5 Things Professional Organizers are Looking For When We Work with You

December 27th, 2011 General Organizing Advice

Maybe I should start with what we are not looking for when we work with you on your home organization or office organization projects: We are not looking for a reason to judge you for your current circumstances . We are really, truly there because solving organizing issues is what we are good at, it’s what we thrive on and we love jumping in and finding solutions for your organizing woes.

So, today I’ll share 5 things professional organizers are looking for when we work with you:

1) What has changed in your life? We don’t want to know because we are there to judge, we want to know because it will give us a better understanding of how things got off track and what emotions you may be dealing with. Our approach will be different if you’ve just had a death in your family versus helping you make room for a new spouse in your home.

2) What’s already working for you? If you’ve got some systems in place that are working well already, it will help us understand how you tick. Maybe you’re using colorful folders because you associate with color or you like your space to look bright and festive, well, that helps us so we don’t suggest something you won’t like such as using drab, grey folders. It can also help us with clues on how you are naturally comfortable working-maybe you are a die-hard piler instead of a filer, we can deal with that.

3) What’s not working for you? That’s where we are really doing our work and brainstorming with you. Where are the problems and why are you struggling? Why isn’t your current file system working for you? How come the kitchen counter keeps piling up with paper? Why aren’t the bills getting paid on time? How come the paper to be recycled is piling up instead of being recycled? This is where we really listen to you and work with you on solutions that will work with your natural habits and inclinations. If I set up a system that works for me but doesn’t work well for you, then I haven’t done my job.

4) How can we stretch your space? The minute I hit your door and start listening to you, I’m looking at the space with fresh eyes and a fresh perspective. I’m looking at ways to keep what you need close at hand and ways to stretch your space so the items you are keeping will fit in the room. In your garage, that may mean suggesting overhead storage racks or wall shelves. In your office, it may mean asking you to consider removing the large wall photo and installing shelves to store resource books & extra supplies. In your child’s closet it may mean suggesting that you move the clothes down and add more shelves to house toys.

5) Are you ready for change? By the time people call us, they are usually ready for change and ready to make decisions on what to keep and what to let go. I’m not there to tell you what to do or what to get rid of, but I am there to help you reach your goals and move through the process with you to make that happen. It’s critical that clients are ready and open to making decisions and ready to move forward on changes in their home or office.

Currently, there are about 4200 professional organizers out there in the U.S. as members of the National Association of Professional Organizers and we’re all out there ready to help make your life better and reduce your stress around getting organized. Try it, you might like it!

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