Did you join a gym in January? If you’re like me, you have high expectations of working out several times a week. You plan to take some classes, learn how to use the weight machines, and get yourself in shape. But after a month or two, you skip a week, then maybe two, and you really don’t like that Zumba class and before you know it you’re eating ice cream and making excuses not to go to the gym.
Sound familiar?
I got smart and hired a personal trainer. Three times a week I met Frank at the gym. Frank told me what to do, and explained what he was doing as we went along. He told me which exercises worked on which muscle groups and why that was important. He taught me the machines, how to use free weights, and a hundred different ways to work on my abs. Even when I didn’t feel like working out, I went because I was meeting Frank. I was accountable. The more we worked out, the more I learned, and the more established a habit of working out became.
A professional organizer is like a personal trainer.
You have probably read books about organizing, bought all kinds of neat containers and products, and may have started to organize on your own. But if you’re reading this, it probably didn’t work. Even though you knew what needed to get done, you may not have known where to start, or how to develop the skills you need to stay organized over the long term. It may be just too overwhelming, so you put another paper on the pile and eat ice cream.
A professional organizer keeps you accountable. When you hire an organizer, you are making an appointment to tackle disorder. A professional organizer will work with you side by side and teach as you go along. Like a personal trainer, a professional organizer can assess your needs and develop a plan tailored to you. It may take a short time to “learn the machines” and develop a new routine. Or you may need ongoing sessions to keep you on track. Being successful in the gym is the result of developing new behaviors and habits. Being successfully organized is the result of the same thing.