What This Professional Organizer Wants You to Know

Janet Fishman, J.D. is the president & CEO of HOPE Organizers, Inc. and is a member of the California.com Recommended Business Program, which highlights only the best businesses in the Golden State. To be featured, each business must be highly regarded, have a unique California story, and make a positive impact in their community. 

People seem to instinctively know that they need to be organized. While some may not be able to define the benefits of organizing or why it’s important, they can feel the desire to tidy up in their bodies, their brains, and their souls. A lack of order can manifest in unexplained angst or nagging stress and lead to negative messages from within or from another person. When left unchecked, it can feel overwhelming, as if all your responsibilities—from work and family life to taking care of the household and yourself—crash in on you, leaving you unsure of where to start or how to get more organized.

Eating right, exercising regularly, and sleeping well are generally understood as pillars to better health, but many people ignore the fact that being organized and living in a clean space can lead to a clear mind. Vacations a few times a year might help you relax in the short-term, but if you regularly have a scattered space, you will constantly live a scattered life. This habit is unhealthy, can carry over into every aspect of your life—affecting your career, relationships, and well-being—and can be passed down to future generations. Alternatively, having an organized home and office offers peace of mind, allowing you to think clearly and function efficiently.

While it might not seem obvious at first, conditions such as ADHD, OCD, hoarding, missed development of executive function skills, and physical disabilities can contribute to being disorganized. Whether or not a lack of organization is a byproduct of these conditions, consistently hearing negative messages from those around you—including remarks such as “your room is a mess,” “you are a slob,” or “you live in a pigsty”—are not helpful. Rather, these remarks give an individual poor messages, deeply affecting one’s self-confidence and self-esteem and causing life-long implications.

As you can see, there is a multitude of reasons why being organized is important, but to find the inspiration to start, ask yourself: 

• What type of lifestyle do you want? 
• Are you willing to make changes for better health and well-being? 
• Do you want to be on good terms with your family and friends? 
• Do you want to see shifts and improvements in your life? 
• Do you want to make more money than ever before? 

The Major Benefits of Organizing

Psychological Benefits of Organizing

Whether you organize yourself, have a friend or relative help you, or hire a professional organizer, you will alleviate mental overload and reduce stress, frustration, and anxiety. When you conquer your clutter, you will feel empowered and in control, allowing you to harness the strength and courage to move forward without feeling the weight of this huge project looming over you.

Getting organized also provides clarity of thought and a fresh perspective when you look around and see clear, open spaces rather than piles of clutter on the countertops and the floor. If this isn’t enough reason to get organized, tidying up can also increase self-confidence and self-esteem, open your energy channels and chakras for a better flow of energy, and provide a sense of calm in your life.

Physical Benefits of Organizing

Many of the psychological effects of being disorganized can manifest into physical ailments, making organizing that much more important. From breathing in the dust and pollutants that settle on objects over years of disuse and feeling emotionally drained, to constantly running into items as you attempt to move around the house, there are dozens of reasons to clean up.

If you feel sick and overwhelmed when you walk into a room or hyperventilate because of the disarray around you, you will greatly benefit from organizing. Not only will those negative feelings be eliminated, but you’ll also reduce tripping hazards caused by junk on the floor, remove the need to squeeze by narrow areas that result from clutter, and prevent tipping over stacks of items as you pass by. You will feel much better being able to breathe higher-quality air and, if you use a house-cleaning service, the workers will also be thrilled to have the ability to clean places they could never reach before.

Financial Benefits of Organizing

If you’re still asking, “Why is being organized important?”, you might want to consider its financial implications. When you are organized, you will have control over your bills, finances, and appointment schedules—helping you save money on late fees and missed payments as well as avoid alienating your network by missing meetings. Since all of your documents will have homes, you can also locate and check your insurance policy or credit card statements with ease.

Additionally, tidying up helps you avoid buying duplicates of items you already own. Whether you’re finding yourself buying a fifth roll of tape when you were unable to locate the four you already have or are paying thousands of dollars each year for a storage unit, getting organized eliminates the need for these additional expenses. Without these costs, your mind will be free to focus on other tasks that spark creativity or become more productive, efficient, and profitable. 

Functional Benefits of Organizing

Oftentimes, the functional benefits of organizing are the most obvious; tidying will allow you to use all of your rooms and every piece of furniture for its intended purpose. You will no longer have to live with unopened mail and catalogs scattered across the dining room table, so you can finally eat a meal there. Rather than sitting with piles of laundry and newspapers on the couch, you’ll be able to invite friends over to watch a game on TV. 

But organizing isn’t only about what you no longer have to deal with—it’s also about making your life easier. When everything has a place, you’ll be able to easily find your belongings (even the ones you’ve been looking for forever). Getting dressed and showing off your style will be a breeze when you can locate a full array of shirts, pants, and hats that you couldn’t before. Organizing the garage also comes with additional perks such as finally being able to park your car inside—protecting it from the costly damage of bad weather and break-ins—and access holiday decorations for celebrating special occasions. 

If you’re convinced that you should tidy up but aren’t sure exactly what organizing is, check out The Difference Between Cleaning and Organizing, According to a Professional Organizer.