Identity Crisis

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Despite all the media coverage on getting organized, many people still don’t understand what a professional organizer really does. Recently, at a networking event, after I introduced myself and described what I do, someone came up to me and said, “Oh, you clean houses.” Other times, when I’ve introduced myself as a professional organizer, I’m asked what kind of organizing I do. Event organizing? Labor organizing? To avoid confusion, I now call myself a personal organizer. However, I must confess, when I started out working as an organizer, I had only an inkling of what I would be doing.

When I began organizing I quickly found out that it was not just about de-cluttering someone’s home. Some clients call me in because they have reached a crisis point. They may have experienced a life event that has left them unable to cope with their clutter. Others are just so busy with jobs and families that they don’t have the time to stay organized. Some may not be able to keep organized because they may suffer from a neurological disorder; or, no longer have the physical capacity to do the work. I soon realized that, in order to help my clients, I had to understand what had happened in their lives that got them to this point.

When I go into a client’s home I go in with a different set of eyes. Together we discuss the situation and what the goals and priorities are. As we work together I learn what has led to their disorganization. While some clients are ready for change, others are not. I reassure all my clients that I will work and organize according to their needs, not mine. After all, this is their home and they will need systems that work for them, not for me. I will make suggestions to organize something differently from what they have been doing. When I detect their apprehension, I give them the option of going back to the system they used before. Fortunately, no client has asked to go back to an old system.

To better serve and support my clients, I joined the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and NAPO-DC, the local chapter of NAPO. This month, after five years of good standing, I was admitted to NAPO’s Golden Circle in recognition of my commitment to my profession.

Continuing education is an important facet of being an organizer. I have taken online courses with NAPO and the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD). I attended the national NAPO conference in Baltimore in 2012 and plan to attend the 2016 conference in Atlanta. I also attend NAPO-DC’s monthly meetings in Maryland and Virginia. I even belong to a book group with other NAPO-DC organizers where we discuss books on, what else? Organizing!

Finally, my favorite descriptions of what I do come from two of my clients. One calls me “The Finder” for always finding her misplaced items. Another refers to me as “Her Therapy” for helping her get her life back. I am very proud to wear these “badges.”