I read books. A lot of books. It’s a habit I formed at a young age. One additional habit is that if I start a book, I WILL finish it. Even if I don’t like it, or don’t agree with the information included. My sentiments are that this book might change my life and if I put it down before the end, I might miss that magical transformation.
Which is why, when a dear friend told me about a new book (yes, the book is old, but this blog post is new!!), I read it and despite disagreeing with it I finished it. As president of NAPO Baltimore, I even spearheaded our GO Month (Get Organized) events that year with two book discussions about The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing: one for professional organizers and one for the public. These were both well attended with those that sung the book’s praises, those who hated the book, and those somewhere in the middle.
I guess you can say that I fall somewhere in the middle. Anything that becomes a catalyst for change and organization for someone is awesome! I you read it and it worked for you. Great! As an organizing professional, my fear and hesitation with any one size fits all concept is that one size does not fit all. One size might fit some, but how depressing is it to put on something that is supposed to fit all, only to realize that you are the exception? You might completely give up on organizing and feel like a failure. And in the case of organizing & productivity, one size fits all is surely not the case. Otherwise everyone would be organized.
My biggest issue, however, with the book was the assertion that those who were disorganized were lazy. This infuriated me. I have worked with many clients who are at the top of their careers, but their home life is disorganized because their organizational systems outside of work are broken, non-existent, or in many cases, they just don’t know where to start or how to apply what works in the structure of their business, to their home life! There are also times where nothing was patterned for them as a child. They were told to clean their rooms, as if that was a task and not the project that it really is.
If you have felt any of the feelings referenced above, never fear, help is here!!
Yours in organizing,
Laura
