Organizing
For some people, the mere mention of getting organized can raise anxiety, increase overwhelm and cause them to curl up in
a fetal position. There's no doubt that some situations such as chronic chaos and hoarding can be daunting.
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However, if you're faced with moderate clutter and disorder, we can definitely create a sense of peace in your home or office. Understanding the real cost, financially, emotionally and energetically, might help motivate you to take action and let go. Consider the 'Real Storage Costs' example to the right:
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It may help to understand your clutter style. In her book, “How to Conquer Clutter”, Stephanie Culp identifies four basic types:​
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The Stuffer jams items behind closed doors while the surface appears neat and tidy.
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The Spreader must view every piece of paper at once by laying them on all available surfaces.
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The Procrastinator, aka the Perfectionist, delays jobs until just the right and perfect time, tools and circumstances are available. And of course,
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The Pack Rat simply hoards everything, not only in their home, but in multiple storage units.
Real Storage Costs
$1500 monthly mortgage or rent
x 10 percent of your space used
to store unwanted, unused,
broken, out dated stuff =
$ 150 per month PLUS
$ 126 average mid-sized climate
controlled 10'x10' storage unit*
$ 276 total per month
x 12 months = a whopping . . .
$3312 per year
Clutter Definitely has a Price!
Disorder directly costs money when bills, buried under mounds of paper, don’t get paid on time, resulting in unnecessary late charges. Or perhaps a recently purchased product breaks down and you’re faced with paying the cost of repairs because the warranty can’t be found. Professional organizers have found cash, checks and even a valuable collection of baseball cards worth thousands was uncovered for one client.
The more subtle cost of clutter relates to the loss of time and energy. How long does it take to find information in your files—both in cabinets and on the computer? Donna McMillan, a Los Angeles professional organizer says, “If it takes more than 30 seconds to find, it’s in the wrong place.”
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Being disorganized and holding on to clutter equates to carrying around an energetic weight that results in feeling tired, stuck, confused and overwhelmed with life. Clearing out clutter not only frees up physical space, it also releases mental and emotional stress. Finding a place for everything gives us a sense of control over our environment and projects an image of professionalism in the workplace.
Click to see a Home Office Organizing project from start to finish.
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Contact Toni to organize your home or office. Together we can do it!
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* According to LifeStorage Blog, this is the average mid-sized climate controlled cost for a 10' x 10' storage unit
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