the games, create with all the art supplies. Don’t wait for a special event, you ARE the special event!
| |
|
Dressing room 'before & after'
| |
Living room/kitchen 'before & after' | |
Home office 'before & after' | |
|
You are on this monthly mailing list because you've either hired me, contacted me about organizing, requested my e-book, attended a class, or you're one of my pals.
Please know that I will not share your information with third parties or spam you with emails. If this content isn't useful to you, declutter your inbox by unsubscribing via the link below. Be free!
| | | | |
