What to expect when working with a professional organizer
Are you overwhelmed by clutter in your home or workspace? Do you find it challenging to keep things organized and in order? If so, hiring a professional organizer may be the perfect solution for you – getting organized is an investment in your home and in yourself. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through what to expect when working with a professional organizer, helping you to understand the process and how it can transform your space.
1. Choosing your organizer
Just like you wouldn’t hire an electrician or financial planner without checking their references, you’ll want to make sure you hire a trained professional when it comes to organizing your home. Members of NAPO abide by a code of ethics and have received education in the field; they offer professional, confidential, and non-judgmental services tailored to your needs. Likewise, KonMari® Consultants have completed supervised training and have been certified by Marie Kondo. Amélie is one of only a handful of people in the world to be a member of both organizations! If you suffer from specific challenges, you might want to turn to the ICD.
What to consider:
- What type of qualifications are important to you?
- Is there a personality type that meshes best with yours?
- What style of organizing are you most drawn to?
- Can you form an idea of who this organizer is based on their website or social media presence?
2. Initial consultation
Before any organizing begins, a professional organizer will typically schedule an initial consultation. This meeting (which can be on the phone, online, or in person) allows you to discuss your challenges, goals, and expectations. During this time, the organizer will assess the scope of your project and discuss potential strategies, timelines, and pricing.
What to prepare:
- Have a list of your organizing challenges.
- Identify any specific areas you want to focus on.
- Be ready to discuss your goals and vision for the space.
Photo by Sarah Brown for Unsplash.
3. Decluttering process
The first essential step in organizing is decluttering. Your professional organizer will guide you through deciding what to keep, donate, or discard. This can be an emotional process, so having an expert by your side can provide motivation, guidance, and support – though the final decision is always yours. Plus, an organizer like me can remove donations from your home and drop them off where they will be used, greatly simplifying your to-do list!
Key tips:
- Do NOT tidy up before your organizer gets there!
- Prepare some boxes or sturdy bags for carrying donations.
- Be honest about why you’re keeping certain items; understand that it’s okay to let go of things that no longer serve you.
- Embrace the feeling of liberation that comes with decluttering.
4. Hands-on organization
Once decluttering is complete, the fun part begins: organizing! Your professional organizer will work with you to create functional and aesthetically pleasing systems for storing your belongings. This might include everything from labeling bins to rearranging furniture and buying organizing supplies.
What to expect:
- Selecting organizing supplies based on your needs and budget.
- Using space-efficient storage solutions, including racks, bins, and specialty organizers.
- Customized systems that are easy for you to maintain.
5. Education and empowerment
A good professional organizer will not only help you organize your space but will also empower you with skills and strategies to maintain the organization over time. They’ll teach you how to create effective organizing systems that work for your specific habits and lifestyle.
Learning components:
- Practical tips for daily maintenance.
- Strategies for preventing clutter accumulation in the future.
- Recommendations for ongoing organization systems.
Photo by Luisa Brimble for Unsplash.
6. Follow-up support
Many organizers offer follow-up support and check-ins to ensure you’re still on track. This could include additional sessions to tackle new areas or to refine existing systems. Having ongoing support helps maintain motivation and accountability.
What you might experience:
- Scheduled follow-up sessions to reassess and adjust your organizing system or reset things.
- Resources for ongoing support, such as articles, workshops, or online communities.
- Encouragement to keep the momentum going after the initial project.
7. Realistic expectations
Remember that organizing is a process, not a one-time fix. It may take time to see the full results, depending on the extent of the work and your ability (as well as that of other household members!) to adjust to new systems. Professional organizers understand this and will work at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
Important points to consider:
- Be patient with yourself and the process.
- Celebrate small achievements along the way.
- Understand that developing new habits takes time.
Conclusion
Working with a professional organizer can be a rewarding experience that transforms your space and your mindset towards organization. By understanding what to expect, you can embark on this journey with confidence. From initial consultations to ongoing support, a professional organizer is dedicated to helping you create a functional, serene, and clutter-free environment.
Ready to take the first step? Reach out today and begin the process of reclaiming your space!
Hi there! I’m Amélie, a professional home organizer in San Antonio, Texas. I help people like you declutter their home, organize their belongings, and simplify their life. I love cleaning out a closet and removing a carload of donations from a home! My goal is to help you create a functional space that will make your life easier and more peaceful.
Interested? Check out my personalized services or book your complimentary consultation!
Limiting beliefs
I’ve been thinking about limiting beliefs recently. By “limiting belief,” I mean things that you believe, subconsciously or not, and that end up getting in the way of the life you want. This can happen on different scales and different topics, but let me use a few very recent examples from my life to illustrate.
I went to Fiji during spring break. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, essentially made possible by the confluence of different factors (major sale on plane tickets, low season which meant lower hotel prices, window of time when I could step away from responsibilities at home, not to mention bucket-list item). But even then, even as much as I was looking forward to it, I didn’t feel completely comfortable with the idea. The types of thoughts swirling in my mind were, “Do I deserve to go?” “People like me don’t go to Fiji.” “That’s crazy, that’s not the kind of trip I can go on.” And why? (Spoiler alert: I did go, and I had a wonderful time!)
Here’s another example from earlier this month. I live in San Antonio, where there is a SeaWorld park that offers dolphin interactions. Being in the water with, and touching, a dolphin has been a life-long dream of mine. And yet. And yet, I wasn’t booking the experience, because it just seemed like a crazy thing to do. Other people do this, but it’s too... what, fancy? out there? only rich people do that? only lucky people? My husband then gifted me the experience for my birthday. Honestly, considering that you don’t even have to buy tickets to the park for this (only tickets for the dolphin encounter, which is technically just outside the park), it’s really affordable! I had such a good time, too; it was everything I’d hoped for. This is something that was easily doable, right where I live, and still it took someone else to get me to do it. I’m grateful to my husband, but I really should have done it for myself years ago!
Then I went to see Brené Brown speak at Trinity University on April 16th. This event was open to the public, and free to boot, and still there was a little part of me that felt like it was too much for me. And again, it can be big things like “She’s one of the most sought-after speakers world-wide – do I even deserve to be in that room?” to little things like “What about parking?” and “I don’t usually go out in the evenings.” I know this is a pattern for me, so I just got a ticket and went. And obviously, I am super glad I did! Dr. Brown is an engaging speaker, and hearing her speak about leadership was inspirational.
Of course, having this hesitation can also be an issue before big life changes, like when we moved to Texas from Quebec. It seemed like such a big step that just the thought of it could have prevented us from moving, which would have meant turning down my husband’s dream job offer and, ultimately, living a very different life than we do today.
Those limiting beliefs will karate-chop you in the kneecap if you let them! Growing requires you to step out of your comfort zone. The truth is that I am the kind of person who loves to travel and have new experiences; even though I have certain limiting factors like budget and schedule and my own anxiety, when I can make it work, I will. That’s a much nicer story to tell myself, and it will serve me far better than staying at home. So it’s not just that you have to seize your joy; you have to create your joy.
The reason I’m bringing this up here is because I now recognize the same thought patterns in some of my clients. Some people think they don’t deserve to have pretty bras neatly arranged in a drawer, or they feel like they’re not the kind of person who could have an organized home, or they’re not worth the investment, or they just don’t see themselves hiring a professional. And that’s not true! You have to believe that you’re worth it before it can happen, and trust me, it CAN happen! You also have to stop standing in your own way – have enough faith in yourself to step out of your comfort zone and make the changes necessary to lead your ideal life.
