Last week I blogged about how to hire a Professional Organizer. Are YOU considering this as an option to help you with tasks around your home?

I know sometimes I put off things on my “TO DO” list and for some reason, those items just never see the light of day. The reason is there is not a place on the calendar called SOMEDAY, not to be confused with SUNDAY. And we wonder why there are chores and tasks that never get done. Usually, it’s not a problem until THE IMPORTANT ONE slides or we just want to pull out our hair because the home has reached a status of chaos.

So here is the truth of the matter. When hiring a Professional Organizer (PO), the ROI (return on investment) can be life altering, empowering and liberating – helping you set a new path, a new direction to a journey of being in control of your schedule, belongings and vital documents.

I am speaking to Busy Moms right now (we will address the working out of home population another day). For purposes of this blog, ‘BUSY MOMS’ means just that – visualize a caricature image of an octopus with four arms. By the way, WIKIPEDIA has this to say about the OCTOPUS, “Octopuses are among the most intelligent and behaviorally diverse …” Now if that does not describe moms who bring it home all the time, I’m not sure what does.

But I digress, let’s go back to the four arms imagery. Below are some of the main areas where our dear mothers might flounder if they fall into the state of Overwhelm.

Arm One: Personal Space and Time

Remember the Stewardess’ instructions on the plane about the Oxygen Mask. You have to take care of yourself first. Moms particularly need to be reminded of this because they are always nurturing their children, and as a woman, tend to coddle anyone else who needing support – it is in our DNA. So here is the scenario that can take place. Mom gets everyone up and ready for school, gets breakfast organized, gets breakfast area cleaned up, takes dog out for walk, drives kids to school or walks them to bus, gets Cody to the doctor because of ugly rash that surfaced after breakfast, gets Cody back to school, runs 5 minutes late to PTA meeting, then 5 minutes late to hair appointment, meets with a client for a prospective gig, goes shopping for Holiday clothes for the kids, runs by the dry cleaners, forgets to bring most important item needed by weekend, goes back home to get that item. Then, grabs a bite to eat for lunch, misses workout class because she has to check on her husband’s mother who is ill, then needs to get to the bus to walk kids back to the house after school or pick up from school and drive carpool to dance class and baseball activities. We have not even started the evening routine…

No wonder by the end of the day, this mom is a total wreck. If this describes some of your daily life, then read on. YOU could benefit from time management. There are options in THIS universe, not an alternative one, that can help you cope a bit better with your day. You can hire a PO to help put a better schedule together and help you give yourself permission to take Mental Health breaks.

Arm Two: Managing Home Business.

Some Busy Moms add a side business to their list of ongoing activities, and their office is in their home. With this situation, scheduling the calendar is super crucial, but there is also a need to make sure zones are in place so you are not putting the Teacher conference schedule in the place where you are supposed to have a conversation with that prospective client.

So how do you get these ZONES working to your advantage? How do you manage the schedule and balance all those things you feel obligated to handle? What do you do about taking calls when you are being called to school for an emergency? Where do you keep all your business files and how do you find them when you need them? Are you ready to walk out the door with all the materials you need for that new client even though you just had the morning from Hell trying to get Alex and Alice ready for school? Or did you pick up your daughter’s Science folder instead of your client proposal?

A Professional Organizer can help you adjust, fine tune and breathe.

Arm Three: ‘Sock’ It To Me

There are days when I swear the laundry grows by itself – and oh, those socks. There must be a better way to deal with that monster known as the washing machine. Does it really eat clothes?

And how do we manage to get all those soccer uniforms ready for the next game? Well, there are some tricks to the trade and hiring a Professional Organizer might be the key to sorting it all out.

And, of course, there is the house maintenance and cleaning. Do those dust balls grow over night? And why did the Heater decide to stop working on the day of Marissa’s birthday party? Did you really forget to have the HVAC technician come for the Fall checkup? How did that counter get so scummy, and why is there something growing in Cameron’s bathroom tub? You just might need someone to help clean up your crazy schedule.

Arm Four: Where’s Waldo?

If you are tired of being Sherlock Holmes and trying to help the kids, your husband, or yourself locate, you name it – file for medical history, tax records, resume, skirt, top, shoes, favorite stuffed animal, the dog’s leash, the grocery list, or the catcher’s glove, you might need help putting your jigsaw puzzle together. Piece by piece, there can be a place for everything.

Waldo can be found and found with finesse – it is just a matter of creating the right space to land those need to grab items. Sometimes life just all crashes in and without a system in place, there is bound to be stress and maybe even tears. Defining zones can be challenging but once they are in place, the heavens open and Glory Hallelujah- there is peace on earth

With the Holidays upon us, Busy Moms can really fall into a fit of despair so an early holiday gift to yourself might be hiring a Professional Organizer. Your New Year’s resolution could be setting goals for yourself and the family. There are endless ways a PO can help you transform chaos into order.

Always know you can reach out for help. Please contact me if you have any questions.