From Clutter-Keeper to (Almost) A Minimalist

My journey to becoming a Professional Organizer didn’t happen overnight. Though I’ve always been passionate about organizing, it’s also true that I have always loved STUFF. And I had a lot of it.

I grew up with a family of generous gift-givers. I had a gazillion stuffed animals, books, Barbies, dolls of every kind, puzzles, board games, and too many hobbies to count.

I was also a collector. At different times, I collected stamps, stickers, postcards, Garfield memorabilia, books, keychains, rocks, turtle figurines, pigs, anything with cats on it, and dollhouse miniatures. On top of that, I held on to every note card, hand-written letter, movie and concert ticket, and photo that came my way.

Downsizing Through Moving

When I moved for college, I downsized a little, letting go of some of my childhood things—but not many. After all, there was plenty of storage for my stuff back home and I knew it wasn’t going anywhere. After college, I moved out of state with my mom. When I look at photos from that time, I am SHOCKED at how much stuff we took with us. Especially remembering that we left a lot of things behind in storage!

Fast forward a BUNCH of moves and a LOT of downsizing in the last couple of decades…

My last move (my 17th!!! since college!) finally saw me drastically reducing the number of things I own. I’ve always liked the IDEA of living with less, and I have worked toward that goal for years. Really.

Minimalist Mindset

You know what’s different now?

Working as a Professional Organizer has been the catalyst for truly creating my minimalist mindset.

It’s one thing to sort through your possessions and make decisions time and again about what to let go of and what to keep. After working with my clients and helping them purge their stuff, I would feel energized, and then come home motivated to go through my stuff again with a new perspective.

I have helped clients sort through and organize all kinds of spaces—garages, offices, bedrooms, barns, basements, sheds, playrooms, service vehicles, and even an RV. I have learned no matter what space we are organizing and whether my clients are high-income or low-income, they ALL have a TON OF STUFF. While helping them go through everything and make decisions about what to keep or sell, I realized that almost everyone has the same struggles with letting go of clutter.

We worry about wasting money.

One client might have $800 shoes and another might have $20 shoes, but they both have too many and they both feel the pain of wasting money when they contemplate getting rid of what they aren’t using.

I could write an entirely different blog post on all the reasons we struggle with clutter-clearing, but the point I wanted to make today is to let you know that I am not intimidated by chaos. I know what it’s like to have a lot of STUFF.

I also know how hard it can be to let go of things. Things you spent money on, or things you inherited, or things that belonged to someone you loved who has passed away. Things you were given, or things you might need someday, or things that represent who you used to be. I know the pain of letting go of clutter, and things you don’t consider to be clutter.

We are embarrassed that our homes look this way.

Pretty much every client I work with is embarrassed about the state of their home. They are worried about being judged. Some of them don’t allow friends or family to come over because they are worried about the safety of small children or pets getting hurt or injured due to stacks of clutter.

If this rings true for you, please know…

You don’t need to be embarrassed about your clutter.

You don’t need to feel guilty that you bought things you didn’t use.

You don’t need to feel ashamed that you can’t close the doors to some of your rooms because of the amount of stuff in the space.

Your house is NOT the worst I’ve seen. I promise you.

If you have tried and failed to clear out clutter on your own, call me.

You CAN declutter your home and your life.

You CAN create space and room to breathe.

You CAN get help with this. You just have to contact me.

Back to that minimalism thing…

I had dreams in college of someday having everything I own fit in the back of my car (and I drove a small sedan, so that was just ridiculous daydreaming). I’m not such a minimalist that I can do THAT (…yet). But if I needed to sell my furniture and put everything else I own into a storage unit, I think it could fit in a 5’x5’ space.

Believe me, I understand completely that this is NOT a goal for very many people. It’s 100% okay that you don’t even want to consider such a crazy idea. I’m not trying to convince you to become a minimalist.

I share my story so you know that I wasn’t always like this. I was a bonafide lover of stuff. I have been a collector. I have moved many, many times—three times across the country—and carted along boxes (and boxes and boxes) of junk I couldn’t imagine living without.

So, when you are trying to find a professional organizer in Jackson, Michigan to work with, and you are worried about being judged for the things you own, you know that I have been there. We may have collected different things and had different hobbies. But now you know that I didn’t simplify my life overnight. It’s been a long journey.

Fortunately for you, I can make that process much faster if you are ready to clear clutter.

Call me. Let’s talk about your organizing struggles, and we can figure out a plan to help you find space again.