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Frequently Asked Questions:
What are the biggest hurdles to
getting organized?
The good news is that the physical act of organizing is usually the
easy part!
The biggest hurdle is usually getting started. Sometimes, when we get
busy, depressed, injured, or occupied with other things, we allow clutter
to accumulate. After a period of time, the clutter can become so overwhelming
that it's difficult to take the first step.
The second hurdle is emotional. When you begin this task, you will
be surrounded by a multitude of items, and many of them may have personal
significance. The nostalgia, memories, and possibly the thoughts of
unfinished business can become overwhelming. For advice on how to overcome
these hurdles, see Andy's Organizing Tips.
What are the benefits of organizing?
The benefits of organizing are many:
- Greater Efficiency. You can find things easily, and don't spend
so much time searching for missing items. You don't have clear a space
before doing anything. When Andy was in college, his roommate used
to laugh at how every night he would move everything from his bed
to his desk so that he could sleep. Then every morning, he would move
everything from his desk to his bed so he could study. Now, whatever
he wants to do, he can begin right away.
- More Room. A huge volume of stuff can, after organizing, be stored
in a fraction of the space it once occupied. This gives you more room
to work, to live, or possibly for other stuff.
- More peace of mind. It's been said that "Mess is Stress."
Clutter on the ourside contributes to internal clutter. A cluttered
room fills our vision with busyness and reminders of things to be
done. An uncluttered room is more relaxing and peaceful to be in.
- Save money. Sometimes it's harder to find a missing item than to
buy a new one. So we go and buy something that we already have. This,
in turn, contributes to the collection of unnecessary objects in a
self-feeding cycle of wasted money and accumulated clutter. Once you
know what you have, you stop buying redundant supplies.
- Locate items you forgot you have. On every job, we hear, "Oh,
there it is!" On several jobs, we found enough money, in cash
and uncashed checks, to more than pay for our services.
- Feel more comfortable having guests. If your place is so cluttered
that you feel embarrassed having friends over, organizing could allow
you to be a more confident host/hostess.
How do you work?
We can work in several different ways, depending on the needs of our
clients.
Some clients need advice in simplifying and getting rid of unneeded
items. In this case, we can give advice on how to decide if it is "safe"
to let something go. How long has it been since you used it? If you
let it go, and do need it someday in the future, how hard would it be
to obtain? How likely is it that it will be obsolete or outdated in
the future? We also provide a list of resources
including recycling, places that reuse old computers, thrift shops,
etc. And, if necessary, we can haul items away.
Some clients don't want to get rid of anything, but just want to organize
the things they have. This could be because they are running out of
space, because they can't find things, or because they want their place
to be more attractive and aesthetically pleasing. It is not necessary
to get rid of anything in order to be more organized and make more effective
use of your space.
In some cases, we physically do the work of organizing. We will
- Look over the area to be organized and make an inventory of the
different types of objects present.
- Create classifications that accurately categorize the content.
- Sort the items into those classifications.
- Design systems that allow everything to be stored in a way that
is presentable and accessible.
- Label any boxes, folders, or other storage containers, so that an
observer can quickly acertain the contents without having to search
through or even open the container.
Although we have done jobs totally independently, it typically works
better for you work along with us, or at least to be physically present
during the organization process. You are the only one who knows how
regularly you will use something, and that information is crucial to
designing a system where the most frequently-used items are the most
accessible. We will also need you to identify objects we are not familiar
with and to help in the categorization process. In most jobs, we have
worked side by side with our clients.
We can also function as a consultant, giving advice on how to organize
and helping design organizational systems in order for you to do the
actually organizing work on your own.
Shouldn't I do it myself?
One client said, "I always felt like I should do it myself—like
I'd be a better person if I did it myself." Whatever standard you
want to hold yourself to is up to you, but objectively speaking, two
people working together can often accomplish four times what one person
can alone.
Is it possible that I won't
be able to find something afterward?
This is always a possibility. Even if you organize yourself, it is
possible that you won't be able to find something afterward, even when
you knew where it was beforehand. However, it is usually much easier
to find things when they are organized than not.
Do you do Feng Shui?
Any Feng Shui expert will tell you that one of the most important concepts
of Feng Shui is that "Clutter stagnates energy," and therefore
organizing is almost always the first step. Although we know something
about Feng Shui, and incorporate some of its ideas on our organizing
work, we are by no means experts. For people interested in Feng Shui
services, we recommend consulting directly with a Feng Shui expert.
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Don't agonize. Organize.
— Florence Kennedy
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