Jan. 16, 2024 – Greetings from freezing cold Texas!! I bet it’s cold where you are, too.
So I wrote out a whole draft of a completely different email yesterday, but because things happen, I woke up this morning realizing my true message today is a different one.
One I’ve shared many a time: we are better together.
Teamwork makes the dream work.
There is so much more power, energy, and ease (and FUN!) when we come together.
Have you ever made a bed? I think you likely have.
There are two ways to make a bed. One takes at least five minutes, and the other takes more like 90 seconds, depending on how many pillows or extra items are on that bed.
What’s the difference? I know you’re smart enough to realize that it takes longer when you do it alone. EXPONENTIALLY LONGER.
When you work alongside someone, not only do things go faster, but it’s much more fun!
Since I walk the walk of getting organized, I’m a member of the Take Your House Back course and this past weekend was one of the hailed and highly anticipated virtual “All-Day Declutter” events.
Does that scare you? Well, if you have ever said to yourself, “This weekend I’m going to tackle the garage because I’m sick of it!” and then proceed to pull 20 years of boxes onto the driveway and then stand there about to cry, then yes, I can see that it might cause you some PTSD.
But this was NOT THAT AT ALL. This was a beautifully orchestrated 8-hr event broken down into 45 minute guided chunks with 15 minute breaks. Each hour was led by one of the organizers (Dawn, Cas, and Dana), there was a fun lunch hour game, and then the last session was Q&A with all three for about 30 minutes.
It was FANTASTIC! I got soooooo much decluttered and GONE FROM MY HOUSE and I feel incredibly lighter!!
“Ryan, did you say this was 8 hours?!?” You read that right!
The crazy thing was, it went by so fast! I never stood there feeling sad and defeated and like, “why do we have 27 bags of random screwdrivers?”
Why was it great?
It was the ACCOUNTABILITY and GUIDANCE.
There is no substitute for it.
You rarely (I won’t say never), but rarely will you make that kind of progress alone. Or if you do, it’s not for that long.
Can we bottle this magic sauce, please??
Oh, and there were hundreds and hundreds of people doing it at the same time, cheering each other on, posting their bags and boxes of decluttered items, and caring for each other when things got tough.
So, guess what?? This same type of gorgeous ACCOUNTABILITY AND GUIDANCE can be applied to working through your PAPER. I’m talking about your filing cabinets, kids memorabilia, and whatever other paper chaos you’ve inherited.
It’s 100% true.
I’ve been a Paper Solution Certified Organizer with Organize 365 for 5 years now and I’ve helped many women sift, sort, declutter and organize their paper in 1-1 sessions, group virtual sessions, and in-person retreats.
When I had my first in-person paper organizing retreat in 2018, I was BLOWN AWAY at what my clients accomplished in a day on paper stacks that had been sitting for YEARS, even decades, untouched in their homes.
They found money, vital documents, and sentimental items, yes!
Also, they recycled and shredded 80% of what they brought with them, OH YES!
They arrived with huge carloads of full boxes and left with tidy piles and empty boxes!
And I will put it on the line when I say, there’s LITERALLY NO WAY they’d have done what they did ALONE in their homes.
WE. ARE. BETTER. TOGETHER.
And guess what?? The Georgetown Retreat is back one more time!
Because I walk the walk of “we are better together”, I have teamed up with my amazing Certified Organizer colleague Jennifer Butler of House of Order Organizing to bring you a paper organizing retreat like you’ve never seen before!!
“Wait, Ryan, I can’t come to Texas!” No problem, we will have two virtual sessions on Saturday!
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR???
#wearebettertogether so SIGN ME UP!!
Message me at organizing4good@gmail.com with your questions!
See you in February, in person or virtually!!!
