I'm GREAT with Data .... "Stuff" is a Different Ballgame

When I work with Purple Martin & Co. clients I have the opportunity to show clients my quirky talent of organizing information. So much so that they often say ... "WOW your information is SO organized, I would LOVE to see your home." My VERY humble reply... "trust me, I am very normal. I am a mom of 3 busy kids and my forte is organizing information not stuff." That doesn't mean that my family lives in constant chaos (our home is neat) but it does mean that spatial organization comes as a bigger challenge to me than "data organization."

Maybe it is a right brain / left brain thing, but I frequently need to call in an expert to help me manage our family's spaces as we grow and emerge through different stages of life. I don't admit failure, and it doesn't mean we are a mess ... it just means that I need the advice of a professional who specializes in organizing "stuff" just like I am a professional who specializes in organizing "mommy data."

My biggest soft spot is for saving my children's belongings. Each piece of artwork they bring home, each funny note they leave me, each craft they construct at camp or school becomes something I find difficult to let go of. It is not that I am attached to the "physical creation" but rather the "emotional connection" associated with it. I remember the pride they had when they presented it to me as they walked off the bus that day. I remember the hug they gave me when they handed me the hand drawn card or the funny note they left out of anger when I sent them to their room for "no apparent reason" as the note in possession currently reads :-)

In short, there is a psychology for why we hold on to "stuff" associated with memories. So, tomorrow I am hiring my FAVORITE professional organizer, Laurie Martin with Simplicity. She is coming over to help me with the psychology of what qualifies as a "treasure" and worth preserving for posterity and what should be honored (i.e. displayed) and then discarded (obviously not in front of my children :-)) I am up for the challenge, but it may require LOTS of memory on my digital camera ... I may be able to let go of the "paper mache mask from kindergarten" but I may need to photograph it in order to preserve the memory.

I'll let you know how it goes!
Warmly,
Lori Martin