Your Organizing Tipping Point: When To Get Help

When people find out what I do, the response is typically a joke about their own level of disorganization, or that of someone close to them. "Oh, can you come to my house?" or "Ha! My boss really needs you."

With a few exceptions, nearly everyone feels they could use some help with getting organized. Probably everyone, professional organizers included, has certain pockets of their homes or facets of their lives that could use some improvement, but how do you know when to ask for outside help?

I have some resources for you listed below. You should get some kind of assistance when your disorganization is:

• Being neglected for a long period of time and continually procrastinated.
• Costing you money (late bills, lost checks and paperwork, duplicate purchases… see also this post about 7 ways that disorganization costs you money).
• Causing you to waste an unacceptable amount of time.
• Creating an unacceptable level of stress in your home or workplace.
• Breeding frustration and conflict between you and your spouse, partner, children, or business associates.
• Building a history and example for your children that you are not proud to impart.
• Preventing you from having friends and family come over to visit due to embarrassment.
• Stealing time from the things you'd rather be doing, like spending time with your children, or hobbies, or exercise.
• Causing your systems not to function normally, whether that is getting your work done, getting your laundry done, or being able to use your space for the functions you really intend.
• Preventing you from basic functions like sleeping in your bed or cooking, or blocking entrances and exits to your home. If you have more severe issues with clutter, such as potential hoarding issues, you will definitely benefit from getting assistance from a trained and experienced person or team. See below for resources.

Here is a continuum of resources for you, listed in order of increasing expense and complexity:

• Read tips and articles giving information on doing projects yourself, motivating you, and providing insights– such as our content here on the blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, and in our weekly newsletter. Our newsletter comes with a bonus 12-page report, "30 Ways to Find Time to Get Organized." Cost: FREE.
• Trade organizing favors with a friend. You organize her closet, she helps with your kitchen. Working with a friend creates accountability to each other as well as providing perspective and objectivity on your stuff. Cost: FREE.
• Study organizing books, which can go more in depth than "just tips" to help you learn more and create a plan for yourself. There are many books out there, and of course, we must mention The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life, available online or at major bookstores. Kindle edition found here.  :)  Cost: under $20. You can read a sample chapter here, that's free.
  
• Get advice from experts online with our groundbreaking online program, The Clutter Diet®. We've made access to professional organizers' advice affordable for anyone in our member message board area, where we have our team answering members' questions and providing advice 7 days a week. Cost: Our monthly memberships are from $11.95 to 17.95/month, which you easily earn back with just one fewer late fee you'll pay or one less meal you eat out because of your improved organizing habits! Learn more about the program and what it includes by clicking here.
• Hire a professional organizer in person. There is no better way to make fast, efficient progress! Even hiring an organizer for a consultation alone will bring you lots of great perspective and give you some insightful strategies, but hiring one to work side-by-side with you to complete the work is the best way to bust through the problems. There is no substitute. You can search a worldwide directory of my colleagues at www.napo.net and put in your zip code and preferences to find the right person for you. Cost: Professional organizers' rates vary widely, but in general I can say that they range from about $50-125 per hour. Some charge by the project.
• Get trained help for special needs such as hoarding and ADD/ADHD. If you need more advanced help, visit the site for the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (formerly known as NSGCD). Personally, I am not an expert on hoarding, and the resources I mentioned previously in this list will likely not be adequate to address the problem. The ICD site has some free resources there for learning more, and there is a directory of trained professional organizers who hold special certifications. Cost: Professional organizer fees, plus fees for other forms of therapy and assistance for hauling, disposal, cleaning, etc. Do also check with your mental health provider and your local city/county officials to see if your area has a program or task force on hoarding that may provide some resources at a reduced cost.

Have you reached your limit? If you've utilized resources like these, what was your tipping point, and what were the results you achieved? Share in the comments!

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