Most people who ask me for help have tried to get organised before. It might have been through books, TV shows, courses or help from family and friends.
I personally I am not a great believer in ‘self-help books’. They are mostly from the US, and let’s face it, Americans have a completely different lifestyle to us. Or does anybody have a basement and a TV in the kitchen?
Books give good advice, but not tailored to your situation. TV shows would do the same, can sometimes get people going and motivated.
Friends and family – you love them too much to take their advice with the necessary distance and professionalism.
Here is what is different when you work with a professional

1. a PO studies systems for a living. We don’t know just one system or ‘our system’ – we know many. And we know the best situations to apply them.
2. We are not intimidated or overwhelmed by the volume of ‘stuff’, nor the size of the project. We have the tools and resources to get the job done, with your dignity well and truly intact.
3. We do not pass judgement. At all.
4. We are objective. This is a high value characteristic. We do not have the weight of emotion holding us down.
5. We are there for YOU. We have no hidden agendas. We are the client advocate first and foremost. We’re there with your wellbeing in mind and nothing else.
6. We organise people, not things. We deal with you and what’s going on in your life. The stuff gets organised as a result of that.

Our family cycled over the Harbour Bridge, participating in the Sydney Spring Cycle. With 10.000 others, we prepared the bikes and lunches the night before, got up early, took a train to North Sydney – up the first hill –“are we there yet?”
At the starting point we had to find the choir, because on top of cycling 55km we were registered to take part in a Guinness Book of records attempt to be the biggest choir on a bicycle. We rehearsed Waltzing Matilda with the Choir of the Opera House. (The lyrics are actually hard to learn; and explain to a 8 year old why someone wants to die rather than go to jail; and how he can drown in a puddle?!)
“are we starting yet?” when we waited for our choir section to get the go ahead. “can we have morning tea?” as we cycled through the Rocks. “how much further?” every 5 km.
Despite having participated in that event for 7 years, we are never sure of the route. They changed it considerably this year and because we don’t have (working) bike computers, nobody ever knew exactly where we were going and where we where up to.
So we focused on the ‘now’ time, on our instincts as how much further to go, on our knowledge about local bike paths to try to guess where we are heading.
We knew where the finish line was going to be – the kids knew they would get an ice cream, but apart from that, we just took our time and enjoyed the ride.
I think it’s a good analogy how I work with most of my clients: Be prepared. Have a end result in mind. Have a plan that doesn’t’ have to be followed by the letter. Embrace the unexpected.  Have a  clear idea about the reward at the end and willingness to enjoy the journey.
PS: despite the brilliant rehearsal, the singing on the bride was quite disputable – and we haven’t heard back from the organisers yet whether we are indeed the biggest choir on a bicycle.

… I do when not organising

I have been teaching an “Art Club” at my kid’s primary school for the last two years. It’s one of the many things like chess club and bands they offers after school. I don’t get payed for this, but I enjoy it so much. I was always complaining about what kids learn in art but whinging gets you nowhere so I started this. Before the Easter break we did action painting with a group of 10 “advanced” kids. They absolutely loved it and it was good fun, especially because it was very messy. Action painting is such an event art, that I had to try my new found movie editing skills and did this video.

If you are interested in more, we did murals two years ago

1.       Why do people hire you? What leads them to decide they need the help of a professional organiser? Most of my clients have tried various self help methods through books, TV shows or seminars. But getting organised needs personalised solutions which are mostly not available through books. A solution that’s right for someone in America doesn’t necessarily work for a client in Australia.

2.       Do you de clutter just people’s homes, or do you de clutter businesses, too? I do de clutter both. Family homes, small offices and a lot of home based businesses.

3.       What are the main areas where people need help de cluttering? There is no common “worst area”. And it doesn’t really matter where you start; it has to fit the situation. The most important thing is to start and not to fret about where and when.

4.       What are some of the issues holding people back from de cluttering themselves? They don’t have the motivation to start and/ or they don’t have the know how.

5.       What are some ways that people can keep on top of clutter and not let it get out of hand? Accept that being organised takes time and commitment. Have a time plan and routine and stick to it. I tell my clients that they should do a 5 min organising job per day or ½ hour every three days! For the rest of their lives!!!

6.       What’s a tip that you give to people over and over again? Don’t walk through your house empty handed – there is always something to tidy away

7.       And finally, is your own home in need of de cluttering?  Yes, I believe everybody benefits from help, motivation and new solutions – including Professional Organiser

through my involvement with AAPO and in my role as Sydney Forum leader, I am  going to have the great pleasure to meet Peter Walsh, Oprah’s organising guru. Next week is National Organising Week (NOW) and he is hosting a breakfast for us Organisers here in Sydney.

A couple of years ago I worked with him on an before and after style TV segment and I really enjoyed that. So I am over the moon to see him in a more social environment – not just for work.

He is such an inspiration to us Organisers and to our customers. He is relentless in his mission to have  less clutter in  every body’s home through his TV shows. His message is that everybody has a choice and that you should be aware what you are missing out on when picking stuff over people.

“350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere.
Accelerating arctic warming and other early climate impacts have led scientists to conclude that we are already above the safe zone at our current 390ppm, and that unless we are able to rapidly return to below 350 ppm this century, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt.” http://www.350.org/about/science
Everything we buy has a carbon footprint – and it doesn’t matter whether we use it or just store it. I have written before about food wastage- which is a very obvious waste.
But what about the things we acquire and then never use, the stuff that accumulates at the bottom of the wardrobe, the shoes that don’t and never will fit? The novelty toy we bought a winging kid at a theme park? They have all cost the earth something to get produced and shipped.
Most of my clients have too much stuff (otherwise they wouldn’t be my clients) but they are still buying more. There are several reasons for that: some people can’t find what they have because of all the clutter, some people like shopping. Both categories end up having unnecessary things lying around their home, costing us dearly.
On the other hand most people nowadays are very conscious about how to dispose of their belongings – which is great. But when it comes to the carbon footprint, as soon as you buy something you are responsible for the energy it took to produce and get it to you. In regards to the carbon footprint it doesn’t matter whether you chuck it into landfill, or you have your own little “landfill” in a cupboard or in your garage.
When getting organised you will be able to find the things you have and by seeing the amount of objects you acquired over the years on shopping sprees, and realizing that it ultimately cost’s you money to get rid of them (yes, Professional Organisers do cost money – and so we should!!) maybe next time you want to buy something you just take a second to consider the impact this item will have on the environment, the global as well as your personal one (house/office) and you will find that most things don’t have to be bought in the first place.

This is a business blog, right? I should really promote my business, not just post my children’s creative writing. So here it is:
Did you know it takes 750 hours of face to face organising to become an AAPO Accredited Expert Organiser? Also loads of Professional Development and volunteer work in the industry.
I just passed my Accreditation and decided to put my prices up from the 15th of July. So if you want to take advantage of the 2008 prices: ring now and book!!!

The next morning we went to the announcing of the people who qualified to undergo serious training for the Olympics. There were only 10 spots and there were 50 competitors. So there wasn’t a big chance that I would get into the top 10. There only one to go there wasn’t much chance for me to get in. “And our last qualifier Thomas Beetlejuice.” What were the chances of that I had made it into the training team for the Para Olympics. Training begun the next morning I was so full of energy that I felt like an electric fence. The Winter Para Olympics were coming up in nine months. So we didn’t have much time to get ready for them. Every day was just hard training and strict eating. But it seemed to make me and my fellow qualifies fitter. This routine was strictly kept for eight months.

Then we got ready to go to Vancouver. 24 hours later we were in Vancouver getting used to the Para Olympic village. There finally the day had come the Para Olympics were starting in a few minutes the opening had been marvellous and defiantly something to see. There they had started the first competition was one kilometre sprint skiing. I got ready for it the next day excitement bubbling in me like a cauldron of hot oil. All my competitors looked well trained and fit. But some were part of my group I had qualified in.
“Boop!” That was the start of the first event in the Winter Para Olympics. It was amazing to compete against people as good as me. But I had to keep my mind on the race and watch out for the guy who had knocked me over the first time. I was holding my position for most of the race only sometimes getting into first place. “There was the finish line! “Was there anyone to knock me over?” “No I don’t think so.” So I went ahead and used all I had got to get to first place. I was only a few metres away from first place. “Would I make it?” I had to try.
And then it was over I had no idea if I had beaten the person in front of me. The judges were working it out with the electric timer that had recorded our time. “And the winner of the 2010 Winter Para Olympic one kilometre sprint is …” There was a pause. Everything was eerily quiet.” Thomas Beetlejuice and Colin Smith. From Australia and England.” I had won I couldn’t believe it. I had actually won in the Winter Para Olympics. I stood on the podium and thought that I would burst at the slightest touch. I was filled not with air but with pride.

My lessons started then and there. “First” Said Matheo for he was the ski instructor. “We need suitable gear for you “. “And then a…” And so he went on for a few minutes till the list of items was swimming in my head like a ripped up town in a hurricane. We couldn’t start till the next day as we had to get all the items Matheo had listed before my ski lesson started at 9:00. I slid down the slope most of the day although with increasing confidence I rapidly improved. A few days later I was zooming down the hill as if I had done skiing since I was born. From there I went to increasingly harder slopes and even competed in a few competitions.

Sadly we weren’t in Austria forever so the day came when we had to go back to Australia. I had a last short ski lesson with Matheo and then we had to go. At the airport I was pleading to stay at least a little longer but we couldn’t, not without funds to pay the expenses to stay longer. At the front part of the airport an official came up to me and told me about my fabulous skiing and miraculously offered to fund me if I went in some more competitions. I happily told my mum and she after seemingly much consideration agreed. I immediately called my teacher and told him what had happened. We continued training strait away and got ready for my next competition. Six months later I had already earned a position to qualify for the winter Para Olympics in Vancouver. I was so delighted I nearly did a summersault in mid training.
Later I was getting ready for the qualification. It seemed like the most exciting time in my life. The next day I was already out of bed at 5:00 as the qualification would start at 7:30. At 7:30 I was lined up in a weird formation to do my tricks contest. The start was easy just a slope to gain speed but the difficulty increased as I worked my way through the contests. In the last contest which was 500m sprint I could barely move a muscle. But I had to do the contest otherwise I had done all my training for nothing. So I braved the contest at least the start.
BBEP! That was the start I lurched forward instantly in front of everyone else. The race went pretty well except in the middle where a bulky boy barged past me with his arms outstretched easily knocking me over. “Cheat!” I screamed after him. I quickly got up and raced after the group, but they were already a few metres in front of me. I couldn’t catch up could I? I had to. So I raced up after them trying my best to catch up to the guy who had pushed me. There finally, I was 7th place, 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd there was the finish line could I make it? There was the person who had pushed me down. He was first. He went over the finish line just behind me. No I didn’t make it just because he pushed me. I kept my anger in cheque. For the time being, at least. I was so tired that I flopped into bed with all my clothes on.

I know, that this has nothing to do with organising, but I am so proud of my 12 year old that I had to publish this here: It is rather long for a blog post, so it will come in three installments!

“Come on Thomas we’ll miss the plane! “ “Coming mum. “Slowly I got out of bed trying not to step on my ruined leg. “And don’t tell me you’re slow because of your leg!” At breakfast we had to eat quickly so we would get the last bits packed before flying to Austria. My twin brother helped me pack and get a new wrapping on my leg stump. I had been in a training circus for a few months. One of the practices went dreadfully as I tried to do a triple back flip with a twist. I landed on the edge of the gigantic trampoline that was normally only used when the actors were performing on stage. Only my leg had hit the trampoline and the springs had cut deeply into my paralyzed body. I woke up in hospital and came out a few months later.”We’re going!” “Okay!” I just need my IPod. After the accident I only needed to put on one shoe so I was always first to get in the car.

I have treated the accident like a part of me. It was hard to get used to being on crutches or in a wheelchair. But I had to get used to it. Half an hour later we were at the airport and another half hour later we were taking off. “Well that went faster than expected!” I said to my twin brother Bill. But he was already trying out the flight screens. About 24 hours later we were in Austria. It was colder than anything I had expected. My mum said we would go skiing for most of the holiday. I thought that was about the worst idea ever. When we got to our hut everyone wanted to go skiing strait away. Obviously mum didn’t allow it. But she said we would go tomorrow.

The next morning we borrowed some ski equipment but I didn’t get any. Then we went to a slightly steep hill where lots of 8 year olds were practicing skiing and snowboarding. There were lots of teachers there telling the young skiers what to do. A few hours later I was still there doing nothing. Later that day my brother offered his skis to me. But I said that I couldn’t ski but he pressed on. So I tried, my first try was a little wobbly but I quickly learnt how to balance enough to stay on the ski. But when we got home I was still covered in bruises.

The next day just after I started skiing an instructor came and started talking to me in Austrian. I made a signal to him that I couldn’t understand him. So he started talking in English but with a strong accent. He said “You are a good disabled skier, I could teach you how to ski” That is all I understood. The rest was gibberish to me. I asked my mum and she immediately asked how much it would cost for me to learn disabled skiing. Typical mum, always asking for a price.  After some negotiating my mum and the ski instructor came up with a reasonable price.