As the new year approaches, we can all agree we are over 2020 and definitely over our clutter! This year we’ve seen just about everything you can imagine besides a plague of locusts *knocks on wood* *shakes salt over shoulders*, plus we’ve memorized every book title our boss has on their bookshelf because we’ve zoned out of our 20th Zoom meeting of the day.
If this year has been the best of times and the worst of times for you and you need a little perspective, our latest blog post How to Simplify and Make Space for Positive Change In Your Life is a great lesson and reminder that going in can also be a way of going out. Give it a read and let us know what you think.
Now if you’re like me and finished watching ALL of Netflix months ago and refuse to rewatch Riverdale for the 3rd time, you can also relate to my desperate need for escapism from the dreary horrors of the real world. Thankfully, the binging Gods opened the sky and blessed us with “Get Organized with The Home Edit”. If you have yet to watch this viral sensation on Netflix I don’t know what you are doing with your time! It is exactly what we need right now. The world is on fire, our country is more divided than ever, Crocs are back in fashion, we need something that makes sense. Something that gives us that effervescent thrill of watching something go from a post-apocalyptic dumpster fire of a mess to a flowing, decedent, deliciously organized bliss wherein everything has a home and maybe even a label or two.
Intended solely as an instrument of inspiration and hope, what makes these professional organizers and spearheads of this movement, Joanna Teplin, and Clea Shearer, such successes is their capacity for decluttering of both space and mind. Their spirit and energy are next level infectious and it doesn’t hurt that they’re brilliant at what they do. Their wave began on Instagram and they’ve never looked back. From cracking jokes in their separate beds in the same hotel room to sipping wine on IG Live and showcasing their rainbow method of organizing and designing. They make the business of organizing personal. They’re our new fab 5 and, here at In Order To Succeed, we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of the same industry.
Just as Marie Kondo captured our attention last year with her magical “Tidying Up,” so too are the ladies from The Home Edit capitalizing on our collective desire to be more intentional with our space. We’re spending more time than ever at home these days, and find ourselves craving a surrounding that is orderly, easy, and functional. As professional organizers, we’re delighted to see our work and our mission becoming more mainstream and gathering massive attention. At In Order To Succeed, we’ve known for years that our work helping clients pare down, build the muscles of discernment and decision-making, and setting up effective systems in their home is transformational; watching it catch on in such a massive way is validating and much appreciated. As a professional organizer, I watch The Home Edit episodes craving behind-the-scenes moments, because I know from years of experience that the polished half hour they air doesn’t begin to reflect all of the time, expertise, and problem-solving that’s really involved in these before and afters. Even so, I watch their process and grand reveals with the same awe and sense of wonder I experience every time I walk into the Container Store, thinking “these are my people!”
Something that also bears witness to this fantastic ecosystem of a profession that the cameras don’t show is just what goes on behind the curtain — Like actors rehearsing a show to present to an audience, we professional organizers are preparing for our debut. Measuring each space, cabinet, drawer, desk, every nook, and cranny down to the last dimension to find just the right supplies — items that are not only functional, but beautiful as well. We undergo massive decluttering protocols whether it be purging, donating, repurposing, etc. We are ordering all products down to the last post-it note making sure everything is color-coded to perfection. We also implement lifestyle management strategies and maintenance systems that help clients implement in their daily lives and routines for maximum success. There is so much time, energy, research, and passion that goes into the prep work before the real fun begins.
So as 2020 comes to a very welcomed close, take a break from your screens and to-do lists — go out and LIVE! Then come back inside and color-code your sock drawer… or even better, let In Order To Succeed handle it all for you.
Peace, love, and respect.
Jonathan Cobrda is a Life Management and Social Media Consultant at In Order To Succeed