Adventures with a Professional Organizer – Testimonial

Last March I worked with a new Client in her home office.  She later reported on the "joys" of getting her office pulled together in her business blog, Next Level Biz Tips.  You can read Denise Wakeman’s testimonial here.  A "before" picture (obviously, left) and an "after," appear above.  Additional pictures are available here.

The reason is really waited 6-months to post a follow-up was because I wanted to give Denise some time to see if the systems we set up worked for her– to see if she was able to return things to their "new" and more appropriate places and dedicate time each week to keep it all orderly.  Continue reading what she wrote to a business colleague earlier this week– 6 months after we completed the project:

"I’m more organized than I was BEFORE I worked with John, and less organized than when we finished the job.  I work in a very small nook in my living room and papers tend to pile up.  However, my space is MUCH BETTER and continues to serve me in a positive way every day."

I know this work is tough.  Very tough.  Particularly if your space is in your home and the space functions for a variety of activities, like Denise’s.  In August, I wrote a post about how to keep yourself organized.  You can read the post here.  In addition, Author Charles S. Clark wrote in a 1988 article for Historic Preservation Magazine:

"As long as there is a future, I guess, past will be pitted against present.  But some time we must learn to distinguish relics that truly reveal our past from items simply from the past."

My Professional Organizing colleague, Donna McMillan of McMillan and Company Professional Organizing in West Los Angeles speaks best of this struggle:  "Organizing is a "process," it’s not a one-day project."  What other advise can I give to Denise?

1. Do not give up making the daily decisions to keep the clutter at bay.  Keep, throw, act, give-away, etc.
2. Dedicate time on your calendar to keep up the system we created.
3. Store things where you use them, and in appropriately labeled, clear containers.
4. This isn’t magic, building your confidence will push you forward.

Readers, I am interested in knowing how you keep up the things you promise yourself.  Have you been able to keep any lost weight off?  Have you been able to save more money for retirement?  Dedicate more time for your children?  What other tips could readers give on obtaining success?