DIY Organization - Layered For Security

Happy Monday! I'm super excited to share this month's blog.

The work I do can be very personal and shrouded in secrecy. I'm still working hard to normalize disorganization so that people stop beating themselves up - not quite there yet!

But once in a while, I have the privilege of working with someone who understands and accepts their struggle with organization. More importantly, they are ready for change, ready to accept help, and want people to learn form their journey.

Last fall I was reunited with Regina. This, of course, is not her real name; but I have her permission to share her story - she even gave this a read-through before I published it. Regina and I worked together some three years prior. As often happens, organization slipped to the bottom of her list of priorities and we took a little hiatus. But when Regina's neighbour in her Toronto condo discovered bedbugs, the alert went out that the entire floor was to be sprayed; Regina knew she couldn't avoid her clutter any longer. She enlisted friends and family to help clear the floor and move items away from the walls; she also asked if I could be present "for moral support".

As fate would have it, Regina's unit was spared the scourge of an infestation. But having to let strangers into her cluttered space was the catalyst for her to get back on the organizing bandwagon. Our first three-hour session together was extraordinary. With careful consideration, my client made mindful decisions about what she wanted to occupy the space in her bedroom. Armoires were emptied, clothes were folded and returned to the shelves. Other clothes were tossed into the numerous bags which were carted down to my car and carried off to the Salvation Army. I returned two days later and witnessed more of Regina's determination.

But the following week I received a call. The baring of Regina's soul began. We would need to slow the pace of our work from twice weekly, to bi-weekly. She was frozen (mentally and emotionally). Her arthritis wasn't making it easy for her either. When I returned the following week, the big confession was made: The open space Regina worked so hard to create left her feeling vulnerable. She had purchased $300 of clothes and $500 of craft supplies to fill the open spaces shortly after I had left her.
Read more: http://www.homepuzzle.ca/layered-for-security/