The Art of Organizing vs. Decluttering: Transforming Your Space with Joy
The Life Solved Podcast | EPISODE #5
With host Lauren Eckert, M.Ed., Executive Functioning Coach with guest KAtherine Picott, professional home organizer and certified KonMari consultant.
Introduction
The journey of organizing your space isn't just about making things look neat; it's about creating an environment that sparks joy and simplifies your life.
In this episode, we'll delve into this dynamic world, revealing the challenges, emotional tugs, and techniques that come with the territory, while providing actionable steps to get you started.
Organization is a learned skill
Organizing is a skill, and like any skill, it requires learning and practice.
It involves creating systems and structures that allow you to manage your space efficiently.
Recognize Your Barriers to Organization
Cluttered Surfaces: One common barrier is putting things down but not putting them away. Keep surfaces clear by developing a habit of returning items to their designated places.
Misaligned Habits: Instead of succumbing to aesthetics or societal expectations, understand your natural habits. Organize according to your functional needs, not someone else's ideals.
Attachment Issues: If you're holding onto items with the intention of passing them to the "right" person, acknowledge that you might be deferring action instead of acting on your intentions.
Sentimental Belongings - The Emotional Challenge
Dealing with sentimental items often tugs at our heartstrings. It can be challenging to part with items connected to loved ones or cherished memories. However, remember that memories live within you, not within objects.
To tackle this emotional aspect, consider these steps:
Understand the True Nature of Sentimental Items:
Recognize that an item is merely a reminder of a memory. You won't lose the memory by letting go.
Keep Items When It Feels Right:
If you feel a strong emotional attachment to an item, especially if it relates to a passed loved one, it's okay to keep it.
Prioritize Items Gradually:
Follow the KonMari method and leave sentimental items for last. Start by decluttering less emotionally charged items. By the time you reach the sentimental items, you'll have honed your decision-making skills.
The Focus of Joyful Tidying
The ultimate goal of decluttering and organizing is to transform the process into one of joy. Tidying should be an uplifting experience, not a stressful one. Here's how you can shift your focus:
1. Embrace a Joyful Approach:
View decluttering and organizing as an opportunity to create space for things that genuinely bring you joy.
2. Keep Only What You Love:
Concentrate on what you desire to keep rather than what you want to discard. By surrounding yourself with items that bring joy, you eliminate the need for sentimental clutter.
Starting the Journey
Overcoming the inertia of clutter and disorganization can be a daunting task. The first steps vary for each individual, but here are some general tips:
Begin with Clothing:
In line with the KonMari method, start your decluttering journey with your clothing. Sort through your wardrobe, choosing what brings you joy.
Tackle Your Bedroom:
Your bedroom is where each day begins and ends. Clear this space first to create a harmonious environment that fosters peace and serenity.
Conclusion:
In the realm of organizing vs. decluttering, the key is to transform your space into a source of joy and simplicity. Take actionable steps to confront barriers to organization, embrace the sentimental, and shift your focus to joyful tidying. By doing so, you'll embark on a decluttering journey that brings positivity and serenity into your life.
Katherine Picott, professional home organizer and certified KonMari consultant >>>
Transcript
The Life Solved Coaching Podcast Episode #5: The Art of Organizing vs. Decluttering: Transforming Your Space with Joy
[00:00:00] Lauren: Are you often overwhelmed by your daily tasks? Do you feel like time just slips away and you can't catch your breath? Do you need better systems and routines in your life to help you keep on track? Well, join me as we chat with experts in executive function, brain and behavior and wellness to discuss common barriers to success.
Explore helpful strategies for improving your executive function skills so you can find balance and joy in your life. I am Lauren Eckert, an expert executive function coach, owner of Life Solved Coaching, and the host of the Life Solved Podcast. I am so glad you are joining us today as we set aside a few minutes to find calm amidst the chaos.
Your future holds endless possibilities, so let's get started.
Hello, and welcome to a new episode of the Life Solved podcast. I am so excited because today we are going to be talking all things organization, decluttering your home, simplifying your life, and really helping you reset for the fall. And today I am joined by Katherine Pikett, who is the founder and CEO of Tidy Milso.
She is an army wife and a KonMari consultant certified by Marie Kondo. She launched her business in June of 2020. And it has been in the making since February of 2017, when her husband 1st went away to basic training. She's going to talk about that a little bit today while we chat. Clients work with her when they're feeling overwhelmed with clutter and disorganization in their spaces.
She knows that her clients have busy schedules and they struggle with time management. And so she comes and provides a gentle nudge and some accountability to help get the ball rolling. She helps people through significant life changes and transitions as well. So we are so excited that she's joining us today and let's welcome her to the podcast.
Thank you so much for being here with us today. I'm so excited to have you on the life self podcast and just to share a little bit about you and hear about you so that our listeners can learn about this amazing work that you do and learn some strategies from you as well. So thank you so much for being here today.
I appreciate it.
[00:02:07] Katherine: Thank you for having me, Lauren. I'm so excited. I think it's gonna be great.
[00:02:11] Lauren: Yeah, it's what I'd love to just hear a little bit about you and kind of like what got you into this work what you do just for people who might not know you. And yeah, how did, how did you get into this place being a professional organizer.
[00:02:24] Katherine: So long story short my college sweetheart at the time decided that he wanted to join the military without my permission, of course, right? I literally did not take it seriously until he showed up with his paperwork and the date that he was going to basic training.
[00:02:43] Lauren: Oh wow.
[00:02:44] Katherine: So needless to say, I wasn't prepared.
And as someone who is usually prepared and usually has a plan I went on Google, I looked on YouTube to try to figure out like, what am I supposed to be doing in this time while he's away with limited communication? And I came across a blog that recommended 4 things so I was like, okay, let's do this. Let's do this.
Pay off debt, lose weight read a book, declutter find something that brings you joy, like all of these different things. And I literally, being the overachiever that I am, I did all of those things. I lost 40 pounds. read a book called Live More Want Less by Mary Carla Magno, which is an amazing book if you've never heard of it.
It's more of a like a holistic guide just showing like a, a bigger perspective on life and a disassociation with your life being associated with objects. And I think it was an awakening for me and it kind of paired really well with me decluttering our whole house. And we did it virtually before like the pandemic and like virtual organizing was a thing.
Every time I talk to him, I'm like, hey, here are these things. Do you want this? So every time we got the opportunity to talk, I would literally be showing him like his pants, his tops, his bottoms. I'm like, do you want this? Do you want to keep this? Do you want this? You can keep this. And even though I was an organized person, I was organizing what was already existing. I wasn't doing any decluttering.
I was just organizing what was already there. And so once I saw the transformation, I shared it on Facebook. And my Facebook is compiled amongst my family, my friends, co workers, current and previous. And everyone commented like, wow, this makes so much sense. Or they made a point to tell me about an experience that they had with me, whether it was like helping them organize their desk.
Or when I was a property manager, like going to the different properties and organizing their files and making sure the lease paperwork was right. Whether it was making sure that when we had like our staged models, making sure all the things were organized and everything looked great. So like there were just all of these instances where organizing had showed up, but I never realized that it was a skill.
I just thought that everybody ought to be organized. Like I didn't think it was something that had to be learned or something that had to be taught. So I did it for free 99 for a long time. Or as other professional organizers say, illegally
[00:05:05] Lauren: Yeah. Just go in and help and everybody.
[00:05:07] Katherine: Unreported work, right? And I did that for a while. And then the pandemic happened. And so as you can imagine, more people were wanting people to help them get organized. And so I still kept my job as a property manager and ran my business. And then after a year, I went full time. So I've been full time for two years now.
[00:05:27] Lauren: Good for you. That's amazing .
[00:05:29] Katherine: Thank you.
[00:05:30] Lauren: So you are doing mostly virtual work. And at the end we'll talk more about like all your service and stuff, but are you virtually mostly doing this work? Are you going into the homes or is it a combo?
[00:05:38] Katherine: So less virtual nowadays. I would probably say 98 percent in person. And I included in that 2 percent is virtual workshops that I offer webinars, things like that. But yeah, I'm, I'm going into the home. Most of my clients, I spend a significant amount of time. Because I think of my training.
So a lot of people want their whole home organized. I do have some clients where there are specific areas that are, they're, they're wanting to get organized. But majority of my clients are whole home organization.
[00:06:12] Lauren: Yeah. Well, so I, so I can relate so much to what you're saying about, I feel like I'm an organized person. I mean, like I help people organize their brains for a living, but. I get so overwhelmed with the stuff and I think having kids in our home at least has totally changed things because before I was just responsible for my stuff, the things I brought into our home from my childhood that probably should have gotten rid of a while ago, you know, those kind of things that now it's just like, I feel like all I do is add to our stuff right?
And so. I wonder like what, what are some of the biggest barriers you see your clients facing to being organized? Is it just the amount of stuff? Is it systems? Is it a combination? Where do you see people really struggle to stick with a, you know, stay organized and, and not keep falling back to like the pile habit, which I tend to be a piler.
[00:07:00] Katherine: Yeah. One I think that's very simple is that keeping your surfaces clear. So putting things down, but not putting it away. So if you put down something and it doesn't have a place and it just stays there, then that becomes its new home. So it doesn't have a designated spot. So like mail, for example, right?
Like say you have a mail sorter, like you have one, it's on the wall, but when you come in, you naturally just drop your mail right there. And then you're like, Oh, this needs to go there, but it doesn't make it there. And then lo and behold, weeks later, months later, now you have this mountainous pile of paperwork, right? That lacks system, but it also is probably not the right spot for where your mail sorter is, right? So some of it is like not knowing your natural habits and leaning into that and more so leaning into maybe an aesthetic or like where you think it ought to go instead of recognizing like, Hey, my habit is putting it here, so maybe I need a different type of sorter that can be on this walkway or entryway as opposed to something hanging on the wall, even though the thing that's hanging on the wall might look better aesthetically, right? And then the system, like, how are you sorting through that mail? Are you just dropping all your mail there?
Are you taking time to go through it? Does it just stay there until you think about it? Are you, you know, making sure that you're opting out of junk mail so that less mail is coming in? So there's a lot of things there. So that's the first one is, you know putting things down, but not putting it away.
The other thing is the attachment to assigning the things that you let go of. So wanting it to go to a good person or wanting, or I should say, desiring that you're, you know, kids or family members or like somebody that you know, loves knitting. And so you want to gift it to them. And so you assign all of these things.
And while you're assigning it, you're not acting on it. And so it's just taking up space. So believe it or not, like, a lot of my clients may have things that are already set to be donated. That they haven't donated yet that have been there for weeks, months in the trunk, maybe, and they are like, Oh my gosh, I have this I need to donate this as soon as it's brought to the attention that this is what we're doing.
We're going through things and we're deciding what you want to keep and what you're letting go of it immediately awakens their sense that like, Oh, I have something in the basement. I have this I have this I have this I have this. Because. It's out of sight, out of mind because it's just attached in your mind who it belongs to, right?
There's no action. So I would say that those are the kind of the top two blocks is like not having a home for things and thinking that organizing means product. Right. And then also like, having that desire to want to attach it to a person, whether a person or a charity. There's, there's some that like they want the coat to go to a charity for children or something that they have in their mind of like, it may exist, it may not exist.
And so it just doesn't get done.
[00:09:52] Lauren: I feel like I've seen like organizing shows and things like that before and I can relate where people will be like, Oh, I have to hang on to this particular type of jar in case my grandkid comes over and then we can make this craft. And the person will be like, but you can't make a craft in a room that you can't physically function in.
So I always keep that in my mind when I'm, you know, staring. I am a piler, as I mentioned, and I think. The systems that I had before in my home don't work necessarily anymore now that I have kids. And so I think it's that revisiting. What about the sentimental stuff? Like, what do you, how do you help people when I, I definitely know what you mean of a sign in.
I'm always like, well, this was my today. Actually, I sold some furniture and the lady came to pick it up. And I was like, I just wanted to make sure this went to someone like a good home. She's looking at me like I'm crazy. You know.
[00:10:35] Katherine: It's like a good home. It's going home with me.
[00:10:37] Lauren: like, I'm so glad it was going to a good home or whatever, you know, but like, I can be extremely sentimental and I married someone who like is not with stuff in the same way that I am.
And, and I thought. I had gotten it under control and then having kids just amplified that. Right? Like, I'm like, oh, this was their first thing that they ever scribbled on with a piece of, you know, like, I have to keep everything. And so I've really been challenging myself because I am so overwhelmed with stuff.
And a lot of times I feel that way, you know, I feel like I can't stay organized because of the stuff, but that sentimental piece or that I've attached, you know, like, You're saying attaching it to people. Sometimes I've just attached it to this memory and I can't part with it. So do you see that a lot with your clients?
And if so, what's a strategy for that? Or how do you help people let go when it's, it feels like you shouldn't, or it feels like it's associated with a person you love or a memory you loved or something like that.
[00:11:28] Katherine: First I'll start by saying when it comes to sentimental items, whether it's a photo, a baseball cap, regardless of what it is. The memory is in your mind. The item is just a reminder. You're not going to lose the memory if you decide to let something go. And if you feel like this tug, Right. This resistance of letting it go that I would say, keep it right.
But if you feel like I should be letting this go, why is it so difficult for me to let this go that kind of back and forth switching, probably leaning towards just letting it go, because then that's more of like a guilt thing. Right. So like if you have a picture, say you have three pictures, right, they're all from the same event.
Do you need to keep all three of those pictures? Probably not. One's got the smiley face and the peace sign, the people doing silly face and the other one's like everybody's like smiling and there's one and like your eyes like close. Like one of those pictures is probably fine to define that moment that happened that maybe was a significant moment that was captured.
But you don't need to keep all three of those, right? Or maybe it's the silly picture that you want to keep because it was funny because, you know, maybe grandpa like stuck his tongue out or something. I don't know. But like, Choosing like less when it comes to the sentimental items, but also recognizing when it is something that you truthfully want to keep right.
I think a lot of times, especially when it comes to parents and grandparents or people who have passed, there is this stress that kind of comes with like, if I'm letting go of this item, I'm also letting go of this person. Right. So like this was a really nice purse that my grandma gave me but she passed away.
So I should keep it because she's passed away. Like for me, I would encourage you to go a little bit deeper with that. When it comes to sentimental items with my clients. As a certified Kon Marie consultant, we always leave sentimental items for last. So if we're doing clothing, if we're doing books, if we're doing paper, if we're doing miscellaneous, we put all of those things to the side to the end because by that time you have built a muscle of what are the things that you want to keep and that are aligned.
They're easier decisions and then you can kind of wait to make kind of those more difficult things that need a little bit more time for you to process. It may not be as immediate as like, Oh, this has a hole in it and it needs to go. Or like, I no longer wear this size or I no longer read this book. And so you kind of develop that muscle so that when you get to sentimental, you can actually make intentional decisions and not so much like a decision where it's like, I'm deciding I'm not going to make a decision today.
And so you just kind of put it away and you're just like, I don't really know what I want to do. So I'm just going to put it here. And so it never, you never make that choice. When I first moved to Columbia, we moved in my husband's childhood home. My mother in law is deceased. And so as you can imagine, the entire house was sentimental. And here I am a professional organizer, right? And everything in the house is sentimental, right? And for the first few months, it was kind of difficult to navigate through because I had to sell some of my things like my furniture that we had in our old place. I had to kind of. Kind of create my own pockets of Katherine right in the home for me to feel comfortable.
And then it got to a point where my husband was like, what's going on? And I'm just like, I just feel like I can't really spread out. Like I feel like I can't just be myself and I want to be respectful of my mother in law and her things, but also we are our own family. And so how do I do that? And so what ended up happening is that slowly, but surely.
We started letting go of things that my husband recognized weren't actually sentimental. But they were nostalgic.
[00:15:18] Lauren: Ah, that is such a good distinction.
[00:15:20] Katherine: And so as we started going through things, It's slow because my husband is slow when it comes to like processing and like he needs time. He needs time. We'd start going through things, letting things go. And the funny thing is when we got to the point where we let go of all the things and we felt like it was good, we bought this house. And so I always say like with my clients, you have to make room for what you envision for your life. And you don't realize that your stagnancy, your, you being stagnant with the choices that you're making is blocking you from the blessings that are, that are, that you can't see behind the wall, right?
We had always aspired to buy a house. Like I said, you know, one of the things was to pay off debt. We paid off 86, 000 in debt before I started my business. The first thing that I bought was my certification course and it took me 11 months to become certified. And when we did that, it was with the intention that we would buy a house.
Right. And the day that we found out that we paid, like the day that we paid the last debt, my husband found out that he was getting orders to go to Afghanistan. So that dream kind of just, well, we're not going to buy a house this year, but when he came back a year later, we bought the house. And we weren't even in the mindset that when he came back, we'd be buying the house.
Something just came available. And I walked in and I had this feeling, and I was like, this is it. And he was like, what's going on? You are so quiet. You're like, that's so talkative. You're so quiet, but there was something like a piece about it. And I was like, this is where I'm going to be. So I think there's a, there's a difference between things being nostalgic and being sentimental.
I am a sentimental person. I have my card from every birthday card my mom has ever gave me. I have a birthday card from all my graduations, confirmation. Everything you could possibly think of, I have them because those moments are important to me. Now, I have cards from classmates, I had cards from classmates from like first grade, third grade, fifth grade.
Do I need to keep those? No. And I actually did this one year. I posted I did like kind of like a gallery of, of cards on the floor. And I tagged people in it and I said, can you identify which card you gave to me?
[00:17:34] Lauren: What a fun idea. I, this is, this is so ringing true with me of some of the things in my, my boxes, but you've given me a way to think about it, right? Because there are so many things that I just feel attachment to, and that distinction between sentimental, which actually is associated, like, like, right, my grandmother's handwriting or, you know, things that I want to keep versus just funny things in sixth grade that my friends and I passed around, like, right.
I don't necessarily need those filling up two boxes, right? So that's, that is such a good distinction. And I love how accepting you are. And in kind of normalizing, yes, we have things that are special and important. Cause I think sometimes people think like, well, I'm going to organize. That means I have to get rid of everything that I love and everything I care about.
I love that you've created kind of freedom for memory to stay. I have all these cards like memories can stay, but also kind of challenging yourself to think about why am I holding on to this? Do I need to remember this particular thing different ways with five different things? So important when you were talking about kind of that avoidance piece of like people piling up the things and then not dealing with it.
We deal with this on our end with the executive function piece. Where people really are blocking themselves from goals and potential and successes because they have an idea or a plan and they kind of, they, they procrastinate or that task initiation piece actually starting it and that avoidance is so common.
I mean, I think we're all, we all struggle with that, but in our, we see that a lot in our career. And so I think it's so interesting to also hear how that relates to physically getting organized, because I believe being physically organized and having clear space helps our mind be more clear and helps with the work we do, right, which is helping people execute and do tasks and get things done.
So I think that that avoidance is something I see people have. You know, I love that visual of like the weightings of like making a decision about this stuff. And so it just sits there. I mean, I have things that I probably walked past a million times, or I'm like, why is that thing still sitting there?
I've just never addressed it. Right. And we see that with our clients in avoidance of certain tasks or goals or dreams that they have for a variety of reasons. And so I think that's so normal. I'm probably good for people to hear how normal that really is to work.
[00:19:37] Katherine: I mean, it'd be, I would be like, what is life like the whole and this is why I decided to become certified in the Kon Marie Method because it's aligned with what I envision for my life. And the focus is really on what you desire to keep, not what you want to get rid of. And when you make those choices, Conversely, all the things that don't belong go, right?
Because you're making an intentional choice and saying, I love my cards. Okay, this can stay. I love these clothes. This can stay. So you're only surrounded by the things that you love. And so what would that be without sentimental items? From the people that you love. So no, you don't have to get rid of everything.
I never tell my clients what to get rid of, even though some of them ask me my opinion.
[00:20:26] Lauren: like looking for your permission.
[00:20:28] Katherine: Right? Like, is this good? Is this good? You know, I'm like, you're doing great. Now I will say one of the things that I am, I don't want to say strict about, but word choice. So when it comes to like discarding items, like I don't say trash, I don't say garbage, I don't say any of those kind of words and I don't encourage my clients to say those kind of words because all that has negative energy attached to it.
And so I want people to associate decluttering and getting tidy with joy. You are making every single thing that you're letting go of is a choice. And those choices are going to help shape what your next day looks like, right? If you wake up and there's like clothes all over your bed because you didn't get to finish decluttering or you have all this items in your trunk of donations that haven't made it out, right?
Like all of that shapes what your next day looks like, it's going to shape what your months look like. It's going to shape what your entire life looks like. And for the parents, you're setting the example for. Your children as well, right, of what to expect when they have their own homes and when they have their own families.
I had a consultation with a mom, a new mom, she had two kids her husband was retired military and she was, she worked for the government. And she called me because she was overwhelmed by the clutter that was in her home. She didn't know where to start. Her husband didn't really think that there was any value in professionally or hiring a professional organizer.
And this is kind of a stigma too. I think just with women in general that like, just because you're a woman, you innately know how to declutter and organize and take care of home. And like it, it's not a thing being organized as a skill. It's something that is learned. It's something that is taught. So we had a conversation and I asked her, you know, like, what was your childhood experience like?
And she was like, well it was five of us in the house. Everything was like super busy. There wasn't really time to do anything. We were kind of left alone a lot, this and that, then. So then I asked her about, you know, in terms of like donating, like, what was your experience like? And she said, all I know is that things were there, and then one minute they just disappeared, and I didn't know why.
And if I asked for it, my mom would just buy it again. So lo and behold, we're in the kitchen, and there's a crock pot that is on the counter. And she's like, this is giving me anxiety that this is here. It needs a spot. It doesn't need to be here. And I said, well, normally, what would you do? And she was like, I will just donate this.
And then I was like, okay, well, then what happens when you need it? I'll just buy another one.
[00:22:56] Lauren: Wow. What an, what an interesting pattern that she had learned. And then, you see, she's like finding a short term solution for the clutter, but long term, she's still accruing those things. That's so
[00:23:07] Katherine: Yeah. So she had the, she has the means to do that. Right. But is it benefiting her or her family? It's not because it's creating this thing where Every time you need something, you have to buy it if you, if you've ever done that, which I'm sure we all have imagine doing that with every single thing that you see that is visually cluttered.
So whether that's paperwork, whether that's something on the stairwell, whether that's something on your bed and seeing it and saying, this has to go, it needs to go somewhere and it's out of this house. And then being like, Oh, I actually do need those gloves for a boxing class, or I do need that yoga mat for yoga class.
Like it's creating an impulsive shopping, impulsive shopping habit. Right. And you can't feel, I can imagine she. Can't feel peace because of that. And that's why she was so overwhelmed. Like noises were bothering her. Like the dogs were barking, the babies were crying. And it was just like, she was so overwhelmed because it's everything is in a constant state of rush, rush, rush.
I have to go get this. I have to do this. I have to, have to, have to, have to very demanding job. Right. And so I recognize that. A lot of us have not had that conversation with our parents or weren't a part of the conversation, right? I always share anytime I see a reel with a kid talking about, like there was one that last year I shared like five times with a little girl was like, so mom, did you throw my artwork in the trash?
[00:24:36] Lauren: I feel so guilty about the artwork. I've already created such an artwork, but it's such a good
[00:24:41] Katherine: throw my artwork in the trash, right? Because, again, it is her belonging, like as, as, as a parent. Right. The child is kind of your belonging, right? It's your thing, but they also have their own things. And so there's things that sparked joy for them. There's things that they like.
And we may not know that they like it. It may be one squiggly, but to them, it's just like, no, my squiggly is a hot dog. And it shaped them. You know what I mean? Like you have no idea. So I think it's important to write before you do it. I know that's not always possible, especially for like the little, little ones, they probably don't know, but if they're, I would say if they're They have some kind of idea of what they like and what they don't like.
They can tell you they like broccoli. They don't like broccoli, but they like chicken nuggets. So they can be able to tell you they like this toy versus they don't like a toy. So, and I've, and I've worked with kids and a lot of them are like, my child's two, they're not going to be able to, like, discern, like, if they, if something sparks joy.
And I was working with a kid. He didn't even speak. He didn't even, he didn't even have like what you call it, the speech development yet. So he wasn't even saying words, but he was pointing and he was like, he was like, it's on my page. It's probably like maybe a year old, but he's like literally pointing.
And he's just like, I was like, do you like this? And he said and he pointed and then he put it over here and then he put other things in another pile. So it's like, I think we need to give them more credit and we need to give them more opportunities for choice.
[00:26:05] Lauren: It makes me be more aware too, because I think it's like what our childhood was like, but then also see yourself repeating those patterns perhaps. But then I see my four year old already, my husband was like this weekend, we were all stuck home with the rain and everything. And he was like, what are some things that you can get rid of?
And every single thing she picked up, she's like, well, this is so special. She, it was me. My husband kept looking at me. He goes, this is you. This is you. I need to start modeling, like letting go of things, right? Because I, I'm already created that in her, but they are aware, you know? And I think. The, the better I can model having, you know, not being so overwhelmed.
I, I do think a lot of times my overwhelm and stress is either from stuff or exacerbated by stuff. And I, I think that that example you were giving of the woman who, when she couldn't find things, she would just replacing I think a similar type example, which happens to me sometimes. It's not that I get rid of things necessarily, but often I can't remember because certain areas, Not everything has its home and not everything as is as organized, although I've made some progress, but I don't remember if I have the gardening gloves.
So then Amazon makes. So now I purchased. So now I probably have two pairs of things floating around. So it's like I'm almost duplicating things because I don't have a full sense. And so that, that overwhelmed feeling is something we hear so often from clients. And I'm sure it's something you see a lot of as well.
[00:27:22] Katherine: It's like a keyword in the intake form. If I were to go through and look at every intake form, like their first before, like before they do their clarity call, there's either the word overwhelm or stress in it always.
[00:27:36] Lauren: And because the stuff adds to the overwhelming
[00:27:38] Katherine: yeah. Tidy space, tidy mind. So if the space is cluttered, how is your mind?
Right. Right.
[00:27:43] Lauren: I'm like, I need backup. I need this. I just kind of, what would you say for someone who's feeling that way? Like here's some of the first things you recommend to just start, you know, like I'm so overwhelmed with stuff. I'm so overwhelmed with clutter. I don't have time. You know, I, we hear this all the time from you.
I don't have time. I have no time. And that's something we try to help them with is getting more time back in their schedule. But where do, where do you tell people to start? Where do you tell people to start? To kind of start chipping away at some of these patterns and the lack of systems and the stuff.
Like, what are some of those starting steps?
[00:28:12] Katherine: it really depends on the person and the reason why I say it is because some people if you give them guidance They can follow it. Like if they say Katherine if you tell me what to do, I can do it And there's other people that are overwhelmed with deciding even when it's delegated what to start with in the Kon Marie method, we always start with clothing.
Always start with your bedroom because at the end of the day, that's where you lay your head. And in the morning, that's where you wake up. So if you wake up and you look around and it's cluttered, that's how you're going to start your day.
So whether it's the bedside table, and you're just clearing that all, whether it's your bed, maybe you got a little laundry pile on top of the bed that you slept with last night, maybe take care of that. If there is clothes on the bottom of your closet that the hangers just. Knock them down or something, knock down, pick that stuff up and put it in a pile.
Right.
[00:29:07] Lauren: Yeah, I know I actually have a couple of these spaces that come to mind immediately. So, Finding, I love that idea of starting kind of with the clothes and near your bed and because I do agree. It's like when you're looking around and everything feels cluttered, you feel that Stress bubbling up and, and overwhelm.
And then I, I know for myself sometimes I'm just like, I will get to that. And I think you said it earlier on too. I could walk past something probably for years without addressing it. Unless, unless I, someone's coming over or I get see that spot, or I like, you know, then I just move the problem somewhere else.
So, and, and like I said, I feel like I'm a generally organized person, but I think that this phase of my life and the amount of things I, the systems have lacked. And I, I know I hear this from a lot of our clients,
[00:29:45] Katherine: yeah, absolutely. And I mean, as you mentioned When there's a significant life change, there's an addition to the family. It's a new house, bigger, smaller. And maybe you're in a different phase of your life. Maybe you used to work in an office and now you're working from home, right? Like there's all of these significant changes that happens, but we don't adapt to the change.
We just assume that whatever we had is just still working and will work until we recognize that it doesn't work. And then we're like, Oh, I'm stuck now because I don't have the time to create a new system. And I think that is the beauty of hiring a professional organizer. When I go into a space, I can see the end. I can see how you live. I can see what's working, what's not working. I'm like, she never drinks her coffee because she's busy. She's like, you know, reheating it five to 10 times. You can see the ring. You know what I mean? Like, there's just things that you notice.
[00:30:38] Lauren: Morning coffee.
[00:30:39] Katherine: There's just things that you notice that, like, from the outside that you may not be noticing because you're in it, right?
[00:30:45] Lauren: Oh, in the bubble. Yeah.
[00:30:47] Katherine: Yeah, you're in the bubble and you're like this and that, but then when we start, when I do the consultation, then it's like, oh my gosh, I can't believe I still have this. Like at consultation, we haven't even done anything yet. It's like, oh my gosh, I can't have, how am I supposed to get rid of this? How did I forget about this?
And it's just like, because of life. Life be lifin sometimes. And so, you know, if you don't make it a priority and you don't invest the time, that's what happens. And so that's why when I go into a home, I go in with no judgment. And I always say something happened to cause. For this to not be attended to for this to not have a level of importance.
And some of this, some people don't think that's important. I've talked to people and they're just like organized. That's not achievable. Like organized house. They're like, Oh, you don't have kids. So that's why your house is organized. And I'm like, what? I have kids to be organized. I had my nieces and my nephew here for 10 days.
And my my brother and my sister were like, what is going on? They're going to bed on time. They're folding their clothes there. You know what I mean? Because they, I'm modeling for them, right? A system there. And then when they went home, I felt really bad because they're like, we want to go to Starbucks.
I want to cake pop. You need to go donate some stuff. We need to, you know, they're sitting at the table. They're like, it's, it's, it's one o'clock. It's time for lunch. Where's lunch. And they're like sitting at the table. Right. As they're accustomed to like these new habits. I think Sometimes people will say like, Oh, like people can't adopt new habits.
Like when you're becoming an adult, like you can't adapt and like, whatever, you know, is what, you know, kind of thing. And that is far from the truth, far from
[00:32:21] Lauren: see that too with our clients, right? Where it's like, they feel like they've just gotten so, like you said, in that bubble, they're so used to it. And that's where it is so helpful when we come in, because we can get this outside perspective. Like you're, you're so, you're stressed because you're over committing your time and you, you don't have, and I think it's that, that's where bringing someone like you in can be so helpful.
And I want to, so I want to give you time here as we're wrapping up to, if you could share, you know, it's fall, it's this reset season. I know we were chatting about this at the beginning. We see so many. Of our clients and our parents being like, I can catch my breath. The summer crazy is over. The kids are back at school.
And so it's definitely a time where a lot of people are wanting to simplify and organize. So I love if you have a, want to share kind of what you offer and, you know, where people can follow you and, and you know, learn more because you're, I love following your Instagram. I learn a lot things you post and just like your.
It's very just calming and the routines you share and things. But then also I know you, you work with a lot of people locally. So if anyone might be interested, if you just want to share a little bit about what you do and where people can find you,
[00:33:21] Katherine: Yeah, absolutely. So I do professional home organization in home. And virtual mostly in home. The virtual consult service is really for people who want more of a DIY approach. They want kind of a roadmap and they can follow it. If that is not you, do not sign up for virtual.
[00:33:40] Lauren: it's not going to work.
[00:33:41] Katherine: It's not gonna work. It's not gonna be effective. And I have five stars, so don't.
[00:33:46] Lauren: Let's keep it.
[00:33:47] Katherine: joking. I'm just joking. But I offer in person home organization. I also offer move in services. So I do anything from, like, the project management of the day to actually moving you in. So, like, turnkey move in.
Like, I have all of your stuff. I move everything in set up a system, you come in the house and it's literally moving ready. And I also do the coordination so like the movers the vendors like say you have something that needs to be touched up or you have electrical work that needs to be done, or there's certain furniture pieces that you haven't sourced I do the product sourcing.
And I do that with my. In home organization as well. I do product sourcing. I do the donations. If you have things you want to consign or share on like offer up or Facebook, I handle all of that. I don't take any commissions off of this. I give everything directly to the client. But I do all of the managing because I realized that a lot of my clients, even though they made the decision to consign or they made the decision to sell there was this missing action part and it's because of lack of time.
So I take that on. Huge. That's, I feel like,
Oh, thank
[00:34:56] Lauren: what you were talking about, where the pile will just sit like, I've decided to let go of it, but then it just kind of becomes part of my house in this new pile. So that's really helpful. You help get it physically out.
[00:35:05] Katherine: Yes out. Yes. And I have a number of trade discounts and I give those discounts to my clients So if you are a you know full time client, so to speak. I give you my discount for any of the places that I have discounts with, which helps a lot because organizing products are not cheap. But what else?
I am starting Tidy Your Wardrobe with Tidy Mills, so again,
[00:35:31] Lauren: Oh, cool.
[00:35:32] Katherine: this will be the third Tidy Wardrobe with Tidy Milso, and basically it is eight weeks of intentional decluttering and organizing. So we meet virtually. Ironically enough, all of the people last time were all in Howard County. So they were virtual, but they were local.
It was the weirdest thing. It was also amazing because like some of them saw each other in person and they never knew each other, but they were like, go to the same gym and like, they never knew each other, but they met each other through funny. Well, it's a small little world too.
Yeah, it's a small world. So it's fun. But it's eight weeks.
I give you a declutter checklist. I give you guiding questions. So past the, have I worn this in a year kind of I don't really align with ones that are like, Oh, turn your hanger around. Like you have to be intentional about like, okay, which one is the ones that I'm keeping and which one's the one that's going that way.
It's too much mind trickery, in my opinion. So we kind of debunk all of those kinds of myths that. Aren't sustainable. And at the end of it, you haven't organized. You have all your clothing is organized in eight weeks. So that's coming up again. So I'm super excited about that. You can find me on Instagram at Tidy Milso, Facebook at Tidy Milso.
I also have a YouTube channel where I do a combination of organizing information and personal vlogs. So my husband and I renovated our home. And so I'm sharing the entire process of us organizing and renovating it. And the other thing is my, yeah, it's super cool. Like the previous homeowner, she was just like, please send it to me.
[00:37:06] Lauren: I wanna see
[00:37:07] Katherine: to see what it's, what it's potentially could have looked like.
[00:37:10] Lauren: Can you spell that out for people who are listening so that they can. For the, for the spelling of Tidy Milsow so they can find you on all these places.
[00:37:18] Katherine: Absolutely. So it's T I D Y M I L S O. Tidy Milso. Milso in the military community stands for military significant other.
[00:37:29] Lauren: I was going to ask you what did it stand for? Okay, I love that.
[00:37:33] Katherine: it's a nod to that experience because had he not joined the military, I wouldn't have found that this was something that I'd be passionate about, about helping people you know, make more space for joy, get organized and all the things.
So it's kind of a nod to that experience.
[00:37:46] Lauren: Cool. Well, as I said, for anyone listening, go ahead and follow Katherine at Tidy Milsow. I love her content. I always, you do like a little checklist every morning. I'm always like, what's Katherine doing today? Cause then I'll get my plan for the day. Cause it's very relaxing and calming. And thank you so much for meeting with me today and chatting.
I feel like. This is just, it's a, something that some people, as you mentioned, do feel some shame around, or sometimes that overwhelm, or they just don't even know where to start. So I'm hoping by having, hearing this conversation, I tried to be a little vulnerable of like, I organize, like I said, people's time and schedules for living, and I feel often disorganized in a lot of ways.
And so just for people to hear, you know, this is a skill, often it does need some outside help, and some new systems, and some attention. And, And this is a great time of year to get that help to look at those piles around your house and ask yourself, you know, can this be addressed? What should I do about it?
So thank you so much.
[00:38:39] Katherine: Welcome. Absolutely. It was so much fun. So much fun.
[00:38:43] Lauren: I'd love to do it again soon.
[00:38:44] Katherine: I'm up for it.