I was recently invited to be a guest speaker for Global Figure and was given only ten minutes to talk about what I do, and why.
This short format was quite the challenge. I’ve written numerous blog posts about organizing and my business, and have spoken about minimal living and its positive effects to anyone who would listen. Despite this, it was hard for me to articulate that what I do is much more than physically arrange people’s belongings so their spaces are more organized. My approach involves looking at all of the factors that create a cluttered life.
This short format was quite the challenge. I’ve written numerous blog posts about organizing and my business, and have spoken about minimal living and its positive effects to anyone who would listen. Despite this, it was hard for me to articulate that what I do is much more than physically arrange people’s belongings so their spaces are more organized. My approach involves looking at all of the factors that create a cluttered life.
I spent some time brainstorming and thought that in ten minutes I could choose to speak about:
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Organizing tips, and digestible practical facts
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Anecdotal stories on the job as a professional organizer
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My process of organizing an individual’s space, then moving on to their time management
As I reflected on what I do, I thought that it was more important to share my intention and purpose, which is:
Simplify to Connect
I realized that I help people simplify their life so they have time to connect.
For me simplifying means to reduce the physical and mental clutter in your life. Essentially to Simplify means to:
Simplify = Minimize + Organize + Design + Sustain
1. Minimizing: Keeping what you use and truly appreciate, and getting rid of the clutter that takes you away from you life purpose and focus.
2. Organizing + Design: Learning how to zone items and how to store them in more effective ways. Designing spaces that are intuitive, functional and inspiring.
3. Sustaining through change: These changes include habits, thinking patterns, belief systems, how we use our time, and even our values themselves can change over time. The change is essential in creating a simpler life where people are then able to connect with themselves, family and friends and community.
Going through a process of awareness and change has allowed me to simplify my life by becoming more minimal and intentional. The less I have, the less I have to take care of, and the less time I waste being distracted by clutter. Living a simpler life allows me to be mindful of my day to day choices, actions, thoughts and beliefs. This slowing down allows me to look at everything I do, explore alternatives, and decide and what makes sense to change.
Connect
By going through this process of simplification (both with the amount of belongings I own and how I spent my time) I’ve been able to make space for what matters to me: connecting with community, family and friends, my well-being and continuing to move towards an environmentally sustainable lifestyle (which now is focusing on a zero waste). This process has involved many years and different approaches — now that I’ve refined my process I hope to help others to simplify their lives so they can connect to what matters to them.
All in all, I am so grateful that I was asked to speak — distilling my process into a 10 minute talk inspired me to pinpoint what I do and why I do it. I coach people to simplify so they have the time and space to connect, and live more sustainability in all areas of their lives.
