Help! How Do I Get Rid Of THIS?!
As a professional organizer, I visit many homes. My clients do not fit any certain profile – singles, marrieds, ages ranging from 25 to 80, kids, no kids, etc. I’ve noticed with the variety of clients that I have, there are some categories of belongings that I see repeatedly wreaking havoc on my client’s spaces because they don’t know how to get rid of them. Towards that end I wanted to provide some suggestions to become a minimalist – haha just kidding – to get rid of those nagging unwanted household items. Here’s my recommendation. Do what is easiest for you to do. Idealism and perfectionism keep us stuck. Choose realistic instead of idealistic. Choose progress over perfect. Top 6 Tricky Items To Get Rid Of: 1. Paint 2. Medications (including sharps) 3. Non-donatable clothing 4. Electronics 5. Books 6. Baby Items PAINT MEDICATIONS Pills/capsules Needles NON-DONATABLE CLOTHING (stained, ripped, or overly worn) ELECTRONICS BOOKS/BIBLES BABY ITEMS DISCLAIMER: If you live outside of the twin cities, my apologies as these are local resources. These are some suggestions, but by no means an exhaustive list. This is for household use only, not businesses. Policies change so you may want to call the location before you make a run. Hence this information is as of January 2018 and not necessarily until the end of time. 🙂
Successfully (and Sanely) Preparing For a Move
Many who are moving have been in their homes for many, many years. Typically this means that they have acquired a lot of things. If I’ve observed anything from owning my own home it’s this: We hang on to useless items IF we have the space to store them. Why is this? Because then we don’t have to make decisions and process the hard choices. (It’s really not necessary to find the tattered coffee table book a good home.) We succumb to fear. (Wow, that’s a strong statement.) Let me explain by stating some of the more common fears: Trying to process through these fears can cause overwhelming feelings, which leads to avoidance and getting stuck. Few occasions bring on a purge like a move. It provides a natural opportunity to assess our belongings and deal with our fears. Many are downsizing to a simpler lifestyle, which requires living in a smaller space with less “stuff.” We must process through our own belongings and potentially other family members’ belongings. Trust me, you don’t want to box up that volleyball set you haven’t used in five years. But you are tempted to do just that because then you don’t have to make a decision. Getting Unstuck: How to Prepare for a Smooth TransitionMoving is an overwhelming task, even if you consider yourself an organized person. If you take a little time to plan what lies ahead, you’ll be more prepared and less stressed through the process. Here are recommendations to help you prepare: Tackling the Process of Packing It will also let you spend the time to correctly assess your items before the chaos of packing begins. During the packing process, you will likely come across additional items. And that’s okay.
Get Summer Organizing Projects DONE!
Do you have those items on your “to do” list that seem to resurface every summer? You move them from year to year until eventually you scratch them off, undone, deciding you didn’t have time to do them. Sometimes removing our perceived “to do’s” is freeing. Re-prioritizing perhaps. But oftentimes it’s defeating. Maybe it was a task like moving plantings, cleaning out a closet, or cleaning the windows. Sometimes those tasks are optional, other times they need to be done. The problem is there’s no urgency, no fire. So they sit. Staring at you. Reminding you of your good intentions and lack of completion. Making you frustrated. Feeling like you’re not enough. Here’s how to have success in summer organizing: Getting nagging things off your list will inspire you to take on other things in your life in other areas. It frees your mind and creates new possibilities. Life has all sorts of challenges. If you give your challenge areas some intentional thought and get help, you can conquer those tasks that have been weighing you down. You can do it!
Make Room in Your Closet
Whenever the weather warms we feel inspired, energized, and ready to tackle the world – or at least our house projects! No project is too daunting in the spring. It’s a time of renewal and growth, especially as we await Easter. So much hope. When the seasons change it’s a natural time to “clean house”. Everybody is creating their lists of things to clean. I want to encourage you to think organize FIRST. Once you’re organized, cleaning is easier because you have less “stuff” to clean around. According to the National Soap & Detergent Association, getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40 % of the housework in the average home. Sign me up! Cleaning is generally part of organizing and decluttering process but the overall approach to the project is different. I don’t like to clean, but I love to organize! One nice thing about living in Minnesota is that we enjoy 4 seasons. The benefit of huge temperature differences is that we wear very different clothes in the winter versus summer. The downside to this is having all these types of clothes can pose a closet challenge as we try to keep all seasons and possibilities in our closet. The good news is we may not get tired of our clothes as quickly because we get a break from them. If your goal is to be able to find the clothes that you like and the outfits that look good on you, then I recommend you swap out your seasonal clothes – no matter how BIG your closet is. What clothes should you have in your closet? ONLY the clothes that you love and wear now. Some practical reasons to swap out your clothes: Returns: You discover (and hopefully return) any borrowed items from your sister or friend that you forgot about. You also may discover clothing with tags still on them that may be returned to the store (clearly you didn’t love it if you didn’t wear it when it was brand new). Trim Down: You’ll naturally evaluate what you have and thin out. Reducing inventory is great because you can easily find your favs (mediocrity can starve out fabulous). Discard & Repair: You can throw away or repair items that have holes or are worn out. Others in Need: Donating is an easy way to help those less fortunate. Donate any items that are out of style or don’t fit* but are still in good condition. There are many great organizations (listed in sidebar) that help people in need. If you’re not wearing your clothes, someone else could be. Reduce visual clutter: If you keep your out of season clothes in your closet all year long, your brain has to work harder to ignore them and find what you’re looking for. If you store them you will not be looking at those sweaters all summer long and you’ll be glad to see them in the fall: Like old friends coming home, creating positive feelings. Who doesn’t want that? If you’re not glad to see them, that’s a good indicator they need to find another home where they’re loved. Freshen Up: When you pull your new season’s clothes out of storage, take them right to the laundry (or dry cleaners). You can start the new season on the right foot knowing what you grab will be ready to wear. (Yes, you’ll have more laundry that week but you won’t have to take the time smelling everything to determine cleanliness. (Is that really a good indicator, anyway?). Check for spots you may have to pre-treat before washing. This is especially helpful for items that we don’t wash after every use like sweaters. Hang Ups: For many of us, when we pull our clothes off the hanger, the hanger stays where we pulled it from. Over time, this wastes space in between our clothes, making your closet overly full. Take the time to gather all your hangers and assign the ”hangers waiting for a job” to a spot where they don’t take prime hanging place. Take the time to ditch the wire hangers. This also helps you keep track of the quantity of hangers you have before you buy more. Now it’s easy to throw a handful of hangers into the laundry basket going back to the laundry room for the next load. Easy Money: If you have items that may be more valuable, you may want to consign them. *A note about clothes that don’t fit right now. Items that aren’t your size anymore are tough. There are hopes that you’ll be “that size” again. I get this, I really do. I suggest “limited hope”. What this means is to keep only ONE bin of items that are not your size. You heard me say ONE bin, right? If you’ve gone through one year and those clothes are still more hopeful then realistic. I recommend they go to someone who can wear them now while they’re in style and before parachute pants make a comeback (please no). Don’t keep this bin in your closet, unless you have a ton of room. If you still have your wedding gown, old bridesmaid dresses, or prom dress consider donating them. If you have a photo of you in them, that’s all you need. They served their purpose in your life. To encourage only keeping what you wear, keep a bag or container in your closet, bedroom or close by to put donations into when the mood strikes. When you pull something out, put it on, look in the mirror and say ‘blech!’, it can go right in the bin. Many organizations will come and get your ‘I don’t look cute in this anymore’ items. They will pick-up right at your doorstep. Couldn’t be easier. If you accumulate items in your donation bag as you “do life” and schedule a pickup every time you get an email from these donation services, you will regularly (and easily) be free of the items you no longer use. Ready. Set. Go!!!
What EXACTLY does a Professional Organizer do?
The Organizing industry is truly a hidden gem. I couldn’t believe I didn’t know the industry existed until a couple years ago. Of course, I was actively avoiding places like The Container Store. I knew if I set foot in there it would be all over. Poverty would follow. I knew I would love it and I’d go broke in 6 months. Truly. I had never been in the store until after I decided to go into this profession. And yes, I love it. In the crazy world we live in, there are endless ways to help our clients. Most folks are at full, or over, capacity trying to keep all the plates spinning with their day-to-day lives. How can they keep up? How can they learn all the processes and tricks to manage their lives more efficiently and reduce their stress? How do they know how to declutter a closet efficiently and thoroughly? Enter the organizing profession. You may have wondered how I ended up in this industry. The Business Analyst role did not entirely fit me. The analytical aspect as well as creating order was suitable. Mostly I was motivated with activities such as improving processes, streamlining and documenting procedures, and organizing online data. Then I had a conversation with a friend. We were talking about projects around the house and I was saying that I was doing some organizing and said something to the effect of, “I wish I could do this for a living! ” She said, “You can. That profession exists.” WHAT??!!!! (mind blown) And life has never been the same. During my research, I discovered there are several different national and international organizations that exist to support this industry. Who knew? One of their primary missions of these organizations is to get the word out that this industry exists and how our expertise changes lives. My research initially landed me at the NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) website. Here, as you can imagine, I relished every word and thought I discovered the “mother ship” for my people. Believe it or not, this is worldwide phenomenon. Other countries have national organizations as well like Canada, the UK – even if they spell it “organise”, and of course Japan (as many of us are familiar with Marie Kondo and her book about tidying – which really just means organizing.) There is an organization that supports organizers who are helping clients that are challenged with chronic disorganization. There is even an organization that seeks to unite the various national organizations worldwide called the International Federation of Professional Organizing Associations (IFPOA). Who knew, right? When I decided to become a Professional Organizer, I really didn’t understand the depth of the industry I was jumping into. My decision was based on my business-world skills, my natural bent (thanks Mom & Dad!), and life experiences of figuring stuff out while I managed my life and household. The industry thrilled me but I had to learn exactly what all is involved in helping others with their challenges. I found that there is A LOT more to this career than that meets the eye. The reach of our industry knows no bounds. It reminds me of physicians and how they have many specialties. Many organizers are generalists, but most also have specialties as well: hoarding, closet installs, garages, moves, residential, photos, ADHD/OCD, transition, time management, kitchens, eco-friendly, new moms….the list goes on and on. It’s funny that when you have an aptitude for something, you originally think that everyone must think like you do. I distinctly remember an experience of organizing with someone before I “turned pro”. I was thoroughly enjoying myself feeling pumped as I was getting more organized. I passed them in the hall and said, “Isn’t this fun?” to which they snarled, “No, it’s torture!” What? You may be thinking the same thing as you’re reading this. I get it. You don’t think organizing is fun. You hate it and find any excuse to do something different. We are all created differently. Thank goodness! When I have to do things involving say money, I look for all the distractions I can find. Squirrel! What Do Organizers Do?Some people think Organizers just put things away –like somebody’s mom (sorry I just had to). Others think we are administrative assistants, some think we plan events. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word organize as “to arrange or order things so that they can be found or used easily and quickly : to put things into a particular arrangement or order”. That just barely touches on the industry. Currently, there are two main types of Organizers: Residential & Business. Business organizing focuses on positively impacting businesses. Taking on goals such as gaining efficiencies, streamlining workflow, improving paper and electronic files, and coaching are typical offerings. Residential focuses on the home. For the purposes of this blog, we’re focusing on residential organizing. I recently read an article about getting organized that basically told people the key is, “Things need to go where they need to go.” Well yes, but this doesn’t address the challenge many have in setting up an effective system of where things go. It doesn’t address busy lifestyles, multiple people in the same space, special needs, feelings of being overwhelmed or stuck. I could go on and on. I was really saddened by this person’s lack of understanding and compassion for the challenges of getting organized and staying organized. It reminds me of my bitmoji (app where the avatar looks like you). This brings up a basic philosophy in this industry: No judgment. Compassion and understanding are the tenants on which our industry is built. Most Organizers number one goal is to help. Does a personal trainer look down on someone 20 lbs overweight who wants to get healthier? Of course not or you wouldn’t hire them. Organizing is the same way. We exist to bring about desired change, to help our clients achieve their goals, to watch the excitement as their world expands and the fog lifts.