- Do you feel so guilty about what a mess your place is, you hesitate to invite anyone over?
- Is it hard to walk in a straight line inside your home, because some "stuff" is in your way?
If you answered "Yes" to the above questions, you're not alone. That was us before we worked with Louise.
My husband and I are... often buried in work day, night & weekend (on our PCs). One of us (me) is physically limited/considered disabled, but was raised by a hoarder and is a recovering shopaholic. The other half is an absent-minded professor/engineer/artist type; smart but housework is not his strength. Combine these two people + moving from a bigger house to a 636-ft condo + almost 10 years of not getting rid of much, you can end up with a disaster on your hands. (Then there are also 3 cats. But their messes are mostly biological.)
When I think about it, our "stuff" consists of an awkward mishmash of our past lives and some things from our present life. I almost wrote "mosaic," but it's not always that pretty. Both my partner and I have carried around mementos from our childhood, since before we met. Some Christmas presents from family decades ago, which we may not have touched for years. Magic the Gathering cards, circa 1994-1996. Old Bon Appetit magazines with then-favorite dishes. Rocks and seashells from our trips. Various hampers we each collected.
We were able to purge and part from computer files that were filling up our PCs, but we were not focusing on "What makes us happy right now?" in our real life.
In the past, we'd sometimes sit down and cite to each other the need to tidy up. We may each look through some mail - but rarely all of it - and by the time that is somewhat "done," our focus would shift, and the next day, nothing had changed.
Or I may psych myself up to clean one area one day, and would clean - let's say the bathroom countertop. The bathroom countertop would be clean for a week, but nothing else changed. Dealing with other areas was too overwhelming. I sighed.
I felt we needed some drastic intervention, so I contacted Louise to book a 14-hour Organization package. (Being both INTJs, by email.)
I was nervous she may turn us down once I showed her our current state, but even after sending some snapshots, she remained upbeat and optimistic about the potential outcome. I was impressed and encouraged.
Then she came to our rescue. (Superhero music here.)
Organizing was hard work - because we only have so much decision-making muscle capacity in our brain, especially on a Saturday after a long week.
But we treated it as a special occasion: a "present and future" party, to decide what we want to live with *now* and for years to come.
Because so much of our belongings consisted of what served us well in the past. Not what we needed or wanted in our current life.
Louise reminded us of this, and furthermore, worked the hardest of us all. I'm not sure when or if she got to take any breaks.
As she kept chipping away at our what used to be a giant tangled mess, the living room started to look like a spacious, peaceful sanctuary (esp. considering the "before"). There were some homework items, but now I felt - for the first time in years! - I could have someone over. (We did!)
So much was accomplished in one session, we were very much encouraged for our second session. At the same time, as the time approached, I admit I was once again scared. What do we do with bigger messes? Would she get upset we haven't kept it up as it was?
Well, we just had our second session. I didn't need to be scared - Louise was just as nice, supportive and practical, not forcing our decisions in one way or another, but mostly helping and being a positive catalyst.
It's hard to explain, but Louise has a way of empathizing with you so you don't feel guilty at all, and at the same time she is incredibly helpful in guiding you to the right direction.
And the result is superb. Now we feel peaceful in two additional rooms. (Our results may be slower than typical, as I cannot move very much. To us it was miraculous.)
If you want to enjoy living in your space, I highly recommend working with Louise. She'll help you find a place for your stuff and yourself, so you can feel happier in your home.
Thank you Louise! read more