After moving one of two things can happen when it comes to being organized. The first is that you have no idea where to even begin. The second? You realize you have way too much stuff and nowhere to put it.
This is where hiring a professional organizer comes in. Like absolute magicians, they can all of your stuff, factor in your lifestyle and create a system that keeps your organized and tidy.
When working with a professional organizer there are some things you should know beforehand.
The first being that, while their skills at creating systems to keep your home and clutter managed ca feel magical… they aren’t magicians. What I mean by this is that, once they finish the project it’s on you to maintain all their hard work and your investment.
And while a great organizer will design a system that works best for you that doesn’t mean it will just naturally happen. You need to be prepared, and willing, to make changes in your daily behaviors and habits.
Be prepared to get really vulnerable. Aka they are going to need to see your cluttery mess in all its glory so that they can design the best system to handle it. They need an accurate portrayal of what your daily struggle truly looks like. You will also need to be honest about your day to day behaviors, even if it’s embarrassing and a little painful to admit out loud.
Here’s the thing if you tidy up beforehand or aren’t completely your organizer won’t be able to create a system that truly works for you. It will be for the person who is just a little bit tidier and doesn’t have those embarrassing behaviors. And this person just doesn’t exist in your day to day reality!
Take their organizational style into account. Some organizers are working in the trenches with you side by side. And others go at it solo and bring you in after to show off their hard work and educate you on what steps need to be taken to maintain it.
Have a budget and list of prioritized “zones” to tackle beforehand. Know how much of your organizer's time you’re able to invest in. This will help you to formulate a plan of action and decide which rooms have the loudest cry for help.
Again, perhaps the most important piece is that you be committed to maintaining your new orderliness. Even when it gets hard and you slip up. This is going to take time and practice. So be patient with yourself and recognize that it’s all a work in progress. There will be backslides and that’s okay, it’s a part of the process. What’s important is that you take note of what happened, adjust your plan of action and keep moving forward.
