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.
The
benefits of organizing are many:
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1.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.
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2.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.
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3.More
peace of mind. It's been said that "Mess is
Stress." Clutter on the outside contributes
to internal clutter. A cluttered room fills our
vision with business and reminders of things to
be done. An uncluttered room is more relaxing and
peaceful to be in.
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4.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.
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5.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.
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6.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.
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
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•Look
over the area to be organized and make an inventory
of the different types of objects present.
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•Create
classifications that accurately categorize the content.
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•Sort
the items into those classifications.
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•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 ascertain 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.
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.
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.
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.
100%
money back guarantee on all services (not including
travel fee if applicable).
We
will not give any information about you to any other
source. This includes your name, phone number, email
address, and any other information we obtain through
emails, through the website, or by interacting with
you directly. If you have agreed to be a reference,
we may give contact information to those considering
our services, but we will do this only with your explicit
permission.
We
recognize that as a personal organizers, we may be
asked to organize a person's belongings. We acknowledge
the confidence and trust that has been placed in us.
We have great respect for your privacy and guarantee
not to disclose any information to any source about
the state of the environment (before or after organizing)
or any names, medications, papers, or any other objects
we encounter while working with you.
With
your permission, and only with your explicit permission,
we may take before and after pictures for our portfolios.
The photos will not focus on personal belongings but
rather to show the type of transformations that organizing
brings about. Ultimately you have the final say about
whether any photos are shown to any other source.
Full
payment of the minimum fee is required for cancellations
made less than 24 hours in advance.
No
travel fee for any sites within 30 miles of San Francisco
or Union City. Outside of those areas, a travel fee
may be required.