My Top 5 Organizing Reads
Susan CharbonneauA common misconception about professional organizing is that there is one best practice for each and every client, that “one-size-fits-all”. In fact, an organizing approach should be just as individual as the client it helps. As an organizer, I maintain that clarity comes from systems that fit you, personally. So many factors come into play when creating an organizing strategy: lifestyle, energy levels, professional demands, family dynamics, and personalities. I routinely explain to my clients that what works in one home may not work in another. What’s more, what works in one season of life may need to be adapted in another.
Despite this diversity, there are recurring themes among organizing clientele – that whatever the stage of life, they are typically overwhelmed. One of the invaluable services that professional organizers provide is granting permission – permission to let go, to restructure, etc.. This is something that most people don’t even realize they need. But they don’t need permission from just anyone, but a third party with a genuine, vested interest in their happiness and well-being. Consider this post your permission – in this case, permission to organize in a way that works for you, not your neighbour. Your version is valid.
So let’s start to explore what that might look like. Take a look at My Top 5 titles below and consider them guidebooks, not rulebooks. They’ll help you form a knowledge base to craft – with an organizer - an approach to bring calm back to your life.
The Home Edit— Clea Shearer & Joanna Teplin
After several books and a series on Netflix, The Home Edit has become well-known among organizing enthusiasts. Personally, I devoured the comfort of this book and associated series during the pandemic. Featuring colourful images incorporating transparent containers with scripted labels, The Home Edit is a feast for the eyes – particularly those overwhelmed by clutter in their own environment. Highlighting creating categories to assess belongings, The Home Edit showcases what modern, multi-room organizing could be. The mental space the images afford and both soothing and inspiring – a perfect combination for the organizing client. While not practical at every price point or in every household, The Home Edit thoroughly scratches that itch for order in a sleek aesthetic. Incorporating transparent solutions, it addresses a common problem surrounding object permanence. For some people, once an item it put away, it no longer exists…Not true if you can still see it. Whether the full Home Edit treatment is attainable, categorization and the use of modular systems can be applied to most organizing projects, no matter the budget.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up— Marie Kondo
Marie Kondo’s work has brought awareness of the words “minimalism” and “mindfulness” the world over. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, along with several television series have led many to dive into what truly “sparks joy” and even if that metric is a relevant one in their lives. Even if this metric doesn’t feel attainable, one of the many beauties of this approach is its focus on reflection and intention. This book shines a spotlight on the emotions connected to our stuff and as such, has several important takeaways for anyone looking to simplify their life. One of the most important takeaways is right in the title: the idea that organizing can indeed be “life-changing.” In no way is this an overstatement. I see it with my clients time and again. Another key takeaway is the potential for sustainability – read: organize once and you won’t have to again. In my book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up will always be required reading.
ADD-Friendly Ways To Organize Your Life — Judith Kolberg and Kathleen G. Nadeau, PH.D.
Written by professional organizer/ADD clinician Judith Kolberg, this book is an ideal introduction to the interplay of these two worlds and the theories that can apply. One of the surprises in my life as an organizer was the myriad ways the ADD and ADHD brains work. Upon launching The Streamlined Space, I thought that those with ADD or ADHD had a largely shared experience – that systems that were successful for one client would certainly work for another. This couldn’t be further from the truth. This fact drives the point of this post home – we are all individuals and there is no such thing as “one-size-fits-all.” The true test of an organizer’s mettle is working with multiple individuals with ADD or ADHD in the same household and making the household work for all of them. The true test has been successfully brainstorming organizing preferences before a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD has even come up in conversation.
How To Keep House While Drowning— KC Davis
When recommended to me by a colleague, this book’s title had an instant impact. It was as if the author, KC Davis, saw into my 2020 soul and that of every female client I had worked with. I felt seen. One of the biggest boons of this book is Davis’ assertion that a disorganized and/or cluttered space is not something to be ashamed of. It is not a personal failure. These statements have extra weight as the author is a licensed therapist. Very unfortunately, the shame of some sort of failure is a recurring theme with organizing clients. How To Keep House While Drowning is a digestible, unintimidating size – winning half the battle to helping the already overwhelmed. Reframing our relationship with our to-do lists and our households, Davis advocates for self-compassion and declares that “you don’t work for your home, your home works for you.” By extension, you don’t work for your organizational systems, but they work for you.
S’organizer pour de bon Strategies pour simplifier le quotidien familial—Mylène Houle Morency
Written by the highly engaging host of the show “Heureux rangement,” this book is a reassuring must read. A love of the French language and a native-speaking spouse meant I could explore this area of the professional organizing industry. I read Houle Morency’s insights on functional systems for busy families voraciously. Highlighting strategies for homes overwhelmed by children and their ages and stages, Houle Morency shares systems that cover the kitchen, clothing, paperwork, etc., that fit real-life parenting and individual personalities. Supporting a fellow Canadian was simply the icing on this delicious cake.
So, given the wealth of material and approaches to organizing, how does The Streamlined Space bring it all together? By recognizing that professional organizing is often a blend of proven methods and a true understanding of the individual(s). Organizing systems should be designed around the client and the beat of the household— not the latest organizing trend.
Gentle invitation to work with The Streamlined Space for personalized support