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Pet Peeve: Professional Organizers

My biggest pet peeve of the day is these so called "Professional Organizers" who think they can change people like me and help to bring organization into our lives.

Here is the problem with these profesional organizers. MOST OF THEM HAVE NEVER BEEN DISORGANIZED. It is easy to give solutions to problems, but unless you have actually had these problems, how can you even begin to think the solutions will be effective?

I recently read a magazine article written by one of these professional organizers. She went through all the typical "find a place for everything" suggestions, one being: "put a small basket next to your door and then you will never loose your keys because you will always drop them there and then be able to find them when you need them next" (or something like that). OK, I have news for you. I have a place for my keys. I have a really cool mirror with compartments for keys and stuff right next to my front door. How often do I lose my keys? Um, at least twice a day and I am not joking. In fact, I am currently missing my real set of keys and I have been using a random car and house key that I found lying around the house. The truth is, there are people who never loose their keys EVER and then there are people like me that try every system and can barely ever find them. Why don't I put my keys in the mirror thingy? I don't know. Half the time I come into my house I have kids or packages in my hands and I just don't think about putting my keys down in the same place to be found later.

This same article disscussed implementing an organizational system. You know the kind with the catch phrase that is really an acrostic with different steps to the system (for example: M.E.S.S.: Misplace, Estimate how long it will take to clean up and then go to sleep instead, Stuff everything into the nearest closet, Store things in random places: that is my motto). So one suggestion was that after you have organized the room, or the house, take 15 minutes every day for upkeep of the system. Yeah, not necessarily happening.

The only talent (for lack of a better word) that I have that comes naturally to me that I can sort of equate with natural organization is my sense of direction. I have thankfully always had a good sense of direction and I don't always get that other people don't have this talent. I don't realize that other people don't find it fun to get off at random highway exits and try to find their way back home through various side streets and roads just to learn their way around the city. A good sense of direction can not be taught. Its there or it isn't there. Same with organization.

My basic point is, I will try to be organized. I will try different systems. Some will work, and some won't. But the bottom line is that these professional organizers are a racket because how can someone who truly has the innate talent of organization help someone like me who is NOTHING like that? Just a thought.

Posted by peninah at March 3, 2006 12:40 PM | TrackBack