Professional Organizing: 4 Things I Don’t Do

Many of us form preconceived notions about certain professions and more specifically about how individuals in those professions do what they do.  This is very much the case with NYC Professional Organizers.  I am constantly fielding questions from prospective clients as well as from those who I meet in networking events, workshops or even the customer service manager at my bank about what I do. The nature of these questions is indicative of the lack of understanding concerning my work style and philosophy.  In addition, the current crop of reality television shows have added to the misconceptions.

As I am encountering questions like “Are you going to make me throw everything away?” on a much more frequent basis, this is the perfect time to dispel some of the misconceptions that exist.   Here are 4 frequent comments I receive as a NYC Professional Organizer and my immediate response to them.

1.  You will make me throw away everything.

I will guide you through the decision making process so that YOU can decide what to keep and what to discard.  It is essential that you learn how to make these decisions so that you can maintain the systems that we establish.

2. I’m not neat.

It is essential to recognize that you don’t need to be neat to be organized.  If you prefer to always have everything in its place, that’s great.  However, if you prefer a more relaxed atmosphere with the items that you need or use frequently closer at hand, that’s fine too.  You need to create an environment that works for you.

3. You are going to yell at me.

Most definitely not!  My job as a NYC Professional Organizer is not to pass judgment on you or the disorganization that you have created in your home or office.  My job is to help you get organized so that you will be less stressed and more efficient.  I prefer to do this by being  patient, creating a relaxed environment and instilling a little humor into the process.

4.  My home/office is a mess…. the worst you’ve seen.

Probably not!  I prefer to look beyond the physical state of the space and to recognize the fact that an individual has decided it is time to address the problem.  It’s much more important to focus on the positive changes that can be made than to dwell on the current state of the space.

Once a prospective client recognizes that my objective is to work with them to create an environment that is more productive and works for them, these notions are immediately dispelled.