Why Do Professional Organizers Exist?
There seems to be a profession for any problem, and organizing is no exception.
Because organizing struggles are so common, Professional Organizing has been booming to help people sort through their issues (often literally).
Here are some of the top reasons why POs have grown in popularity:
- Because people bury important paperwork under mountains of useless stuff.
- Physical and digital chaos is overwhelming.
- Some folks have no system to decide what possessions to keep or toss.
- Many people routinely can’t find the things they need.
- Organizing your home before or after a move is serious work.
- The difference between cleaning and organizing is lost on many people.
That’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
What a Professional Organizer Will (or Can) Do
The sky’s the limit for Professional Organizer services if your need is remotely organizing related. There are even customized memorabilia organizing systems and specialists available!
At a high level, here are the skills and services you can expect from a Professional Organizer.
- Collection and hoarding identification … and explaining their hazards.
- Process and system creation for maintaining a tidy environment (and brain).
- Solutions to your behaviors, personality type, or disorders.
- Possession management for moving or downsizing your living space.
- Workflow designer and spatial relationships guide.
- Resource connector to recycling, donation, and disposal options.
- Storage and action system expert (physical and/or digital).
- Creator of efficient email systems and how to manage your inbox.
- Teacher of moment-to-moment time management skills.
- Assessor of the elderly’s special physical, medical, and emotional organizational needs.
- “Document life cycle” guru.
Ask a Professional Organizer if they do “that” and the answer may just be, “Sure!”
What Professional Organizers Can Do For Your Kids
People with kids can appreciate the, shall we say, distinct organizational challenges of having them. I have three children and I know exactly how tough it can be.
Although kids have some of the same issues we do, POs deal with kid-specific struggles like:
- An out of control toy box or accessories drawer.
- A haphazard mess in their room, play zone, or study area.
- Time management with homework and chores.
What They Can Do For Your Business
Professional Organizers typically work with small businesses, especially those with the same problems as individuals. But most won’t shy away from a mid- to large-sized businesses, even if their needs and solutions are way different.
A really good PO can step in, assess an overall business situation, identify needs and goals, and develop a customized organizational system for many aspects of the business. Some can even help with project management initiation and implementation.
If you have a small business and need a Professional Organizer, definitely make sure they have experience with a structure like yours (not to mention the systems).
What They Can’t Do For You
Here are a few of things most POs won’t do.
- Clean your house.
- Provide long-term manual organization of your physical or digital space.
- Forcibly work with someone who hasn’t requested their services (e.g. a hoarder).
When in doubt, just ask, “Do you do that?”
How to Know If You Need a Professional Organizer
What symptoms make you a good candidate for Professional Organizer services? Here’s a great starting point:
- Trouble categorizing, sorting, and identifying the excess in life.
- Struggles with document, space, workflow, and time management.
- Chronic disorganisation, especially the kind causing stress and quality of life issues
- Repeated failure to reconcile organizational problems yourself.
- A lack of skills, patience, or emotional balance to convince or train a family member/friend about being organized.
- Issues setting smart goals.
Clutter-Free. Your Organized Life 