It's MY STUFF! You Can't Make Me Throw It Away!

As a Professional Organizer I am very aware that when I go into a person's home or business to help them with their organizing issues I am being entrusted with their things and their confidence. I give my clients possessions the respect they deserve and I maintain a strict confidentiality on what happens in their home.

When people use their friends or family to help them organize - or in most instances - just clean their home (not the same thing at all)  - there is not the same understanding of confidentiality or non-judgement. In fact - there is so much judgement that it usually - in most cases - causes issues within the family or friendship.

The number one complaint from most clients who have - at one point or another - used a friend or family member - is that they tried to make them throw out their "stuff", they threw it out themselves without asking, or they were very judgemental, condescending or just plain mean.

I know that they were just trying to help - or they thought they were helping - but they weren't.  They were putting their ideas of organization, cleanliness and decorating on their friend.

I have heard many clients say to me  "It's MY STUFF!  They tried to make me throw it away!".  And a friendship was lost. A family was torn apart from anger.

Everyone has their own idea on what it means to have an organized, clean, picked up or decorated home.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

As a Professional Organizer I try to give my clients the best advice that I can - without judgement - and being aware of how they live, what their needs are and how they function.

A Professional Organizer never MAKES a client throw anything out. It's THEIR STUFF!

How would you feel if someone came into your home and just started taking things and throwing them out?  I am sure that you would not like it - and you would be very angry.

It doesn't matter what you think - it's what your friend or family member thinks.  It's their stuff - not yours.

It's not always easy when you have a client that is so chronically disorganized (and possibly a hoarder) - to not want to get rid of things and "make it all better" - but that's overstepping the boundary. Part of a Professional Organizers job is to try and teach the person how to make better decisions, how to organize their space better so that they can fit things in where they are supposed to be. A Professional Organizer can guide a client - but they can't and should never throw things out without a client's permission.

As an "outsider" - a "professional" - it's much easier not to become attached to a clients things and to be objective.

So if you don't want someone coming into your home and taking your things - don't go throwing away your families things. It won't end well.  

It's their STUFF!



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