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Reflecting on the the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) 20th Annual Conference in Reno, NV a few years back. I came across this post and thought it was still very relevant today so I am re-posting it.
For three whirlwind days, I participated in professional development workshops, seminars and meet and greet sessions. I met POs from all over the US, Canada and the world. I would have to say that the highlight of the conference was the Opening Keynote Address from TLC’s Clean Sweep host, organizing guru and best selling author, Peter Walsh. He is the author of my personal favourite organizing book "It’s All Too Much".
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His inspiring keynote speech addressed not just our roles as professional organizers but our ability to become the leaders in a growing industry. As I listened to his address (for the second, third and fourth) time – I bought the DVD from VW Tapes - Conference and Seminar Recordings -) I was just as inspired as when I saw him in-person at the NAPO Conference.
Peter talked about how professional organizing has evolved from the 1990s’ and the Martha Stewart "make pretty" movement to recent "containerization and labelling’ craze to a more current "social conscious – change management" phase. His challenge to the 850 professional organizers in attendance that year was to take the lead in helping people evaluate their lives as a whole. His message was simply put: don’t focus on aesthetics (making things pretty) but focus on making concrete changes in the manner in which we view our ‘stuff’.
Organizing is not about the stuff. It is not about labeling or putting the stuff into matching containers. It is about re-evaluating our over-consumption and accumulation of too much ‘stuff’. True organizing is about looking inward, making changes and conscientious choices. It is about seeing a vision for what you want your life to be and then working towards that.
With that in mind, I invite you to share with me the visions that you have for your life. Using Peter’s methodology: go to your home office/work area now
and look at everything that is surrounding you. Look at the stuff that is accumulating on your desk or in your cabinets: piles of paper, books, flyers, magazines, newspapers, your kids report cards, equipment manuals, your unpaid bills, the extra computer cords.
Now close your eyes and envision the office/work space you want. What is the vision that you see? How does this vision make you feel? Calm? Excited at the prospect of working harder (more efficiently and effectively), making more money, feeling challenged and ready for the next part of your life? Focus on the vision.
As you open your eyes again and you look at all the ‘stuff’ that is in this space, ask yourself how does your cluttered space compare with the vision that you have created in your mind’s eye? If it is not the vision you have, then what do you need to do to make it work?
This is the key to organizing effectively – making the conscious decision to make a change
If something that you see right in front of you does not take you to the vision that you see – you must get rid of it and you must make a commitment to change.
These are the compelling questions that Peter Walsh asked of us, asked of our clients. The keynote address made me re-define what kind of Professional Organizer I wanted to be. Since that conference, I define myself as a ‘change manager’. I help people make changes to their lives that will help them become more organized and stay that way.
So I ask you:
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Hello there! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be ok. I’m absolutely enjoying your blog and look forward to new posts.
I totally agree with his assessment. I am not a professional organizer or even an organizer at all, but I can see the shifts in demographics and trends and the world is very much changing to assess how much do we really need and consumption and overconsumption. It’s interesting to see that touched on in this post. Thanks for reposting.