How It All Works

As a Professional Organizer, I’m not the one making the decisions on what stays and what goes, the person I’m working with does. I may ask questions and provide guidance, but ultimately, the client has to make the decisions.

Decluttering is hard work and Decision Fatigue is a real thing. When I see the energy level going down, we take a break, or I quickly reorganize a few things so it doesn’t seem daunting (I try to create more clarity for my clients so they can continue to make decisions).

It always gets more chaotic, before it gets better. People’s anxiety can go up when that happens, so I try to break down the day into manageable sessions.

Clutter often accumulates over many years. It’s not fair, to the client or to myself, to think that we could get through everything in one go. Expectations need to be discussed and adjusted.

This is what we worked on:

• Kitchen counter and main cupboards (3)

• Dining table

• Living area, including media and bookcase

• Office / Memorabilia 

• Front entrance closet

• Linen closet

• Laundry closet

We didn’t touch the bedroom and clothes storage (already tidy), bathrooms, the rest of the kitchen/pantry and storage locker (in the building).

HOT TIP: Question Everything
Sometimes we become blind to our possessions. Going through every article in a cupboard, basket, drawer, etc. takes time, but it’s worth it in the end for the space you will gain by decluttering the unnecessary.

Subtle Changes / Big Impact

Sometimes the transformations are subtle because most of the clutter is well organized and hidden, but still in the client’s way of living their best life.

My end goal is always to create more space around what stays, to breathe some room into the storage that’s already there, without filling it with more stuff.

I often leave the client with some homework to finish on their own. In this case, it was: bringing the decluttered items to a donation centre, going through unidentifiable media (USB drives, CDs, videotapes) and sport/event pins.

HOT TIP: Keep the Momentum Going
Clients often feel more motivated to keep going on their own, once they see some results during our sessions.