This weekend my husband and I put together a yard sale. We just wanted to get rid of some odds and ends we have accumulated over the years. Overall the day went well and we made a few extra bucks. I have done yard sales before, but not since I have been in the Professional Organizing industry. My perspective has completely changed and it all became clear the day of the yard sale.

First customer of the day was a middle-aged man driving a pick up truck with his dog in the front seat. He had an Indiana Jones look with the hat he was wearing and the knife on his belt. We chatted while he shopped. I noticed right away there was no real method to his shopping. He picked things up, barely looked at them, and handed me his money. He walked away with some random objects and threw them in the back of his truck. Customer number 2 arrives. It’s the same scenario. He picks up a glass pitcher, barely thinks about his purchase, hands me his money and heads off. Throughout the day my own guilt began to set in. Here I am, a Professional Organizer practically giving away junk to people who are obviously pack rats or even hoarders. This goes against everything I preach.

I began to ask people who arrived if they were looking for anything specific. For my own selfish reasons it would have felt better to know if they were being more strategic and actually had a need. But, each shopper confessed they were pack rats and stop anytime they see a yard sale. None of them took any time to contemplate their purchase. Whatever they touched, they bought. And even more ironic… all the shoppers were men! When I placed the ad in the paper and designed the street signs I had a female market in mind. I had no doubts that we were selling to middle-aged and elderly woman. I was so far off!

So here is what it comes down to… I will most likely never have a yard sale again and I now need to start research on hoarders and pack rats to find out if most of them are men. I am totally intrigued.

It’s officially official. I am having a baby and yes, it’s my first!

So as you can imagine, it has me thinking about organizing in a whole new way. My friends make fun of me because I have already painted the baby’s room (I am at the end of my first trimester). I let them laugh. I agree, I am way ahead of the game. But all I can think about is my friend Jennifer who had her baby almost 2.5 months premature. She called on me in a panic because her baby room was no where near done. There were clothes to fold, and put away, gifts to unpack and store, furniture needed to be put together and the room needed to be painted. I got to see first hand how having a premature baby can be overwhelming in more ways than one. I vowed then that I would not wait to get things in order when I find out I am pregnant. So far, I am sticking to it.

So I thought it would be interesting to log my organizational progress during my pregnancy. Hopefully it will help others in their preparations for baby number 1.

Here I go, telling the world my deepest darkest secret. Well it’s not that deep and dark. I want to write a book. It’s actually not so much that I want to write one, I just feel one in me. I feel I have so much to share and say. I feel others can benefit from my perception in some strange and twisted way. The biggest problem is I cannot decide what to write about. There are so many topic choices. Here are some I have thought of already:

Clutter Addiction - Addiction and the role it plays in your cluttered home

The Clutter Myth - The REAL truth about clutter

Co-Dependence Equals a Cluttered Life - How your inability to care for yourself is cluttering your life

Through the eyes of a Professional Organizer - What one PO learns through her experiences with her clients

So does anyone out there have an opinion? I need guidance and would love to know what intrigues you the most. Maybe it will help me get started.

I come from a long line of alcoholics. I know first hand how the disease of alcohol can ruin a family. I have watched for years how an alcoholic always has a reason for their behavior. They drink because their childhood was terrible. They drink because their boss sucks. They drink because their marriage sucks. An alcoholic, at least the alcoholics I know, will never admit THEY are the problem. That they choose to pick up the glass full of beer and drink it. That they continue to hurt others and abuse substances because they are too afraid to admit they are powerless. For them it has nothing to do with what’s in their glass. It has everything to do with escaping reality.

The same holds true for an out of control pack rat. For them, their clutter piles up because their was a great sale at the mall. They have no time to clean because they have so many pressures. Their significant other is to blame because they always leave things lying around the house. Just like an alcoholic, they too have a difficult time admitting THEY are the problem. instead of looking at themselves, they look at the clutter as the problem. The clutter, just like a drink to an alcoholic, is used as a distraction.

This is, what I consider, dangerous ground. This is where we begin to live in an unrealistic world. We pretend the problem is not their and continuously put it aside because it’s easier than admitting we are the problem. It’s easier to pretend our lives are great and be miserable than it is to live truthfully and be content. It’s easier to toss more paper on top of the piles of paper on the floor. It’s easier to close the door to the guest room and pretend the clutter isn’t there. It’s easier to stuff items in closets before company comes. But don’t dare leave the clutter out for guests to see.

Is any of this sinking in yet?

The other day I went shopping. I needed new makeup because I was totally out… I was really desperate. Anyway, while I was getting gussied up by the sales associate we were having small talk. She asked me what I did for work. I told her that I am a Professional Organizer. She said “No way, I could totally be an Organizer! I have to make sure everything is just right, I am a neat freak!”

It isn’t uncommon for people to say this to me when I tell them what I do. But I feel the need to tell everyone there is so much more to what we do! We don’t just come in and pick up after you. The best way for me to put it is, we are just like a personal trainer. The personal trainer doesn’t do the work for you. They ask questions about your weight, your past, your habits. They put you on a plan and guide you through it. They listen to you as you struggle and offer their expertise. They don’t judge you ever! They act as a supportive hand and give you the push you need to maintain your goal. They may even get really personal with you and dig deep and find out what’s really causing the weight gain.

As a Professional Organizer, we do the exact same thing with your clutter. Although sometimes your weight and clutter are somewhat connected. (No I am not kidding, read “Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?") So if you are sitting around staring at your clutter thinking to yourself, “I will never get through this alone,” don’t! If you were having issues losing weight and knew you couldn’t tackle that alone, you would call a personal trainer right?  Organizers aren’t always control freaks and whack jobs that make you get rid of everything that means something to you. That’s all I’m sayin.

More than usual this week I am reminded of the distractions we have in life. In the several sessions I have had with clients this week it seems their loved ones are keeping them from moving forward. Sometimes family and friends simply suck us dry of any energy. They may have an addiction that becomes toxic to the entire family or are disabled or sick. Because their loved ones are in such a bad place, their worlds end up completely turned upside down. As a result, organizing and maintaining their homes is put on the back burner.

For many of us the complications in the lives of our loved ones can effect us many different ways. For my clients, they tend to forget about themselves and their needs. They are completely drained and depleted of any energy. So the house begins to fall apart. I can relate with this first hand. I have a father who depletes me completely of any energy. His drama drives my anxiety level to go up, my mind focuses on things other than what’s important and I begin to lose myself.

I think this is why I am in this business. I see it as my job to remind others that taking care of YOU is the HIGHEST PRIORITY. The problems that your loved ones have are not YOUR problems. It’s difficult and it breaks your heart sometimes to put your needs before others. But the fact of the matter is, you are no good to others if you are depleted of energy and happiness. Your involvement in their drama becomes counterproductive. Your home is a mess, your unhappy, you have no time to enjoy life. So do yourself and your loved ones a favor, focus on YOU.....just for today.

Ok, for those of you that know me, you know how much I love Extreme Home Makeover. Well they were here, in Virginia!!! Rice, Virginia. And yes, I went to check it out. I went on Sunday, the day before “Move That Bus” day. My husband was kind enough to join me on the trip. It was about an hour and a half from Richmond. Once we got there we were amuzed at how discrete they were about being in town. There were signs directing traffic to a close by parking lot. But the signs simply stated “spectator parking.” You had to park in a lot near the home and get bused into the construction site. The whole process was pretty organized. Once we got to the home we were herded into a small specator area. If you watch the show you would think the scene would be mass chaos. Well.... it wasn’t. It was quiet, real quiet. The house had been built and they were slowly moving items into the home. And here is the best part… I got to meet Pauly!!!! And yes, I got his autograph. He was not as kind as he seems on TV. I guess all the attention can get to you. We were told Ty was inside the home but we never saw him. We did catch a glimpse of the designer guy.

So that’s it. It was no big deal. However, It was amazing to see how much work they had done in such a short period of time.

So recently I received an email from a friend of mine from grade school. We haven’t spoken or seen eachother in over 15 years. Our shining moment together was when we were both voted “Best Artists” in 8th grade. His name is Patrick Ganino. We were good friends and somehow time just got away from us.

I was excited to learn that he owns his own business. He paints murals, does faux painting and Trompe l’Oeil. He has written his own book, started a business teaching faux and sells products. I am so proud of him and his accomplishments. It motivates me even more to make my business work.

I can’t help but think back to how we were when we were kids. How is it that the two voted “Best Artists” started their own businesses and became successful. It must be just for that exact reason....we were the most creative. Thinking back it doesn’t surprise me. Pat and I seemed to have that personality that we were our own bosses and lived by our own rules. But being creative is most definately what keeps me happy and this business alive. I am forever thinking of new ways to help my clients, find solutions, develop products, write books etc. It’s even the one piece of advice I always give my clients when they tell me they have a hard time maintaining their clutter. I tell them, “Get creative!” When I open up the opportunity to get creative it seems to open the flood gates. We can brainstorm, speak freely, and find something from nothing. Just as Pat and I did. Well, if you want to be even more inspired, check out Pat’s work. He amazes me. Way to go Pat!

http://www.creativeevolution.net/

As I sit here and write this I am among tons of boxes and piles of paper. I recently moved into a new home. The move came quick and I had very little time to plan. The result has been weeks of stress, stress and more stress. I am exhausted! It has been a while since I have been in a circumstance like this. I realize, once again, how important it is for me to have a clean, organized environment. 

This has truely put me in the shoes of my clients. So I am using this as a learning experience. Just before I decided to write this I was pacing in my new home office having a hard time deciding what to put where. I realized, I was stuck just as my clients get stuck. It is hard to explain the feeling. It is just so easy to give up and say, “Ahhhh I will do this later.” I know from my own experience that I can’t quit. I have a goal to go through one box at a time. I won’t lie to you, it’s hard to do. As I find small tiny parts to things, that don’t have a home yet or that I am not even sure have a purpose. I want to take the whole box and throw it in the trash. But I know that will bite me in the butt later. Then I start to feel thirsty, so I head to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. I find a pile I can deal with, so I begin sorting. In the middle of sorting I realize I have gone off track. So I stop and go back to where I started but I have forgotten where I left off. I know to many this scenario is a familair one.

So you are probably wondering, how does an organizer handle this scenario? Well I have to say my attitude and knowledge of what is happening does help. I know that it is going to take time to get to where I want to be. I know that I am going to get overwhelmed and distracted. And I also know that I am going to have to reorganize things again. Where I put things now may not be their final resting place. I am just doing what I need to do to make things work for now. I think knowing all of this I can work better and keep moving forward. When I get distracted I know I am distracted but it is ok because I know something is getting done. My intention may have been to empty one box in the office. but it’s ok if I end up emptying a box from my closet. It all needs to get done sometime. I know that I need breaks too. I can’t work well if I am tired, hungry, or overwhelmed. So I have to take several breaks. And sometimes my breaks are long. But I do come back to it and try again.

I am hoping this comes as comfort to some of you that YES, even an organizer has their moments. We are human. In fact, if we didn’t have these problmes I am not sure we would be good at our jobs. So I intend to keep you posted of my progress. Perhaps my experiences will help you with your clutter.