Susan’s Story…as told by Ellen

Susan contacted me out of her frustration and disappointment around getting and staying organized. She was aware of her Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) diagnosis impacting her ability to organize, but she didn’t have a clear understanding of how it was getting in the way of her living the life she envisioned for herself and her family.

After my initial on-site assessment, we scheduled our first hands-on organizing session. We began working in the most cluttered area of the home, the family room. I worked with Susan, side by side, going through the many boxes that had migrated into the family room, constantly asking, “do you use it presently, when did you use it last, where will it live, how many others, just like it, do you own, and most importantly, is there a place for it in your ideal world”? We worked at a pace that was comfortable for Susan, allowing her to make decisions in a thoughtful manner. Through this process, we discovered that Susan was having difficulties “sorting” items, and this, in fact, was severely impeding her ability to organize. Along the way, we discovered other reasons for Susan’s failed organizing attempts, and addressed those as well. The results were amazing, take a look…

Before

After

Susan’s Story…as told by Susan

I was always cluttered and disorganized. As a child with ADD, my room and desk were always overflowing, and I could never find anything. This carried into my adult life. Unfortunately, I married a military man with an almost OCD neatness need.

For decades, I tried and failed to get organized and stay organized. I might manage to get something cleaned out, but most of the “stuff” was simply transferred to another area. I could never keep it all from straying back again, usually bringing more with it. I truly despaired of ever being out from under all that stuff!

Ellen did more than help me clear out junk and organize things. She helped me sort through my issues about letting things go, prioritizing belongings, and coming up with creative ways to hold on to some things and let others go without feeling overwhelmed and upset. She taught me some excellent strategies and skills that I could then use to keep things from building up again.

Ellen also began working with me as a coach, helping me to identify the areas in my inner life that the clutter and hoarding were symbolic of. Some of the things which made it hard to deal with clutter, such as procrastinating, fear of losing attachments, and feeling cluttered inside my head were identified, and we talked through them. I no longer needed to hold on to all the material things!

When Ellen started working with me, my entire house was out of control. I would not invite people over, and I never felt at peace. Now 90 percent of my house, including drawers and closets, are orderly, and stay that way with a minimum of effort. Not only that, but my thoughts are more orderly, and the negative thinking that kept me beaten down no longer stops me from making progress. I rarely lose things, and the things I have are the things I love.

Anna’s Story…

Anna called me after learning there was an available, and much larger, apartment in her building. She hadn’t moved in quite a while, and didn’t know where to start. In fact, she had tried to get started on her own, but was unable to do so.

Together we scoped out the new place to get a better idea of the available space, and then got to work sorting the massive amount of clothing she had accumulated. Based on a series of questions, I helped her decide what to keep, what to toss, and what could be donated. We repeated this process with all her household items, and before long, she was comfortably settled in her new home, clutter free! Her newly acquired skills help her maintain the work we did together.

Bill’s Story…

Some clients benefit from a combination of coaching and hands-on organizing. As a coach, I support them to explore and find their own solutions, then move into action. As an organizer, I identify and implement solutions and systems. This was the case with Bill. In addition to having difficulty letting go of things, Bill was always struggling with perfectionism, making it almost impossible to “clear the clutter”. Our sessions consisted of an hour of coaching followed by two hours of hands-on organizing.

Our coaching sessions provided Bill with the opportunity to explore his perfectionism and find ways to deal with it. Through this process, he was able view his possessions from a different and more practical perspective. After working together for a few weeks, Bill was able to do some organizing on his own, between sessions. As coaches, we support our clients in finding a “life that fits”, taking into consideration the specific challenges they face. The transference of skills, from organizer to client, is a top priority of all organizers.