How,Became,Like,Clients,For,On family How I Became Like My Clients For One Month

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How I Became Like My Clients For One MonthBy: Janet L. HallI know exactly when I started falling apart, not mentally but overloaded with commitments and deadlines I knew I could make. But then suddenly, surgery was to beperformed again, on Valentine's Day.I've never hidden the fact that I'm just like you. I'm not perfect and I'm not super human just because my profession is as a professional organizer.We all have things come into our lives, or out of, usuallyunexpectedly. We all have emergencies or things that come up that just have to be completed. We all have someone or something needing our attention. This is you, this is me, and this is life!Many times clients call when their systems have broken down, if they even had systems. But many call because their world has fallen off its axis, leaving them and their world spinning out of control…out of balance.If they completely ignore the situation or don't know how to get their world back into balance - into sync - the way it useto be, they will become overpowered by all the stuff in their lives.The daily errands of driving here and there for:>>Appointments>>Children>>Special events>>Meetings>>School functions>>Banking>>Food shopping>>Shopping>>Workseem to make you drive like a maniac down the street, racing and rushing from one place to another. And even forgetting to stop at some places.The daily activities one usually finds in a home of:>>Processing the mail>>Answering the phone>>Returning calls>>Reading email>>Replying to email>>Cooking>>Cleaning>>Playing with the children or pets>>Bathing the children or pets>>Watering the plants>>Reading>>Being a buffermakes you just want to throw up your hands and turnand run. And what about the unexpected?>>Illness>>Visitors>>Spouse laid-off from job>>Someone moving in or out>>Computer problems>>A friend needing your ear, shoulder, and comfort>>A client or boss needing it NOW, instead of next week>>A child with special needs>>A child with needs>>Travel for your job>>Training for your job>>An accidentjust makes you want to SCREAM that you have no time orpatience for all this!Your world has just exploded! What can you do about it?On Valentine's Day my world exploded when I was told I would have to endure yet another breast surgery. I was working on my book, "Secrets of a Professional Organizer and How-To Become One," and the deadline was the end of February. And worse yet, we get short-changed a couple of days in February! WHO did that? Who thought this up?Just three days after surgery and between work, clients, writing, and running a home I had to prepare to leave for Florida for 13 days to work with a client and attend school at the beginning of March. WHEW, makes me tired just thinking back on all this.In Florida I stayed with a girlfriend, and had theguest/storage room with some closet space, one drawer,and a small desk.My journey into piles began. Things started living in piles:>>On the floor>>On top of my suitcases>>On the bed>>On the dresser>>On the chair and desk.I had all my toilettes sitting out around the sink, carefully placed (but crowded together) so I wouldn't break anything or, God forbid, something fall into the toilet!While in Florida I was so busy I really didn't get to work on any of my "normal" to-dos. I had so many new to-dos' there!I went to school from 7 AM until 6 or 7 PM, grabbed something to eat and started working with my client, sometimes until midnight, once until 2:30 AM. (I was helping my friend "client", where I was staying, redo her whole web site and teach her computer stuff.)When I returned home to Maryland, all the mail, all theerrands, all my clients, and all my self-imposed deadlinesand other's deadlines were waiting for me.I unpacked (although I still have a couple of files in my computer case I need to get out and put away) and started making a pile here and a pile there. Some in the kitchen, some in the living room, some in the bedroom, and some really big piles in my office!I didn't even touch the mail for the first three days. I didn't want to look at or deal with mail or the bills. I wanted to startspring-cleaning. All my clothes needed washed, dried, andput away.As I looked around, all I could think was, "I'm becoming my clients. No time to think about this now. I have to finish my book, create CD labels, burn 100 CD's and put labels on them. Oh MY GOD! I forgot to order the blank CD's and labels before I left for Florida. I need them today. Okay, I'lljust call and order today and get them shipped overnight. Istill have to write the newsletter, return phone calls, reply toemails, and oh, I just want some really good sleep!"The shipment came, as promised, the next day. I ripped open the boxes, got everything out and started working, leaving the packing material and boxes lie, wherever… See Janet's Messy OfficeI'm writing, researching, and tossing books here and there. I didn't care at that point. I thought, "I have great systems in place so when all this is over I can easily get everything back into shape, put stuff where it belongs, and get my world back into balance.And so I have. After finishing the book, labels, CD's, returning calls and emails, and still working with clients Itackled my office. It took me just two hours to get everythingin place and put away because I have a sorting and de-cluttering system, "The 5 W's of Organizing, a TEASER,and a TICKLE". And it works!See Janet's Clean Office.We all have our own ups and downs in life; life happens. We each ride the waves from the same Universe.When everything is going 'just right,' we are riding our upwaves; sometimes not even paying attention to our good'fortune.'When things are going wrong we feel we are being slappedsilly by the waves; causing us to tumble, crash, and sink tothe bottom and depths of darkness, and asking ourselves, "What did I ever do to deserve this?" But what goes down MUST come back up!So what can you do to help get your world back into balance,and make your down waves less powerful?Start by getting organized.>>Create or find a common 'home' or zone for your things tolive.>>KNOW what to do with your stuff (do you really need orwhen will you use?)>>Have systems and procedures in place.Knowing where things "live" and how things are handled cansure make life a little easier for those 'off balance' days thatwe all experience.Now I really must go. I still have to get out the newsletter, send out products, send out speaking materials, get ready for two presentations, do my taxes, take a test, read ten new books, and, oh yeah, plant some pansies in the garden andpick some asparagus.Aha! Life is finally back to normal.Smiles, not Piles, Copyright (c) 2002 by OverHall Consulting P.O. Box 263, Port Republic, MD 20676 All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy, or distribute this article so long as article is kept intact, this copyright notice, and full information about the author is attached.