I am sure you all know the story of the electrician whose stove is broken and never repaired, or the shoemaker whose children walk barefoot. Well, sometimes a professional organiser needs a professional organiser.
This of course goes against anything any self-respecting organiser wants to admit to, but in the hurly-burly of life things pile up and before you know it, there is an area that really needs decluttering.
I am lucky enough to be part of a circle of like-minded colleagues, and in conversation with one of them we sheepishly agreed that we could do with some help organising certain areas of our homes that had been neglected. We would trade off time for each other – the benefits of being able to work with someone you like and knowing you’re in capable hands. It was to be a sociable working time and we made plans for our first session together.
I was to spend a day with my colleague and friend, sorting and decluttering her office space and working on streamlining her filing system. As the date grew closer, so did her sense of apprehension – would I judge her? Embarrassment mounted and after reassuring her that I would definitely not be judging her, she seemed more comfortable. I arrived at her home and after more discussion we began. I won’t go into details but we sorted, decluttered and filed and the more we accomplished, the more at ease she felt. After three sessions in her home we had worked out a manageable system that was easy to maintain. In the process, a lot of things were recycled, tossed and donated.
And then it was my turn …
I experienced the very same sense of embarrassment that my colleague had and she in turn reassured me that it would all be worthwhile in the end. In a similar position, I was also in need of assistance with paperwork, and so began the task of creating a more effective system for me to use. Once we had begun my sense of shame fell away and I entered into the process enthusiastically. At the end of my three sessions I had gained control over my paperwork and filing, and also managed to sort through and declutter a neglected cupboard in my home.
All I can say to anyone considering hiring a professional organiser for assistance is, don’t delay! Through my experience with my colleague I have experienced first-hand both sides of the situation; what it feels like to have a professional organiser come into your private space and then conversely, the feelings of the client before and during the process. The latter I already knew in theory, but it was so useful to personally experience the emotions of a client.