Part 2 of 3: Organizing 1000 Spaces Begins In A Single Place!
Sharon Lowenheim, The Organizing Goddess, recalls when VCRs first came out on the market. Sharon points out that while VCRs (or DVRs) enable you to perhaps go out with your friends and record an episode for later, these time-saving tasks actually prevent you from having to make a choice, so you end up committing twice as much time, and after all, what is clutter but postponed decisions. “All of our new technologies are like that. They giveth, but they also taketh away.”
Another example Sharon offers is the home office – “it’s great that instead of having to go to an office, you can work from home by connecting your laptop to your company’s server. The tradeoff is that there is no longer a dividing line between being at work and being at home… It’s now impossible to leave your work behind and retreat to the sanctuary of your home.” E-mail is another example. “It’s great to be able to communicate with so many people so quickly but the tradeoff is that we have more information coming at us than we are able to process. “
SO, with our technology-packed lives, where might one want to begin in order to get organized?
Since results are motivating and beget more results, one good place to start might be your email inbox. While any task is daunting, help from a professional is always a good thing. Sharon is actually going to be one of four NAPO-NY organizers speaking at the “Organize with New York Style” conference held at the New York Helmsley Hotel on March 5th, 2011. Sharon’s segment is going to be “Give Your Inbox a Makeover.” For those who are interested in attending check out www.napo-ny.net…
However, if tackling your inbox seems daunting to do on your own, or perhaps you have a different source of clutter that is your priority, do not fear. As President of the NY Chapter of NAPO, Sharon is privy to firsthand information from a variety of organizers and the host of challenges most people face. The main thing to remember is: “What organizing is really about is determining what you want out of your life and how to achieve that vision; for your life, your space, and your time.”
In terms of booking an appointment, Sharon shares with us that Professional Organizers are often booked solid all year – in some instances weeks or months in advance as different clients sometimes need to prepare themselves accordingly. However, if you’re motivated, Sharon explains the value in starting early is that it helps make your goals (or New Year’s resolutions) more attainable.
As for where you start the organizing process? It doesn’t matter so much where as when and the sooner the better! “It’s always easier to focus when you don’t have a lot of clutter around. Clutter is very distracting, especially as it’s postponed decisions. If you have clutter, all these postponed decisions around you are distracting. Once that’s cleared up you then have the space to think.”
CONTACT
Sharon Lowenheim, MBA, MSE
Organizing Goddess ®, Inc
1-800-LUG-JUNK
[email protected]
www.organizinggoddess.net