My clients often say that clutter causes them stress. Clutter-related stress can come from several sources, such as:

• An overabundance of items to manage and maintain

• Too much visual stimulation or overload

• Difficulty making decisions

• Being the recipient or holder of other people’s things, such as adult kids or deceased loved ones’ belongings

• Accumulating things, yet rarely editing or letting go

• Perfectionism

• Overshopping

• Executive functioning challenges that make it difficult to plan, categorize, prioritize, or sequence

• Not establishing ‘homes’ for things

Where Is It?

I want to focus today on the last point about ‘homes’ for things. When you can’t find what you’re looking for, it’s stressful and frustrating. It can make the simplest task take twice as long because you can’t find what you need to do ‘x.’ Not knowing where your things are can affect your time and relationships, leading to lateness and causing stress with family, friends, or co-workers.

The challenge of not having ‘homes’ for things can show up in various ways.

• Have you ever misplaced your keys and spent 30 frantic minutes looking for them, only to be late for a coffee date with your friend?

• Have you ever tried to cook dinner and couldn’t find the pot you needed, the measuring spoons, or the recipe you wanted to use?

• Have you ever gone to pay for your purchases at the local store only to realize you couldn’t find your wallet?

• Have you ever been about to make an important call and couldn’t find your cell phone anywhere?

Do these scenarios, or anything like them, resonate with you?

“When you can’t find what you’re looking for, it’s stressful and frustrating.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

The ‘Adult Version’ of a Childhood Song

A while ago, I found an anonymous Internet meme or joke that connects to the childhood singsong, “Head and shoulders, knees and toes.” Do you remember that one? If not, check out this short, silly video.

This meme is:

“The adult version of ‘head, shoulders, knees, and toes’ is ‘wallet, glasses, keys, and phone.’”

The song helps you identify and quickly locate your body parts. It’s useful to apply the same strategy to your belongings by creating ‘homes’ for them. When you think of the object you want, knowing it has a home means you immediately know where to find it.

You can use this song to:

• Reinforce the value of having reliable homes for your belongings.

• Create a home right now for the thing you’re looking for, so you’ll always know where to find it.

• Lighten your mood and reduce stress when something is missing. A little humor can go a long way.

What Needs a Home?

As you think about your belongings, which things do you frequently misplace or don’t have a place for? Pick one and create a home for it right now. Build from there.

What is one consideration you use when creating an effective home for your stuff? Have you tried creating homes that don’t work? Can you describe the difficulty? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

How Can I Help?

Do you feel overwhelmed or disorganized? Is the clutter in your life causing stress and frustration? I’m here to help! You don’t have to do this alone. Virtual organizing is an extraordinary path forward – Local feel with a global reach.

Let’s connect! I’m easy to reach.

• Schedule a Discovery Call

• Fill out the Contact Form

• Email me at linda@ohsorganized.com or

• Call 914-271-5673

Decluttering, getting organized, and living with more ease are possible, especially with support.

I love helping my clients succeed as they make changes in their lives. Being part of their organizing journey as they experiment and grow is a privilege.

Prioritizing goals, changing habits, and learning new skills is no small feat. It takes patience, time, and curiosity. Sometimes, I’m asked, “How much can you accomplish in a one-hour virtual organizing session?”

Of course, that depends. However, it doesn’t matter if you’re planning, decluttering, assessing, or something else. My goal is to help my clients experience and notice their progress during every session.

Progress shows up in different ways. It might be . . .

• Having a perspective shift

• Decluttering a surface

• Reducing overwhelm

• Letting go of unhelpful ideas

• Making decisions about emotionally charged possessions

• Gaining clarity around the next tiny, doable step

• Designing an organizational solution for a challenging area

• Planning a big project

• Figuring out where to start

• Gaining confidence

• Identifying potential obstacles

• Noticing the changes they made

• Learning new skills

• Organizing mind clutter

• Brainstorming about how to prioritize commitments and goals

• Getting unstuck

• Organizing a specific area

• Improving their mood

• Feeling empowered by their progress and agency

An Essential Question

My friend and colleague, Juliet Landau-Pope, begins each client session with this question. It’s a beautiful query because it encourages the client to review their progress and identify the benefits they’re experiencing. She asks,

“What value did you get from the last virtual organizing session?”

I listen carefully to what my clients say. They talk about their obstacles, positive changes, progress, and goals.

My clients experience many positive results from their one-hour virtual organizing sessions. I’m sharing their inspiring thoughts with you, which are categorized into five areas. They are:

• Clutter

• Progress

• Mood

• Enjoyment

• Empowerment

41 Inspiring Results Clients Describe About Their Virtual Organizing Sessions 

Clutter

“I’m in the process of un-messing.”

“The bedroom is more habitable.”

“Clutter is more energy than it’s worth.”

“The couch looks better.”

“My pile of ‘going’ is getting bigger.”

“Stuff was much more overflowing before.”

“I now have a blueprint for how to declutter.”

Progress

“I made headway.”

“So much progress has been made.”

“Once on a roll, it’s easier.”

“I got so much done during our session.”

“It’s a big deal for me to be this focused.”

“I am making significant progress. I couldn’t do that a while ago.”

“Wow! This is starting to come together.”

“I feel more in control.”

“I see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“I now have a blueprint for how to declutter.”

— Oh, So Organized! Client

Mood

“Things feel mentally more manageable.”

“I am way less overwhelmed.”

“I feel better.”

“I am so relieved to be dealing with this.”

“I feel good. I was down in the dumps when I couldn’t do anything.”

“It’s good to talk about emotional strategies to make it better.”

“This feels so good what we did today.”

“At the beginning of our session, I felt like crying. Now I feel giddy.”

“I’m in a better mood now.”

Enjoyment

“This was super helpful and fruitful.”

“Who knew organizing could be so fun?”

“This was very helpful. It was better than I thought it would be.”

“I really enjoyed our session.”

“This has been so much fun.”

“I see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

— Oh, So Organized! Client

Empowerment

“Things are improving. I’ve got this.”

“I have a plan that I can actually accomplish.”

“Not insurmountable anymore.”

“I’m in a whole other place than before.”

“It's not scary anymore.”

“I know I can do it. I can pair things down.”

“Not impossible or unconquerable.”

“I feel very motivated.”

“This is so liberating. I deserve this.”

“This is empowering.”

“I can do this!”

Virtual Organizing is a Powerful Path Forward

Which client experiences resonate with you? Have you worked with a Virtual Professional Organizer? If so, what positive results did you experience? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

Do you need help getting unstuck, making a plan, decluttering, or organizing? If so, I’m ready to help. Please email me at linda@ohsorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Moving forward is possible, especially with support.