20 Year Reflections – What I Wish I’d Known Then

When I first started out as an organiser, back in 2005, I knew that I was good at organising things. I knew about the latest storage solutions. I had great strategies for making everyday life simpler and easier. I was excited to share my knowledge and skills with anyone who would pay me, as well as people who didn’t (friends, family, special promotions etc.).

Now, twenty years later, I’m still good at organising things. But as time has gone by and my business has grown, I realise that being good at organising, knowing the latest storage solutions and time managements strategies is not enough. Of course, those things are still useful, essential even, to being an organiser. But there is so much more to it.

I’m grateful for the lessons I learned along the way. I wish I’d known them from the start! Here are twenty things I wish I’d known when I first started out as a professional organiser.

1. I wish I’d known that the range of skills you need to be a really good organiser go far beyond the sorting, organising, storing and managing time that come naturally to me. Active listening, effectively transferring skills, managing people and expectations are just as important. In fact, people skills can have a bigger impact on the success of a client session than organising skills.
2. I wish I’d known that there are many ways to be an organiser. From archiving government records to filing school memorabilia, from organising photos to organising hats, from creating systems for meal planning to tracking inventory, the scope for an organiser to help – and specialise – is infinite.
3. I wish I’d known about the ability to customise. Just as we customise a system for our clients, we get to customise an organising service that energises us every day to help our clients. I am grateful for all the hours I spent organising someone’s home office. I learnt so much and it got my business on its feet. But I’m grateful now to be able to pass those enquiries on to someone else.
4. I wish I’d known that running a business would be fun. One of the reasons I didn’t start my business sooner is that I did not look forward to the admin, the marketing, the bookkeeping and all the other things that go along with running a successful business. When I first started out, I really just wanted to help people get organised. I wanted it enough to try the yucky business stuff, and now I love it all.
5. I wish I’d known that there is power in a network. Surrounding myself with likeminded, supportive people has been a game changer. It took a while to find the right network, but once I did, success was inevitable.
6. I wish I’d known how to deflect the naysayers and negative comments when I told people what I did for a living. Back in 2005, organising was not as well known as it is today. There were no TV shows about it. There were few books about it. There were only a handful of organisers working in my city. Comments from the naysayers ranged from “no one will pay you money to do that” to “you’ll have to work with businesses because there’s no money in domestic organising”. I’m pleased to have proved them all wrong. But I wish I’d had the confidence back then that I do now. Now, if someone were to say that to me, I’d just look them square in the eyes and put them straight.
7. I wish I’d known more about my boundaries. Luckily, I’m a fast learner, and I learned quickly that I don’t want to work on Sundays, or in the evenings. Figuring out those boundaries set me up for a long, enjoyable career, avoiding burn out.
8. I wish I’d known how to say No. Being a people pleaser, it took me a while to learn how to say No with confidence and grace. “Can I get a discount?” No. “Can you buy bread and milk on the way to my place?” No. “Can you climb up into the attic and haul down those heavy boxes?” No.
9. I wish I’d known the phrase “I’m not the organiser for you” sooner. It’s a great phrase when you see that you and a potential client are just not a good fit.
10. I wish I’d known to be clearer about what I will do. Reflecting back on each client session did help with clarity. What worked well and what didn’t? What did I enjoy about working with that client or in that situation? The answers to those questions ensured that I built a career that I enjoyed.
11. I wish I’d known about the seasons of my business. There are busy seasons and quiet seasons. During the quiet seasons, in the early days, I worried that business had dried up. In the busy seasons, I worried that I would never get a rest. Recognising the seasonality of my business gave me confidence to know that there would be another client just around the corner, and that it’s ok to ask a new client to wait a few weeks.
12. I wish I’d known sooner who “my people” are. Knowing my ideal client and how to attract them (and keep them) has created both success and satisfaction.
13. I wish I’d known the power of small steps for long lasting change. One mistake that new organisers can do, including myself, is thinking that only big change will make a difference. But for someone who has been disorganised all their life, a single small change can make a big difference. And in fact, big change can be scary if they are not ready.
14. I wish I’d known sooner that clear, concise communication can prevent misunderstandings, non-payment, and no shows. I don’t mean pages and pages of service agreements. I mean a single short email, text or other message.
15. I wish I’d known that there is so much more to learn. I think every new organiser starts out feeling they’ve “got it”. They know the systems that work. They know the suppliers they prefer. But as I said earlier, there is always more to learn. I’m grateful to my mentors, to the education I received from the Institute for Challenging Disorganization and more. It has helped my train and mentor my own clients, which has been a great joy.
16. I wish I’d known it’s okay to make mistakes. It may even be preferable. It will certainly be educational. That one time I assumed the client wanted to save money on storage options, when actually they wanted top quality and were willing to pay for it. Lesson learned. The one time we got to the end of the session and there was still half an hour’s work to go. I didn’t mind staying on to finish at no extra cost, but actually the client had places to be instead. Lesson learned. Twenty years later, I’ve never made those mistakes again.
17. I wish I’d known that organising is messy. Before you can get to “perfect”, you have to go through the messy bit. The messy bit of organising might look like piles of papers awaiting decisions. Or it could be bags of donations waiting to be donated. With a bit of decluttering and organising, all these piles and bags and boxes can become “perfect”. But it takes time and effort, decisions and habits to get there.
18. I wish I’d known about the dangers of “comparisonitis”. We see pretty pictures of the “perfect” after photo or someone “living their best life” (hello Instagram!) but forget that those pretty pictures of Instagram are curated. Don’t fall into the trap of “comparisonitis”. Remember that what you see on social media rarely tells the whole story. Don’t compare your backstage with someone else’s highlight reel.
19. I wish I’d known it’s ok to ask for help. From outsourcing to a bookkeeper to seeking advice from a mentor, you’d don’t have to know it all from the start.
20. I wish I’d known that taking a chance would pay off in so many ways. I took a chance on me and my dreams, and it has given me twenty years of satisfaction.

If you’re ready to take a chance on you and your organising dreams, check out how I can help here.