On a daily basis I pay a lot of attention to the minute details of other peoples' lives. The only reason I am able to stay relaxed enough to help anyone feel more organized is because I can also see the big picture. This is so important: there is no way we are going to be able to sift through the day-to-day junk if we don't know why we're doing it. That's why I often encourage people to picture the IDEAL outcome and hold that in their minds and hearts as they accomplish the necessary steps along the way.

Today I am writing to let you know that I also have a big picture idealistic vision that fuels me as I do this work, and it's so beautiful and delicious that I want to share it with you.

Imagine a world in which nobody is stressed out. I'm not saying it's a world in which nothing bad ever happens, but what if everyone wakes up each morning embracing the day, finding everything they need exactly when they need it, making excellent use of their time, space, and heading to a dream job that speaks to their hearts and makes the world better for others as well? What if all the little things that bring us down and leave us swearing at each other in traffic each morning were completely eliminated?!

I don't operate under the assumption that I can work with every stressed out or disorganized person this lifetime, but I think we have to recognize that every little bit of peace and clarity and simplicity does more than just make us feel a little better for a minute. When we are "organized", we are able to do our best work, and live our best lives. The world loves us when we are at our very best because we make it a better place!

That's why I'm so glad that you're reading this, and I hope that not only will you implement at least one tiny strategy today to eliminate some of your stress, but also that when things start to feel unmanageable for you, reach out for some support. As an organizer I hold space so that your ideals can come out and play. I can do this over the phone, even via email. 773.612.6121, or email Madelyn@idealspaceconsulting.com. Please share this with a friend because it only one person at a time that we change the world, and I would love to hear your comments about your own vision for a better world.

I had a breakthrough with one of my long term clients recently, and it was so amazing and inspiring that I'm going to share it with you. For the longest time we had been struggling to make her office "look" neat. I would spend a couple of hours attacking it like a tornado each week, recycling, piling, and straightening. By the time I left, the office would look great, but no matter how hard I tried to create super simple systems that worked, when I showed up for our appointment the following week, my client seemed just as stressed out as if I had never been there. Clearly something wasn't working. It seems so obvious now that even though she was aware of the fact that her office was "a mess", that wasn't really the problem. Her disorganization was actually internal, and totally rooted in the clutter she was carrying around in her head. We were able to figure this out together, and rather than try to fix the problem, I had a huge realization. As I opened my mouth I could hardly believe I was saying it: "Oh my goodness, I don't think you're actually disorganized!"

Since then it has been painfully obvious that organization is not a concrete thing. Some wildly successful people are able to navigate chaotic lives and focus on tasks amidst stacks of paper, while other wonderful, beautiful people are tormented by a garbage bag worth of clutter they just know is blocking their energy flow. This all has me wondering, if organization is something you can perceive, or desire, regardless of your circumstances, then what exactly is it?

First I checked out the dictionary, then I checked out the human body. Both opened the door to some remarkable insights about this mysterious state of peaceful order that remains frustratingly unattainable for so many people.

Let's start with the definition...

Organize: To put together into an orderly, functional, structured whole.

Now if you ask me, that definition is obvious and a little vague. It does remind me that "organize" is an active verb, and I like the part at the end about creating something whole. This is what I've been saying all along about the different areas of our lives being totally connected. But drawing particularly on my knowledge of the human body, I couldn't help but wonder about the connection between our systems of vital organs, and being "organized". What can our lungs and kidneys possibly have in common with our file cabinets and closets?

Check this out:
Organ: A differentiated part of an organism (something alive) that performs a specific function.

Wow! So let me see if I can translate my epiphany here: the human body - your body - is naturally organ-ized! It's aliveness is the result of these separate organ systems functioning in specific ways that come together to create a whole (your body). Just like the organs functioning inside your body, "being organized" is simply the system of everyday living. Now there's some food for thought.

What I want to focus on here is "aliveness". Functional systems are an indispensable part of life, but these systems themselves are also alive. Being organized should therefore be a constant process of growth and change, and not just an end result or an illusion of static perfection. When my client and I were stuck in a need to establish perfection within her workspace, we totally ignored the fact that just by going about her daily life, she was actually revealing the systems of her ideal organized state. The best way I was able to support her was by recognizing these natural systems of living, and tweaking them so that they could function better together, just like the organs in your body work together to keep you going. If you pay attention to your natural systems today, what do you notice? Is there an area in your life where your organs are failing, or are you simply failing to see how the functional parts of your daily life breathe energy into the bigger picture?