Hasta La Ideas

The Power of the Organizing Habit by Connie Jeong

Last year I had the opportunity to attend the NAPO conference. While I was there, I met organizing and productivity professionals from many different places. Some of these professionals are NAPO members, others are members of associations in their own countries.

It was very interesting to discuss perspectives on organizing and productivity with people from all over the world. Here is what I learned.

Ingrid Jansen from the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers (APDO) in the United Kingdom, informed me that while their association was formed in 2004, many people are very private and still reluctant to hire an organizer. However, now it is becoming more accepted and organizers are being recognized for the value that they bring to their clients. In many cases, adult children no longer live in the same area as their aging parents and organizers are called in to help people downsize. It is beneficial for families to have an impartial advisor when making decisions about possessions.

In the Republic of Korea, the Korea Association of Professional Organizers (KAPO) have a great philosophy — they promote Freedom of Emptying, Corrective Filling, and Joy of Sharing. In Korea, organizing and productivity professionals are recognized more and more as a valuable resource in restoring work-life balance. Organizers help their clients build their “clean muscle” so the clients are able to organize on their own. They teach their clients to think like “space gardeners.” Just like a gardener routinely extracts weeds from a flowerbed to keep the plants flourishing, we must keep our homes uncluttered by removing items that are not used. Additionally, KAPO’s professional organizer training program requires members to volunteer their services to sectors of the population that normally would not be able to afford professional organizing services.

Isabelle Lamy is an APDO member originally from France. She indicated that many of her clients do not know where or how to dispose of items. Charity shops may not accept certain goods and municipalities may not accept them into their waste streams. Professional organizers can help because they have built a network of charities and business that accept items for donation or disposal. Professional organizers research storage solutions and can provide best options for your space. It is great that many people have the “do-it-yourself” attitude and but they can save themselves much time, effort, and money by consulting with a professional organizer for advice.

Japan Association of Life Organizers (JALO) was founded in order to help people in Japan to improve their social lives, to be healthier as well as to create better and higher quality living spaces. Their president, Mayumi Takahara, indicated that the minimalist movement is building. Younger people especially have realized that shopping is not a solution to their problems and they want to clear space in their homes for a more meaningful life. Marie Kondo’s book is very popular and clients request assistance in the Kondo method of organizing.

I spoke with many organizers from around the world who are also members of the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD). These organizers are specialists in helping clients who chronically disorganized or facing other organizational challenges such as hoarding.

Most of us think of uncluttering and organizing as something we do with the stuff in our kitchens and closets but organizers help their clients with technology as well — from uncluttering and arranging computer files to digitizing family photos. They can also recommend apps and websites to keep their clients productive whether at home or at work.

It would appear that people everywhere need assistance with uncluttering and organizing — at least some of the time. For those do-it-yourselfers, we at Unclutterer have over 1000 posts with organizing tips, almost 900 on home organization, well over 300 on office organizing and over 200 on time management. For those needing a little more assistance, consider hiring a professional organizer for a consultation.

Post written by Jacki Hollywood Brown