For the past few months we've been highlighting some of the areas that my clients struggle with starting their organizing journey. Today's post is your permission to take the first step: getting organized is a process, not a destination. Just as raising kids is not a one time endeavor, you will have starts and stops. Some areas (and days) will be easier to move through some will be more of a challenge. Today I want to focus on being ok with asking for help.
Just as with any other endeavor, some things are just easier when you let someone else to pitch in and help with the process, organizing is no different. Example: You can paint your house outside, taking 4-5 weekends, prepping, priming, climbing up and down ladders, 2-3 coats. You can enlist the help of neighbors and friends, promising them all the pizza and beer they can eat and drink. Or you can pay someone and get it done in a few days. Is it more expensive? Maybe--when you consider what your time (and theirs) is worth, you might find you didn't save that much. But if you hire someone, the job is done much more quickly, a lot less hassle, and you probably won't be exhausted and cranky when you're done. Organizing is no different.
Bringing a professional organizer into the picture gives you fresh eyes, with more objective ideas and thoughts than you might have. We're not attached to your things, we don't necessarily have the emotional attachment, and we don't very often get caught up with the "I might need this some day" thought process with your things as much. This is not to say we are going to make you get rid of everything (which is a VERY common misconception about working with one), but we often can help you navigate those waters a little easier and think through those thoughts.
We typically have more resources than you do when it comes to such things like: where can I donate items I no longer want (we have multiple places that just might like that set of acrylic grape clusters grandma had so many of), please that can help with off-loading (hauling companies, etc), estate sale managers (for items you like to sell), etc. We work with these kinds of industries, we know where to get the help you need.
About being embarrassed.....
We are judgement free, this is our job.Using the same analogy of painting your house, if you hire a painter to paint your house, if he's professional, he doesn't show up and start berating your for your peeling eaves and rusted downspouts, this is his job. He tells you what it takes to get it done, and then he does it. We organizers are no different. We're in this business because we like helping others, and working with us is nothing to be shy or embarrassed about. No embarrassment allowed.
We can get the job done probably a LOT quicker than you can. This is what we do. This is who we are. We have helpers, that we have trained to work with us. We have tools. We have systems. We have knowledge. We are used to working with family dynamics so that decisions get made quicker and don't get hung up with "creative discussions" between family members.
And finally, we can help you get that way and maintain it. We can show you systems to make it work for you and your family. Or we can help you with maintenance plans. Think of it as helping to get the journey started, or finished, or both. It's OK to ask for help.
