Personal Organizer | Professional Clutter Coaching
Personal Organizing and Clutter Coaching is a thing?
Absolutely! I have always cared about how my personal space looks and feels. When I was younger, we rented and moved around from apartment to apartment. I was always first to unpack and set up my room and if we lived some place for awhile, I would often rearrange my bedroom to change it up.
When my mom bought our townhome, all bets were off. The previous owners wallpapered everything! My mom was so gracious and patient as she let me experiment with paint colors and all kinds of other design finishes.
I received my degree in Interior Design from Salem College in 2005. After graduating, I was hired at a local architecture firm to work as a commercial interior designer. While commercial projects are fun, I really love how quickly I can see results in residential interior design.
About 4 years ago, I added personal organizing to the list of skills and services that I offer. Since then, I have had the pleasure of working with several clients that really took to the task of decluttering, downsizing and organizing.
The Gift of Space
Many people feel overwhelmed with the sheer number of things in their homes. They are unsure of how to go about organizing and creating systems to make it all work together. Not to mention, if you have children, that adds another whole layer of complexity. Feeling overwhelmed often causes people to feel stuck, paralyzed, and is the most common justification we use to stop moving forward.
Every year as the holidays slowly fade into the rear view mirror, we are all left with the fallout of the season. For some, it means trying to figure out how to fit the oversized surprise item/s bought by well meaning family into your children’s space. For others it’s the difficulty of letting go of old things to make room for the new you in the new year.
The first step is always the hardest, and often-times the part of the process my clients need help with. No matter what your situation or the current condition of your space...it’s OK. There is no need to dwell on feelings of shame or guilt for the amount of stuff sitting around in your house and in your closets. Many folks waste valuable energy beating themselves up rather than spending that energy to make change.
Real change can be difficult, uncomfortable , and will not usually happen overnight. This is where it really helps to have a plan and a coach.
You desire the need for more physical space. Often times, the desire for actual space contains the desire for figurative space in all other areas of your life. As you start making room in your physical world, you will start to feel a sense of opening in your emotional world.
The Gift of Time
This process of de-cluttering and organizing is going to take time. In order to see and make a real difference, you need to be 100% committed to the process. A big part of my job is to help you set realistic and achievable goals and help you find the starting point that will produce the most impact. I love seeing you succeed!
While you may feel the need to tackle your children’s play space because that seems like the hot spot that needs the most attention, we may need to start on a smaller project that will help you to build your confidence with the process, eventually working toward tackling those much larger areas that seem overwhelming.
I have found that work sessions of 1-2 hours are ideal for most of my clients. The point is not to exhaust you physically and emotionally but to help you build confidence in the plan and your skills to execute the plan toward meeting your goal. When folks are committed, it is surprising how much can be accomplished in that time frame. I also like to leave my clients with some homework to work on until our next session together. My goal is not to do it for you, but to empower you to do a lot of the work on your own.
Giving yourself the gift of time with a personal organizer is going to help you get the most out of the process. You will be guided and supported, helping to make the process more manageable and ultimately successful.
The Gift of Style
As the clutter comes under control, you will find that more and more you are surrounded by the things you truly enjoy having in your space. But how do you make these few items work for you and your home? At this point we can continue working together and I can help to make your house feel more like your home.
In my practice of interior design, I focus primarily on helping you make the most of what you have rather than chasing something new and shiny. Ultimately it’s about helping you fulfill your vision for your space, and most of my clients are shocked how different a space can feel when properly space planned.
Your home is a reflection of you and your family. My job is to help you figure out your style and expand it into all areas in your home.
Trust and Respect
If you make the choice to work with an organizer, realize that you are entering a relationship. It’s important that you feel comfortable communicating your needs and wants with this person and that they listen to what you are saying.
The most successful coaching style relationships work when both people are willing to work together and there is a feeling of trust and respect. It is not easy to have a stranger come into your home and take a look inside of your closets. Discretion and confidentiality are always the standard in my practice.
The process is about working together, receiving encouragement, celebrating the small victories, all while working toward the larger picture of creating more space and comfort for you and your family in your home.
If you are considering organizing or de-cluttering your home and life, congratulations for being open to the possibilities of change and new growth. I would be honored to speak with you about your situation.