Taking a cue from Henry David Thoreau who wrote "our lives are frittered away in details...simplify, simplify", I decided it was time to get my office in order so that I could concentrate on the work rather than the mess. No, I did not take before photos. I probably should have to compare but honestly, its embaressing and better to forget.
If you are so blessed to be a neat freak or have talented, lives-as-she-teaches friends like Meagan who take organizing as their mission and come to your house to get you going, then you'll know how amazing it is to see how much more room you have when you simply put everything in it's place.
Personally, I am a "piler" as in, I organize by piles. There are listed here: 1. the pile to go through, 2. the pile to let sit for a week and finally 3. the pile you pretend doesn't exist because thinking about it hurts your head and makes you break out in a nervous sweat. And sure, there are the varying degrees of other piles that fit in between those three main ones. All of it taking up every flat surface of my office which sometimes escapes to the flat surfaces in the rest of the house.
To illustrate my past bad habits, there was a time when Meagan and Gretchen (another dear organizer friend) came to help clean out my bathroom for a move to a new house I was about to make. Much to my absolute surprise (and horror) we filled two garbage bags - the big black hefty kind - with expired allergy medicines, vitamins, half used hair products, lotions and old make-up. It was grotesque really, what one can accumulate and shove to the back of a very long closet and forget. It was like I grew up during the Depression or something and just never threw anything away. Any mentions of the word "purge" puts me on immediate defense. "What do you mean I need to get rid of this stuff? I NEED everything I have otherwise I wouldn't have it." Sound familiar?
After the first bag of trash, I asked them if they thought I might be crazy person? To which they reassuringly replied, No - it's not like you're THAT one lady on Oprah. Oh good, well at least I'm not ready to be on a reality show yet.
With notebook in hand, Meagan made the categories:
1. Identifying the areas in need help in (a work surface area, filing,
job stuff vs home stuff)
2. Purging and cleaning (the hardest part for sure - asking am I crazy?)
3. Separating the areas into their groups (crafts, graphics, mementos,
office supplies, and then rediscovering things I didn't know I had)
4. Buying bins and storage compartments (fun!)
5. Putting it all back in it's place and labeling (whoa - a relief!)
Three slightly overwhelming hours later with Meagan continually reassuring me we were close, a miracle occurred. All of a sudden there was space. Everything needed was still accesible, but there were a lot of empty spots. Apparently, I have a lot of mementos which are all now in two huge plastic bins in the basement and magazines from my wedding which I will never really need again. Though I did manage to save a few for "inspiration" when I design wedding invites.
I'm still a little skeptical and think we are forgetting a pile somewhere but no - it's all there. Imagine that shelf above jammed packed with magazines, papers, papers, junks, crafts etc. and now, I could almost get of rid of the entire bookcase. I could barely use my paper cutter becasue of the piles and now - there it is! Weird!
Big thanks to Meagan for helping me on this project and once again reminding me why cleanliness is next to godliness.