Action Organizing Coaching

®	ACTION ORGANIZING SERVICES®

COACHING

Letting go of stuff in our lives is extremely difficult for some people. While some things are easy to discard, others bring up old memories, deep emotions and indecisiveness. Sometimes years and lifetimes have been spent building up that horde of stuff. It is a hidden aspect of many lives and sometimes comes with guilt and shame. Hoarding is an attempt at control of life or all that stuff.

People who suffer from this hard-to-treat psychological disorder are unable to discard items because of a fear of needing them again, concerns over being wasteful or a sentimental attachment to the items. Some hoarders accumulate so much that they nearly bury themselves in their own homes.

In some cases when we have troubled relationships, dysfunctional families, etc. our things become our comfort, our family.

“Hoarding is a serious mental health problem, and serious mental health problems require serious treatment,” said Dr. David Tolin, director of the Anxiety Disorders Center in Hartford, Conn. “There is some role for professional organizers, but we need to recognize that that does not solve the whole problem.” Hoarding behavior is sometimes present in a number of mental disorders, including schizophrenia, dementia, eating disorders, and autism, but it is most commonly found in people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

You have to let go in order to make room for new in your lives. Let go of all those negative emotions that cause you to collect -- guilt, fear, anger, jealousy, etc.

As organizers we need to show that organization is freeing and a liberating experience. In order to feel free and not suffocating we need to let go of not only the external clutter, but the internal as well.

Continue to check our Links page for additional links on clutter, disorganization and hoarding.

What do Professional Organizers do?
Many Professional Organizers help clients work through papers and possessions and guide them through decisions to de-clutter and organize They work to apply basic organizing principles to individuals and their needs. Many Professional Organizers specialize in small business, home office or residential organizing and are usually prepared to do the work required within those areas with their staff.

Do Professional Organizers work for clients or with clients?
Each Professional Organizer is different and works differently according to the needs of the client. Action Organizing Services will work along side h/her client if h/she is willing or able. Some are not able to take time away from work or daily duties, which may be why h/she is hiring someone to do it.

Some clients just don’t enjoy the process of organizing and hire a Professional Organizer to do it for h/her. Other clients are willing to organize but need a skilled "helper" to help. In that case, the Professional Organizer will work side by side with h/her client. Many clients eagerly want to learn the skill of organizing and work along side h/her Professional Organizer.

There are clients with physical or emotional limitations who are only able to work part of the time with h/her Professional Organizer. In rare cases, some are not able to work with h/her Professional Organizer at all. In either situation, h/her Professional Organizer will know how to keep the client aware and informed along the way.

How do I select a Professional Organizer?
The process of hiring a professional organizer is similar to that of choosing other independent contractors or consultants. Ask questions about the organizer’s years in business, areas of expertise, fee schedule, and references.

Brenden is available for public speaking engagements as well as for training new professional organizing assistants who are interested in becoming part of the organizing world in the Metro Milwaukee area, but also in the rest of Wisconsin.