Simply Organized Comes to the Rescue!

It is no secret that people lead very busy lives these days, and often it is difficult to find time to organize everything in their home.

“Clutter transcends all races, religions, classes, money and status,” says Karen Jessee, owner of Simply Organized, located in Wilmington, Delaware.

“We live in a fast-paced, busy world. We are inundated with advertising. Malls and credit cards have provided easy retail therapy. Parents and grandparents saved everything for their families to sort out, handing over both physical and emotional baggage. Magazines, mail and paper continue to challenge us. Life happens; traumas and dramas have left many with years of rooms, closets, and paperwork left unattended. It is very easy to lose control,” she says.

Karen recalls the moment when she realized she had the gift of organization.

“My job as a professional organizer occurred in a moment of serendipity. In 2003, I had just retired from my first career. I was at a friend’s party when a gentleman nearby unleashed a story of divorce, moving, new job, new house, needing to get settled, having no time, and not knowing where to start. From out of nowhere came a voice that said, Hire me. It was mine. In the course of a few weeks, I established a kitchen, found the pieces of furniture he needed, and gave advice he found quite useful. His words when we finished were simply: This is your next career. This is what you should be doing. I knew that was the beginning of something special.”

Before long, Karen found herself on the way to Chicago to attend the National Association of Professional Organizers convention, where she attended workshops and classes.

“I came home with plenty of resources, ideas and plans, and launched my own business: Simply Organized.” Karen’s job is to help empower people with a greater sense of clarity both in their lives and their homes.

“Every job begins with a home consultation. I take the tour, listen, and ask this question: ‘How are you living your life now?’ People change, their lives change, and their needs change, but the homes stay the same. If people can answer the big questions, they can deal with the little stuff,” she says.

“By learning how people eat and cook, I can reorganize the kitchen. By learning what people wear, what they require, what they like and don’t like about their spaces, I can make differences in the closets, bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices.”

Her background in teaching, theater and event planning gave her a good sense of organizing, design, people and paperwork.

“There are no cookie-cutter solutions in this business. Personal organizing is about meeting the clients’ needs, establishing individual goals and objectives, and tweaking ideas as clients and I work together. Sometimes the solution is as simple as relocating something. Sometimes it means calling in trucks and handymen or assembling things. In all cases, I make suggestions and offer choices, and the client makes the decisions.”

Clutter around the home can cause stress, and for some people, it even leads to depression.

“People are also embarrassed. Lives that look immaculate on the outside are often in total disarray elsewhere. They fear their reputations will be sullied should anyone learn this secret. Many haven’t had friends or family over to their homes in years.”

Always ready for any challenge, Karen admits that messy closets, kitchens and disastrous home offices are fairly exciting for her. “It really is possible to create order out of chaos,” she says. “In spite of the thousands of dollars people spend to upgrade these areas, often times simple organizing ideas and strategies can solve some basic problems. It is all about making the best use of the space the client already has and establishing systems that are visible, accessible and versatile.”

“People want to see it, reach for it, and be able to tweak it. Systems should be easy for the client to maintain after I leave. But there also have to be some basic rules and boundaries. If there are piles of toys in the home office and car parts in the living room, then boundaries have been crossed. Sometimes people ask too much of their space and are unrealistic about just how much a room, closet or drawer can hold and what that space was meant to do.”

Jessee is quick to point out the different between reality and reality television that portrays organizers as pushy and insistent that people throw out everything. “As professionals, we ask permission and are very respectful. By suggesting that clients could ‘let someone else love it’ we help people let go of things they no longer need or want.”

Hiring an organizer is a necessity for many people who have become overwhelmed. “People are not sure how to begin to give themselves the efficient spaces they need and the beautiful spaces they deserve,” she says.

For more information about Karen Jessee and Simply Organized, visit the Website at www.nowsimplyorganized.com or call 302-655-4637.

This article was contributed by John Riddle. John is a Delaware author of 34 books and the Founder of I Love To Write Day. Read more about him here.

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