Closets where do we begin?

Every one has at least one closet in their home that is not working for them.  I hope to get you inspired and full of knowledge of how to get your closets working for you.
First thing make sure you have a good couple hours to really get the job done if not really started!  I always start from the bottom and work my way up, you can start from top to bottom.  I find what is at ground level is the most challenging to go through so why not start there :)

Take everything out of the closet that is on the ground and put into like piles, so games with games, towels with towels, shoes with shoes etc.  After you have done this go to one pile at a time and ask yourself a few questions.  How often do I use this, weekly? Monthly or every six months or so? Create three piles from the original pile.  The items you use regularly ask where do I use them? Is this the best place for me to access them, are they as close to where I use them as possible? Can I keep them elsewhere that makes more sense?
Once you have asked these questions and answered them you will have three piles for all your original piles.  Put back the items you use monthly off to one side of the closet floor or bottom shelf, put items you us weekly in the middle of the closet floor or middle shelf.

 When it comes to the six month piles we will get to them.
Take out everything from the top shelves of your closet and ask the same questions as above.  If you use items monthly add them to monthly items if there is room if not put them off to one side of top shelf, put weekly items with other weekly items if no room put them in middle of the top shelf.
If it is a closet with clothing put all your clothing into like sections, tank tops with tank tops, t-shirts with t-shirts and so on.  If you really want to make it easy to find your clothes put each section into like colours together in the same pattern as a rainbow adding white first and darker colours last. While sorting ask do I still wear this? Can I donate it to a local shelter or salvation army?  Put all your hangers on the rack backwards, when you wear an item put the hanger on the right way. In six months to a year see what hangers are still backwards...you do not wear them donate them!

Now you will have your six month use piles left.  Ask yourself is this a seasonal item? Do I really need this? Can I store it with items in another location that is for items rarely used? Once answering these questions put the remaining items on the top self off to the side that is clear.  If you need more room put the remaining items on the closet floor off to the side that is clear.
Hopefully your closet is not still full to the brim and you have room to grow for future items to come into your life.  Try to have 15% of your space room to grow as our needs are always changing.
Share your results in the comments below!  I cannot wait to see your new and functional closets.

Why we have professional organizers

It is that time of year that where ever you look there is advertising for getting organized for the new year.  How about getting organized for YOU!  It is great if these adverts get you kick started into organizing your place and you are able to do this.  What happens when these adverts only make you feel shame and lacking in skills?  This is why we have professional organizers, not all people have the same skill set in life.  Does not make one persons skills better than another's, just different.
Most people think they know what an organizer does, well I bet you don't!. We wear several hats, from cleaner to decision maker to cheer leader all the way to a challenger.  We work with someone from where they are in the process of getting their space organized, do they have attachment to things? Do they fear they will get rid of something important? Do they just not know where to begin because it is too much for one person to handle?  We are there to support people through their obstacles, in a caring and non-judgemental way.
I have worked with people who knew exactly what the next step is to take but had self doubt that always won out in their decision making process.  I worked with another person who had such attachment to certain items that she felt ashamed of it, we took said items and created a lovely shadowbox for them and placed it on a shelf in her room, why not honour your memories?
People are complex, and need support from time to time, no surprise, most challenges in life we need others to help guide us through them.
My point is not all people can get organized for the new year on their own time because the adverts tells us too, and that is okay.  Sometimes we need to hire a professional to support us through it, I know I would be a mess withou my accountant, mentors and colleagues!
So to all you organized folks be gentle with those of your friend's who aren't and those who are not organized be gentle on yourselves, no one is perfect!
Hope this doesn't sound to harsh as I can get my back up this time of year seeing all the ads to get organized, well what if you can't?  Just some food for thought.

Where it all started

Blogging who would have thought we would be in a world where everyone could be a writer of sorts and anyone from all over the world would have access to these blogs, I sure didn't. Okay so abit about me I guess is the purpose here; I wear a few hats in life, a mental health worker, an artist, a professional organizer, a daughter, sister, aunt and friend.  Three years ago I would not have included artist nor professional organizer as I undervalued myself and my abilities.  I would have to say that over the last few years of my journey has lead me to a place where I have found a new freedom, a new sense of worth and a wonderful revelation: who cares what others think of me.  Not in a rude way but in a wow maybe I should just worry about how I feel about myself via my actions and what I choose to focus on daily.  I think I shed a few thousand pounds that day I discovered this freedom, sorry ladies I did not literally lose weight so I do not have anything to share on that topic.  About three years ago a friend of mine encouraged me to open a shop on ETSY, so with terror and excitement I started this journey of doing things I never thought possible. From having a little success with my shops, yes I ended up opening two, it lead me to believe I could possibly do other things I never pictured myself doing, either out of fear, what would others think or that horrible belief I'm not good enough (yikes I know what a false belief but it still rears its ugly head) .
So here enters the beginning of my new business, Serenity Organizing Solutions, and how I started it because well why not?  I have been dreaming about this business for years, have doodles on papers with the name and logo (several logos actually) but thought "I can't open a business I'm not good enough nor do I know what I am doing!". Well I have been talking to friends about it on and off for years and have only received positive feedback to Go For It!  It was in late summer early fall that I challenged myself and said why can't I open my business and could not come up with one plausible answer.  Anxiety slowly set in and I knew then, I was going to be a business owner and do what I love doing.
Thank goodness for people and their willingness to help others because that is all I have experienced since starting this adventure. I started out with the fun stuff, cards, website (still cannot believe I was able to make a website I am technically challenged) logo and letting friends know. Then came the reality of it all I need to find clients hmmm how do I do that? I went onto Facebook and created a page and started advertising in several local groups and got a great response. I could not believe it, I was so excited to meet potential clients and let them know how I could support them in solving their organizing concerns.
We need to go back a few years here like many, when I was young about 7 or 8 I would help clean and organize my friends rooms and help display their toys "better".  Call it OCD or a flair for space whatever it was it has stayed with me always. You could find me often rearranging my bedroom to find the best layout for what I wanted to do to in the space and to make it more p!easing to the eye. When I got older I would mention tips to friends about little things they could change in their rooms to make it appear larger or give them more space to dance, listen to music or get ready for school you know important things back then. From here I was asked to help friends out with rearranging their rooms, I would help relatives and soon it went on to helping their friends. I have been doing this for years and have done it because I want to help people find their serene space that was there all along just hidden in clutter and unorganized homes.  A few years back I did a few jobs and was paid for my time, I thought what a bonus I get to do what I love and then get paid for it. This also made it hard for me to picture opening a business and doing this on a professional level as it seemed to good to be true.
So here we are back to today where I am figuring out things as I go and am loving it. Along the way I have found the generosity of a fellow organizer, Rosalind Tantalo of Fresh Start Solutions Inc. A couple of women's networking groups that I am so excited about being part of, SWAN and Wings and Heros, and all the support and ideas from friends who know something about running a business so many to name you know who you are.
I hope to use this blog to capture some before and afters, organizing tips and my adventures in creating my business.  I would love this site to be as interactive as possible so please share your comments, tips, words of encouragement and anything else you see needed.