A client recently said “My spices are perfectly organized in alphabetical order, why is the garage so hard for me?”
I don’t really believe that the garage would be hard for her. She thrives in organized settings and likes to know exactly where everything is. Instead, I think that when she finds herself with a free afternoon, the last thing she wants to spend it on is organizing the garage.
We all could clean the house, mow the lawn, wash the car, file taxes, or paint the window trim, but don’t because we want to spend our time doing other things. None of us will be on our deathbed saying how happy we are that our garages were perfectly organized, but we will be grateful that we spent time with the ones we love, doing things bring us joy and happiness.
We can enhance the quality of our lives by identifying what brings us joy, and hiring others to do the things that we don’t enjoy doing or are not good at. The amount of money that my client with the disorganized garage paid me was worth not having to give up hours of her free time to do it herself.
I recently found myself frustrated with having clothes in my closet that I never wear, so I hired a professional. Scarlett De Basse, of Scarlett Image, did a full consultation providing guidance on colors, patterns, shapes, jewelry, shoes, etc. She even selected a number of items online which I never would have tried – but I ordered them and they worked! (And many she found were on sale!)
There were so many "a ha" moments when she told me something that completely explained why the lovely Prana shirt that I was so excited about has not left the closet since I brought it home. While I am still learning to put all her guidance into practice, I have become a more confident and picky consumer. The money I spent has already been returned by changing my shopping habits.
Could I have done this on my own? Maybe. If I researched and read a lot of fashion books. But I really do not want to find time to learn these things on my own. It was well worth the money for me to hire a professional who knows what she is doing.
In addition to clothing advice, I purchased piece of mind. I am no longer frustrated about spending money on clothes I don’t wear. I hope that I bring the same sense of comfort and confidence to my clients when I organize their spaces, pack up their home, clear out storage lockers, set up their kitchens, or any thing else!
I met Scarlett when she presented Learn How to Make Your Wardrobe and Personal Brand A Perfect Match & Stop Stressing About Dressing at the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals annual conference last spring. She asked for a volunteer at the end to do a little critique. I jumped at the chance and had a ball doing it!