Several months ago, the Utah Professional Organizers local chapter chose a new idea for our Annual GO (Get Organized) event.
In order to have a better understanding of our clients’ experience, we were randomly paired with another organizer to do an organizing project in our own homes. We not only faced the somewhat uncomfortable feeling of having another person see our clutter and go through our stuff, but we also got to benefit from the power of working as a team to tackle an organizing project.
This was a poignant learning experience for all of us, and gave us better insight and understanding into our clients’ perspective that we may not have had before. This awareness not only sharpened our skills, but will also benefit our clients as we work with them from a more enlightened and empathetic position.
Mary: I got to work with Linda Hilton, owner of Sorting Through. It was a new experience having someone else in my space, and I noticed some feelings of guilt and shame as she surveyed my overstuffed, rather disorganized garage. But the uneasiness soon dissipated as we got to work! I loved Linda’s technique of cleaning each little area as we went along so that we could feel grounded by the progress we were making. She was very frank about the wasted space of holding onto large, empty cardboard boxes, and played the role of cheerleader as I threw most of them in the recycling bin.
Linda was a great sport when a huge amount of leftover detritus from a new roofing job fell on her head as we pulled a box down from a high shelf! I appreciated her calm and jovial attitude and enjoyed learning her favorite organizing tips as we went along. It just so happened to be trash day, so we were able to get rid of an old box spring without having to load it onto the car. Bonus!
Within three hours, we had gone through every single thing in the garage, made a huge donate pile, and organized the remaining items. For the first time in years, I was able to park my car in the garage! I’m grateful for the experience of putting myself in our client’s shoes. We aren’t judging you–we only want to assist you in accomplishing your goals, and I promise you’ll feel so much better when the job is done. It’s invaluable to have a professional helping hand.
