When I receive a call from clients to help them get organized, they are already stressed because of their clutter and generally feel out of control with their surroundings.  Organizing an entire home or just a small room can seem daunting.  This kind of job takes time, effort and lots of patience from both sides during the process.  Currently, I have a project that started with a closet and has turned into a whole house organization.  The call came in to help clear up some clutter and "stuff" in the house and get the family organized.  Here's what I found:

1.  Excess clothing with and without tags still on them; colors and styles all the same. Usually purchased on sale or when there was a "bargain" to be had

2.  Excess quantities of soaps, toiletries, kitchen supplies; purchased because they were on sale

3.  Duplicate or often triplicate quantities of containers, baskets, pens, pencils, paper or other items that were thought to help with organizing but never used

4.  More than one set of china that ranged from 10-16 place settings with matching cups, glasses and every accessory for that big dinner that never took place because they couldn't find the china

5.  Plastic cups, plates, flatware, mugs, utensils and all kinds of doo-dads and thing-a-ma-jigs that probably work great and look fabulous but were never used or rarely used because they were stuffed in a drawer, closet or cupboard and forgotten

6.  Excess food that had expired and things in cupboards that should never be there (ex: stapler in the spice cabinet, meds under the sink, dirty socks on top of the refrigerator)

7.  Paperwork that would daunt even the best organizer - never opened mail, receipts and paperwork that went back 8 years along with family paperwork related to an estate that was in bags and boxes

8. Pictures of family, friends and loved ones that were stuffed in packages, envelopes, drawers and bags. Some were thought lost and when found brought tears and memories to the client.

Picking and sorting are a giant step towards making more room in your life for the things that matter most to you. Getting started wasn't that easy for the client; admitting there was a problem was the first step to getting organized BUT we talked, reviewed the plan and got started.

The PLAN was simple: tackle a closet, a drawer, a room..........just one square foot at a time.  It's important to remember that you can only handle so much at one time. You need to know when to take a break and when you're getting mentally tired over the task. The goals should be identified at the beginning and the action plan should always be moving towards the end result.

Our result?  -  23 bags of clothing to Goodwill, 42 bags of trash, 1 bag of material to shred, 2 closets, 2 dressers, 1 bedroom, 1 dining room with furniture, china cabinet, kitchen pantry, kitchen cupboards and laundry room complete.  What's next?  Bedroom and garage to be organized and we end with a garage sale. Each session lasts for 3-6 hours based on the client.

Organizing feels good when it's done and it's important, when working with a professional, to have a good plan in place before getting started.  Organizers are there to help you reach your ultimate goal of getting organized for life.