I was helping a client re-examine the layout of her daughter's bedroom today when she asked me if I had noticed her daughter's little desk was not so cluttered. Indeed, she explained, a 4th grade friend had volunteered to give some order to the disarray on the desk: The pens and pencils stood upright in a mug, some books and her paper notes were gathered together in two distinct piles and the rest of the space was vacant - to do her homework, presumably. I smiled at the thought of the young friend wanting to do a good turn and relieve the room of some of its confusion.
Of course, the desk or any other isolated section of a disorganized home is but the very tip of the iceberg. An experienced Professional Organizer worth their salt does not only sort and reduce duplication and redundancies, they also see what is missing from the equation. The Organizer needs to capture the primary reasons causing the disarray: Is it inadequate space and lack of storage areas? Poor planning possibly? Or, some other factors that hold the client hostage to a state of disorganization. Usually, it is a combination and usually it is far more complicated than the cliche "if it's not useful or beautiful, it's clutter."
So when we organizers are dealing with the very private possessions of a client, we must arrive at an inherent understanding of what is important and relevant for that person: What really motivates them? And how can we equip that person with a circulating system that will accommodate incoming new stuff while managing to harness existing stored items.
There are no universal right answers, no magic one-size-fits-all blueprints. In fact, most of the time it is the Client who finally arrives at the intricate crossroads of what is acceptable for them and practical from an organization point of view. The role of the Organizer is mainly to guide their client to reach that unique personal comfort level in relation to their surroundings that does not interfere with their daily living and joy.
