The Dreaded: PAPERWORK

It is interesting learning about how chaos and piles and messes come to be.

DID YOU KNOW: That 75% of people do not have a paper system in place nor know how to even get started?

THERE IS ONLY GREAT NEWS!

1)  Your 'mess' is not an indicator that you are a slob or incapable of organization, some people's homes are pristine yet they can't find what they need when they need it, whilst others live in piles of things and can find what they need when they need it...so to each their own!

2) All you are missing is a system that functions for you AND appeals to your eyes and brain allowing you to feel peace of mind and relaxed.

3) PAPERWORK can seem devastating, FIRST THINGS FIRST, stop piling horizontally!  Create a vertical system!  Use an organizer like the one below FOR YOUR CURRENT ACTIVE DOCUMENTS and label each slot according to a few simple categories + any specialized ones you require (in an order that works for your brain);

TO SORT, TO FILE, OUTGOING, TO COMPLETE, TO MAIL, TO CONFIRM

Stray away from the following;

GET CLEAR on your paperwork, what must be kept?  What takes the majority of time is sorting paper into like item piles.  Once you have done that, you can then store the paper properly or place them in vertical systems and manage them.

*IMPORTANT NOTE! Your ACTIVE filing system on your desk should have room to grow, once you have developed this system, mark down a reoccurring date once a week or every two weeks to scan through the filer and ensure you are up to date on filing and nothing is overflowing.

**BIG...BIG...HUGE HELP - EVERYONE empties their pockets somehow, be it in piles at the door or on your desk or into miscellaneous drawers...STOP!  CREATE AN INBOX FOR YOURSELF - one spot that you DUMP & GO, and the rule is YOU MUST GO THROUGH IT WHEN IT IS FULL - if you can do it before that point its less work for you and less likely to overwhelm you and cause you to abandon ship - SCHEDULE DATES & EXACT TIMES TO FOLLOW-UP so you don't FALL BEHIND!

These work great you can hang them anywhere: 

 

OR use a box that is sealable in case you need to conceal it quickly if clients or guests come over BUT MAKE SURE YOU BRING IT BACK OUT instead of forgetting it in storage or under the bed;

Helpful? :)  I believe in you, feel free to ask any questions below!

The True Challenge

It is not always easy to be the initiative others require, experience has proved to me that the moment it becomes 'all about ME' and sight is lost of what the purpose is, it is easy to fall into that trap of feeling exhaustion, overwhelmed and shows signs of anger and frustration.  Thankfully I have organized my thoughts to come back to 'WHY' I started a project in the first place.  To offer support and love.

Today is day 2 of a project that is close to my heart...I am focusing my talent and time where it matters most, my family.  If I can effectively communicate with them and help them achieve organization in their lives, I can work with anyone.

TIP: Remember if you are going to tackle a project START with having boxes and bags to separate items into and post its to label everything, this will stop you from turning around in circles placing items down on a table then on the floor and getting no where.

HAVE YOU SEEN WHAT I'VE SEEN?

There are moments in our lives that are not meant to be photographed and framed on a wall, the modern days obsession of everything being posted and shared has left people forgetting to simply enjoy the beauty of a moment.  Allow your memory to frame a snapshot in your heart and mind and travel back as you tell the story to another human, reliving the experience all over and sharing it with another.

This post, I do not have any photos, I do have a wonderful moment to share with you all.  The journey to discover my passion for organizing is one of a few different trials and tribulations, one of those being exploring cleaning houses and babysitting combined.

Two months ago I took on a job that was at first focused on cleaning and odd babysitting, and let me tell you, it was truly an eye opener to never purchase a large home.  The amount of crevices and unreachable spaces and endless streams of flooring and textures to wipe was overwhelming and single handedly demolished my space of zen when I clean.  It was 'wiped' away (yes, amazing pun I KNOW!)

What is significant about this job was the woman who hired me.  I recall her hollow eyes searching for relief and her comments each daggers thrown at her circumstances, lost in the abyss of life's turmoils.  Having lost a twin, with three spirited beautiful children to be mother to and a gentle husband to fulfill a wife's duties to and balance her artistic form...it was no secret a part of her soul was clouded over.  There was a moment shared between us that told me, "this is how you can warm people's hearts, this is your opportunity."

I mentioned several times that I could help give things proper homes and regain a sense of order as I figured it would ease her mind...so began the adventure of cleaning out and rearranging the pantry.  By the end of the day the pantry had become her favourite room (really a spacious closet) that she was protective of as her new area of peace.  Eyes glowing and a smile on her face foreign to my vision up until this point, we embraced each other and she thanked me with a sigh of relief.  When I next arrived, she had moved mountains and was so excited to show me what she had pulled out, completed and started, and the boxes of things to donate had exploded onto the front porch.

The next few weeks I hauled shelves and books, restaged artwork about the house, revamped the kitchen, man cave and storage rooms I attacked with a vengeance.  I enjoyed the work immensely and she encouraged me to pursue my talent and love for organizing claiming the undeniable demand.  She was already such an inspiration to me, a woman of many talents and the ability to take on the world, learn different religions and run a household...and I tell you, the creativity oozing from her mind and fingers in all the crafts and projects she brought to life bring a smile to my face just thinking about her.  It was my honour to have such an established and warm woman believe in my abilities and support me in developing them further.

What I have is not a collage of photos of all the areas of her humble home and each detail, I have something much more valuable and that is a moment etched in my memory of contributing life back into her.  Being able to be a clearing for her to embrace excitement in her home again and part those clouds rumbling over her soul was reason enough for me to do what I had to do to make this passion a profession.

I invite you to see what I have seen, for when you relieve someone of their suffering by tending to their needs, even if they couldn't pin point it...you will be one huge step closer to clarity in your life, just as I now am.

WHAT DO YOU REPEATEDLY DO?

DO YOU OWN YOUR ITEMS, or have they overpowered you and now own you and your life?

This is the time of year where many people readjust and have a huge sense of euphoric energy to go fourth and make changes!   Now that I have your attention while in that state of mind consider this, look at your spaces that you function in, be it at home, your bedroom, your work or home office, your kitchen, your stationary drawer...where ever it is that resonates with you; Would you say that it reflects what your frame of mind currently is or shows how you tend to things in your life?

Many of us feel a sense of loss of control at times, no matter how on time or organized our general schedule is, things can seem to get out of hand and spiral downwards pulling us down with it.

I have always kept things 'neat'.  I used to be OCD about things having to be in a specific spot and have it all cleared and tidy before I left the room or space I was in, until I learned to let loose a little and not get so uptight (save myself from a self-induced heart attack someday or high blood pressure!).

It was time for me to organize my life to see what works best so that I may fully benefit those I work for down the road.

I started with these 3 drawers...

I knew where everything was, I rarely needed to use these daily so NO BIG DEAL...until I realized it was a true reflection of my state of mind and a clear example of how I lead my life.  Everything seems fine on the surface, but when you get into the compartments, chaos rules the day.

Don't get me wrong, just because you have a few messy spots here and there does not mean your life is in shambles so start panicking...I am no psychiatrist, I simply resonate with being able to maintain clarity of all aspects of my life even if its as simple as a few drawers.  I do believe that saying 'We are what we repeatedly do.'

I am committed to paying attention to the details, paying attention with a calm collected awareness is much different from obsessing, do not get these confused.

I went through and created a system to made sense to me and is a constant reminder of how I should approach even the smallest details in my life, with care, clarity and control.  People who use feelings and or emotions to excuse their reactions or behaviour are denying themselves of taking responsibility of themselves.  I can say this, because I did just that for many years.

Now, I can enjoy being responsible for my surroundings...and being responsible for how I impact others and how they perceive me.

Professional organizing is more than simply moving items around for a few hours and collecting a pay check.

I am all about empowering others to seek and achieve clarity, to be in control of their lives to the smallest details so that they may be free to LIVE instead of being stuck in 'survival' mode.

The less time we need to focus on only ourselves, the more time we can touch and inspire those around us and contribute to others.  So I am dedicated to help one at a time achieve peace of mind so they may be fully present with their loved ones and in all they do, so we benefit from them being their beautiful selves.

I look forward to this new found sense of responsibility not only to myself, but fellow humans.  As I said before, we are all in this together...lets help make it more enjoyable for each other...one area of clutter at a time.

I am what I repeatedly do, I am open to growth and never too proud to consider looking inside as opposed to pointing fingers.  I am conscious of having much to learn and develop, and I seek to share my sense of peace with those who struggle finding or creating it for themselves.  I also have breakdowns that as history shows, held me back a few months each time I fell, but am creating a new pattern for myself to practice so what I repeatedly do is grow stronger and more efficient.

What about you?

GET REFRESHED & PRISTINE WITH THE ORGANIZING QUEEN!

I am guilty of taking for granted how easy it is for me to keep order in my surroundings.  It wasn't until I started working as a professional organizer did I really gain an appreciation for how lucky I am that my brain can manage and maintain systems that function and flow.

There are levels of extremity, from a few drawers overflowing with random items, to rooms with boxes and items stacked floor to ceiling barricading the door for any entry.

Have you considered creating a clutter-free atmosphere all around you whether at home or your office but simply haven't bothered or never really thought about it because it is stressful or overwhelming?  Perhaps a clean-up and revamping is all you need, not a new house or new items to fill a gap...perhaps it is about time you paid attention to what you value most, and why...your attachments to all your materialistic items that you will one day not be able to take with you.  Is it time for you to own your space and not have it all consume you?

Ask yourself a few questions:

1. Do I have any areas that are chaotic or a mess?
2. Is this an area I can clear on my own or will I move one pile into another and go in circles?
3. Could I possibly have a space like those magazines, the ones that flow and cause that exhale of comfort and relief upon simply seeing it on paper?
4. Am I willing to progress towards letting go of items I have hung on to for ages - items I feel guilty giving away or throwing out because they were a gift or once very sentimental?
5. Does my space define me?
6. Does my space comfort me and allow ease of breathing?
7. How much longer am I willing to live with disorder in closets and crevices?
8. How many more times am I willing to search in a frenzy for items that are thrown into random places?
9. Am I willing to take control of my surroundings and create a space of beauty and functionality?
10. Can I take responsibility and create a system that works for me, with a little direction and assistance?

It is a pleasure to instill calm into the lives of those around me.  Here is one example of many to come!  

No real order for anything simply items sprawled amidst the floors in piles.

 Using shelving from the closet beside the bed, purchasing a few white organizer bins and refreshing the soul with new matching bedding gave this room a sense of home and comfort.  Using what you already have is a great way to go, but even on a budget you can create a space that you can call home with a few minimal items.

A small closet can easily get overwhelming, being realistic about what you actually use or don't is a huge step, you'd be surprised how much room you really have!  Investing in sturdy matching hangers allows a sense of calm despite the numerous items hanging.

This project took 5 hours, including the trip to the store to purchase the organizers and bedding.  It doesn't take much but as my girlfriend stated, "I would never have been able to do it on my own, I would have kept everything and gotten no where by picking one thing, putting it down, then picking up another thing and putting it no where useful only to eventually give up and quit!"  That's what I am for!

All in a days work!  There is nothing like the glow on the face of another human being and seeing that peace of mind and ease as they sit in their new space.  I don't know about you, but nothing brings me more joy than to accomplish a project that makes me happy via creating a space to make another human being happy.

Stay tuned, I will show you a great way to organize those drawers that seem to explode with the most random items!