Although organizing and exercising may not seem to have much in common, they actually have many similarities: both require discipline to keep it up; both help you (or your environment) look and feel better; both are good for you; and both sometimes require the help of an outside professional. I often encounter prospective clients who have trouble justifying hiring me to help them do what they feel they “should” be able to do themselves. One such prospect nervously asked me if all I’d do is sit there and watch her go through papers. I suggested that her concern was similar to someone who might ask if all a personal trainer does is count. You don’t hire a professional primarily for what they know and do, but mostly for what they help you achieve and become. After all, even the best professional athletes have a coach.
Here are some reasons to hire a professional organizer (or enlist the help of another outside party) and how they’re similar to why you might hire a personal trainer:
You’re not getting the results you want. If you’ve tried getting organized on your own but things seem to fall back into disarray, it might be time to ask for help. An outside pair of eyes may see that you’re not setting up systems that work for your learning style, or may recognize factors that are causing you to be chronically disorganized and are impossible to overcome on your own. You’ll find the process is quicker, easier and better when using a professional than when you do it on your own.
You don’t know where to start. When you’re overwhelmed by how much there is to do and don’t know where or how to begin, it might be time to seek the help of someone who is skilled at breaking down overwhelming projects into manageable pieces. Professional organizers typically follow a tried and true process and can help you where to start systematically turn your chaos into order.
You can’t stay focused. You might find your mind or your feet wandering as you work on getting organized. There’s an organizing technique called “body doubling” during which people gain focus, energy and motivation by working alongside a professional who is familiar with the technique.
You quit when it gets too hard. You may use a variety of methods to motivate yourself, but you just can’t get past the fact that getting organized is difficult and challenging. Once again, body doubling will help you push through those tough challenges and encourage you to achieve more than you would on your own.
You want to learn how to do it on your own. You may not need a professional organizer to help with every area of your life – maybe a session or two is all you need to learn the proper steps and get some experience implementing the process under the guidance of an expert.
I’ll discuss more similarities between working with a professional organizer and a personal trainer next week. Until then, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the comparisons.
Best wishes,
From health updates to decorating ideas to news items, magazines and newspapers can contain a wealth of information. However, that information is meaningless if you don’t take the time to read it. I have a hard time making time for reading because I always feel there’s something “more important” that I should be doing. So I use car trips (when my husband is driving) to do most of my reading. I enjoy reading magazines about caring for the home and family, including 
