Professional organizing
[6] As one of their main jobs, professional organizers help clients reduce excessive clutter (paper, books, clothing, shoes, office supplies, home decor items, etc.)
For homeowners, a professional organizer might plan and reorganize the space of a room, improve paper management, consult on organizing skills (space, data, objects) or productivity skills (time, information, priorities) such as calendaring or task management, goal-setting, or coach in time-management, or goal-setting.
Writer Julie Morgenstern suggests communicating these principles by using the acronym "SPACE", interpreted as:[8] The last step ("E") consists of monitoring how the new system that has been created is working, adjusting it if needed, and maintaining it.
They will evaluate the environment's characteristics of physical space (e.g., square footage, power source, doors/windows, furniture and equipment and safety.
They will identify external factors (e.g., company policies, family dynamics, lease agreements) and determine available budget.
[17] They will develop a project plan by reviewing their assessment, determining scope, prioritizing objectives, determining tasks, identifying resources such as organizing (e.g., containers/labels), productivity (e.g., calendar/task management systems) and technology (digital storage, cloud-based, online, devices, apps) tools, furniture and equipment, referrals (e.g., other professionals, educational materials), and removal options (e.g., donation, disposal, selling, shredding).They will establish a timeline, estimate costs (e.g., consulting fees, supplies, vendors), and finalize the project plan.
[17] They will implement the approved project plan by teaching, transferring and applying organizing and productivity fundamentals and methodologies (e.g., consolidating, sorting, categorizing, eliminating excess, identifying and optimizing containers, decision-making, maximizing function and usability, process and workflow, goal setting and prioritization, planning and time management, maintaining systems, optimizing personal resources such as energy, money and health, creation of routines and habits, set boundary-setting and delegation.
They will follow up and maintain the project by evaluating effectiveness and sustainability of changes, transfer of skills and make recommendations of modifications and resources.
In some cases, people can get so caught up in clearing that they end up throwing away or selling things that belong to family members without permission of the owners.
[19] It is not necessarily destructive to throw away other people's things, but to avoid misunderstandings it is important for couples who live together to communicate and agree on their values.
[citation needed] After the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of availability of food and other necessities clarified possible disadvantages of living without stocks of basic supplies.
