Clearing clutter and getting organized

Spring is not here yet, but clearing clutter is an everyday task. I am always trying to purge all of the "stuff" that seems to gather in our house on a daily basis. I feel quite in control of the entire house except one or two areas and one of those areas is pretty much off limits. We are talking about my husband Doug's office. Doug, like many men, does not want me to touch anything because he says, "He knows where everything is." And to a certain degree he does, but the point is, "How efficient can you be when you can't even see the top of your desk?"

However, Doug realized that he needed to get organized. One of his big concerns was that he'll be traveling much more and he can't expect me to filter through everything if I needed to assist him while he was away. He also thought that if anything should happen to him, how distraught I would be sorting out his papers and business trying to understand and piece together the incredible mess. He felt that it was important not only for him to be organized but for my livelihood as well. And of course I agreed.

So, A few weeks ago I hired and office organizer for Doug. His development company is growing quickly and I knew that in order for him to stay on top of things, he needed to get more efficient with his time, and starting with the organization of his office was the best place to begin. I found this woman Lindsay and her company "Professional Organizer and ADHD Coaching", on the internet 6 months ago and bookmarked her knowing that at some point we would hire her. What caught my eye was statement below title of her company, “The non-judgemental solution to chronic disorganization.” And although I think all of us could have tendencies of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) under our highest moments of stress, I don’t think Doug is ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - Doug hyper? I don’t think so :). All I knew, is that if Lindsay was coaching people who were, she was going to be very patient and compassionate.

About 6 weeks ago I called Lindsay and had a great conversation with her. She listened intently to what I had to say and she was so positive to talk to. She said some things that made me feel so relaxed and at ease, and I immediately liked her. I explained to Lindsay what I thought my husband might need from my point of view, but that I was sure he would have additional, if not totally different needs. After a 15 minute or so conversation, she assured me that she would come up with some systems to help Doug become more organized and to stay that way; systems that would work and appeal to him and the way he worked. I was sold on Lindsay. I thanked her and said that my husband would be calling her in a few days. Now I just needed Doug to call her and see if he felt the same way about Lindsay.

A few days later Doug Called Lindsay and obviously he did; he made an appointment with her. I was excited but I would not choose that word for how Doug felt. I think he was looking forward to it but not quite sure of what to expect and how grueling or pleasant the experience would be. However, I knew that in the end, he would be grateful that he had hired her.

The day came for Lindsay to arrive and I left. I wanted Doug to have the first few hours with her alone so that he could discuss any organizing issues that he had and I would not get in the way of him speaking freely and frankly. I would join them for the last two hours. Doug and I had discussed before Lindsay's arrival that it would be important that I be there for the "systems" portion of the meeting since I'll be helping Doug from time to time with some of his office work.

When I walked in at 3:00 Lindsay and Doug were busy shredding, filing, clearing, and organizing. There was already a dramatic change in Doug's office and I could see that he was really getting into this. I hung out in the background and just observed for awhile. What I noticed was that Lindsay had a wonderful quality of being a great listener and asking really good questions, as well as making it fun, which always relaxes everyone! When Doug answered her, there was no judgement on Lindsay's part. She would acknowledge his response and give him a few suggestions on how to resolve the issue. She was very open to "creating systems" that would work for Doug and not just giving him "systems".

One of Lindsay's goals was to get Doug's desk clean and to keep it that way so that he could have a work space. In order to do this, beside the obvious of just clearing the desk and setting up filing systems, she said two words to Doug, which were so important: "Decide now." I saw it written on Doug's board and thought, "This is a great piece of advice!" Doug has a tendency to let things pile up on his desk until he has no more surface of his desk visible! By "deciding now", it clears the issue of clutter immediately, and doesn't allow papers to just sit there day in and day out. I noticed that when Doug would look at something on his desk and say "Oh...I'll get to that in a minute", Lindsay would say, "What is that? Let's ‘decide now’ where it goes and put it in the appropriate place." Her actions got Doug to "decide now" what to do with every piece of paper as opposed to waiting until later. Do any of you know what I mean? We all have a tendency to let thing pile up; some people do it more so than others. Lindsay was teaching Doug that the moment the mail or other paper comes in, to look at it, discern what needs to be filed, or trashed or shredded, and then do it. I loved that idea and as much as I do this already with mail, I too have a paper pile on my desk that needs to be handled.

Lindsay also suggested that Doug buy a label maker to mark all of his file folders. Doug wasn't so hot on this idea, but with a little coaxing we convinced him that everything looks more professional and clean when it is not hand-written. While Doug and Lindsay were clearing Doug's desk, I used Lindsay's label maker to make labels for some of Doug's most important every day files. Already things were looking so much better.

Later on, we went over a list of things that Lindsay suggested we buy in order for Doug's office to work in a most efficient manner. It included wall hanging files holders for those files that Doug would be using everyday and needed at his fingertips. These files would hang directly to the right of his desk. Accordion files were also needed: one for his office labeled with all of the categories he needed, and an exact copy, only a smaller one for the car and/or travel. Doug has so many receipts from his business and keeping them all in one area has been one of his biggest challenges. With these two files and a new system: Problem solved. A Blackberry or something of that sort was on the list; this was going to be his new datebook. A new bookcase for all of his project binders and a small table were the only two major pieces of furniture that we needed to buy, everything else was related to Doug's filing systems. Oh, and a confetti paper shredder - our shredder is way outdated and not very safe for shredding important and private documents.

After 4 hours Doug's session of clearing clutter, organizing, filing, and a bit of Feng Shui thrown in, the session with Lindsay was complete. Doug's office had a new facelift, and systems in place. Doug expressed that he was really looking forward to putting his new systems to work and being able to focus more clearly with a clean uncluttered desk. I could tell that a big weight was lifted off of his shoulders but more importantly I think he felt in control of his office; he knew where everything was and that everything had a place. There was nothing in his office that he did not know about. In the corner temporarily sat a pile of clutter who's new home was the Goodwill. I was excited for Doug knowing not only how much more efficient he would be able to be, but how much more happier and more creative he would be in his new space. The big test: Will Lindsay's systems become habitual for Doug? As I write this they still are and I have faith that they will continue to be. Hey, I even got inspired to work on my office and incorporate some of her systems. Thank you Lindsay for helping both of us!

If you're looking for someone to help you organize your office, your home, your life, I would definitely recommend Lindsay and her company "Professional Organizer and ADHD Coaching". Take the quiz on her website and see if you could use her help. Think you are ADHD? Lindsay is also a Life Coach for people with this disability. Give Lindsay a call for a free consultation in either area - she is wonderful!

Does Lindsay’s work inspire you? Interested in becoming a Professional Organizer?
Lindsay has an e-book that can help you do just that.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Lindsay, Professional Organizer