A Tale of Two Clients

Workbook for organizational help

In actuality, this is a tale of two types of clients. It is a compilation of several that I work with. For ease of the tale, I will just call each type Client A and Client B.

Both start off the same way.

They give me a call. They feel that they need help.

They are:

• Overcome with clutter

• Overwhelmed

• Stressed

• Have tried to do it themselves but just can’t get anywhere

They want help on the whole house.

When I work with clients, I want the sessions to be positive. I want us to work toward a vision. I like to work in one zone at a time. The idea is that everything in that zone that does not support the vision is either gotten rid of or moved to another area. When that zone is complete, we can move on to another area.

Client A

Client A wants to work on her whole house. After a bit of discussion, she decides to start at her entry and then move through the rest of her house. She has an end date that she would like to reach but it is nine months away.

Her vision is to have a clutter free and welcoming entry way. She wants to feel welcomed when she enters her home.

She makes a list of what needs to be changed to make the area match her vision. At this point in time, she feels that her vision needs to be modified. She will work with a current vision and a slightly different vision for the future when she has more money.

We start with the floor. She first gets rid of any trash or boxes to break down. She removes items that need to go elsewhere. She finds items to donate to Goodwill and some items that she wants to give to someone special. Items that will stay in this area are contained and put away. She makes a list of items that she might want to purchase at a later date.

She will continue to work in this area and give feedback while on the next session we will move on to another room.

She is also aware of habits that she will modify to maintain the entry.

By the end of the month, she is satisfied that she has reached her modified vision in the entry and what she has accomplished feels good to her. We continue to work on other areas.

Client B

Client B also wants to work on her whole house. She has a difficult time deciding where to start but then decides to start in the living room where she enters her home.

She has a difficult time coming up with a vision, but she knows that she wants the clutter to be gone. She wants the area to be safe for people to come in to do work and to look attractive. She wants to feel relaxed when she comes into this area. She has no hard end time for the project to feel completed.

We start with the floor. This has become her drop zone. She leaves her shoes and work bag here. Pet supplies are dropped here. She picks up her mail irregularly and it is usually laid on various flat surfaces in this room. Everything that she wants to leave the house is also stacked here.

She finds boxes for recycling, shredding, trash, and for filing. We find a container to place items that need attention. We take all clothing to her bedroom and stack on a chair.

Next, we gather up mail and she finds a basket to drop the mail into until it can be processed. We also find a small trash can to dispose of the obvious junk mail.

The process is slow because many items do not have a home or have many homes. Without a clear vision of her spaces it is hard for her to make decisions.

On the next session, we reset the living room floor. She is still not sure what she wants in that area. She has a lot of ideas but can’t seem to pick one. She also has extra furniture taking up space.

We look at other areas that she wants to work on, but she has a hard time deciding on one. I suggest she starts in her office as she works from home a couple of days a week.

Later in the day after our session, she does a Goodwill drop off.

Before our next session she was at a store and bought more pet supplies. Even though she did not need them at this point in time she felt that they were such a good price, so she bought them and left them on the floor of the living room.

Meanwhile in the office where we were working, she had housed a sick cat and did not want to disturb that space. She had moved her office work temporarily out to the living room.

I continue to work with both clients. Client A is making very good progress, and we have worked in her entry, her living room, and her kitchen. She gives me updates in-between sessions. She is clear on her vision. She is delighted with her progress. She makes decisions easily and keeps her appointment times.

Client B is struggling. Without having a clear vision, the work we are doing is more like putting a Band-Aid on a sore without really healing it. She can make lists of things she wants differently and we can continue to work on them, but it is harder to feel elated over a complete job.

However, we continually manage to get rid of items including furniture in her house. She is making slow progress and is happy with what is accomplished.

I still hope that she will complete an area and feel that she has control over it. I also hope that as we continue to dialogue, she will find a vision for her space.

“Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vison just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” ~ Joel Authur Baker

If you want some help with making your home match your vision or if you are still working on developing your vision, check out my workbook, From Vision to Victory. By following the step-by-step procedures, you will pin down exactly what you want to change, develop a plan to help you make the change, and learn techniques to help you keep your new organization in place.

Jonda S. Beattie, Professional Organizer owner of Time Space Organization, and co-owner of Release, Repurpose, Reorganize. She is based in the Metro-Atlanta area. As presenter, award-winning author, as well as a retired special education teacher she uses her listening skills, problem solving skills, knowledge of different learning techniques, ADHD specialty, and paper management skills to help clients.