Professional Organizer - Work Cluttered with Joy
I talked with Dee, the professional organizer who is helping me get organized in my home office. I asked to tell her story about being a professional organizer. Here it is, in her own words:
My choice to become a professional organizer has evolved out of my desire for a new career and out of necessity in helping my 8 year old son Alec, who is an Autism Spectrum child. Because of his unique challenges and his need for a peaceful, non-chaotic environment, I have learned the value of what good organization can bring to his well-being — physical, mental and emotional health.
For most people, general organization is “nice,” but for children and adults with special learning challenges like my son, it is an absolute necessity. People who struggle with the daily effects of ADD, ADHD, and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) must overcome many sensory obstacles that most of us simply cannot comprehend. My son has taught me a lot over this past few years and I have decided to use my passion to help others to no longer live in personal surroundings which they perceive as whirling, uncontrolled nightmares. I can help them create restful environments that are filled with a sense of order and harmony.
Most people are unaware of the mental and emotional effects of our clutter. Each day we waste tons of energy in “clutter management.” We move it from place to place, we shift it, store it, lift it, walk around it, and we even dash madly to hide it when company comes to visit! We spend hours frantically looking for things like our car keys, wallets, invitations, school notices, work documents, etc., only to find them in, under, beside, or behind some pile of dust-gathering junk, newspapers, or magazines that we have not read since Carter was president!
A professional organizer can help you start to sort out those piles and stacks of clutter. Maybe cleaning the desk top you haven’t seen in months, sorting that basement room where you hide things, or helping you develop a system for sorting the pile of mail that causes such stress in your life each day.
My first task as a professional organizer is to take time to get to know you, my client. My most important step toward success is gaining some understanding of your “mental picture” of what a smooth-running, productive day truly looks like. This picture is as unique as your fingerprints. Some clients prefer that I work with them through the entire process, whil others prefer that I “have at it” on my own, and some want to hire me more as a “motivational coach” who gets them started on projects and gives them homework assignments.
One of my favorite clients was a beautiful, feisty 80 year old widow who lived in a small dilapidated farmhouse. I was hired by her children to help her clean her dining room table. The family no longer came over for dinner because of the piles of old newspapers, receipts, photographs, and magazines which littered the table top. I spent two whole days cleaning off the top of the table. Words cannot describe the sheer joy and delight on her face when she saw her dining area clean, beautiful, peaceful and ready for her next family gathering! I honestly didn’t know that an 80-year-old could hug my neck that hard! OUCH! It hurt so good!
Being a professional organizer has benefits, such as scheduling my own hours, being active throughout my work day, and getting financially compensated for my personal services. But it’s those times with people like my elderly client that are cluttered with a sense of pride, accomplishment, and purpose that is, in a word, PRICELESS!
Quite a story, Dee! I admire you for your great ideals and I know you’ll be fantastic in your own business!
Image source: PicApp
Tags: autism spectrum, home business opportunity, professional organizerShare This
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POSTED IN: Business Ideas, Home Business Opportunities, Organization
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