Getting Help: How and Why Each Type Should Find Outside Assistance
There are myriad reasons for hiring outside organizational help. Oftentimes, things just seem too overwhelming to tackle by yourself, or even with the help of a partner. Some don’t know where to begin. Others get sidetracked halfway through. Still others put systems together but realize they went about it all wrong.
Or the need can stem from a situation — perhaps you’ve just moved into a new house and have no idea where or how to start to unpack and then organize what you’ve unpacked. Others might be going through change due to the loss of a family member or spouse, and want nothing to do with sifting through the belongings of the deceased person, but need a fresh start. The majority of people looking for organizational help will simply have reached the end of their rope and will have realized their systems intended to run a household simply are not working. In this article, we’ll outline just why and where certain Pixie Types need a little help — and how a professional organizer could be the best investment you’ve ever made.
The Classic Pixie
Where, you might ask, is the weakness of this ‘little miss perfect’? She (or he) always has it together, is always super organized, I mean to the T (as in ‘tradition’) — why on earth would this person need outside professional help? Well, let us tell you…
First off, Classics might make great to do lists. They might organize their tupperware and walk around with a label maker in their back pocket. But just because they are tidy does not mean they are utilizing their space or time in the most efficient manner possible. It doesn’t mean they are loads of fun to live with, either. Take a coat closet, for instance. A Classic, having a friend for tea in fifteen minutes, will jam all of the family coats into that closet and body slam the door. This might be an OK solution in the moment, but it is hardly sustainable. Classics don’t like to see any clutter or really anything left out, ever. Their solution is to hide and stuff everything out of sight.
Classics are not one step solution people. Their own organizational systems are often lengthy and not at all intuitive for the remaining members of their family. Tension ensues. Hence, an outside professional comes in and makes a few suggestions. The coats, for example, are hung on a five hook beam that is attached to the wall. Yes, it can be from Pottery Barn. Yes, only the neutral colored coats can hang there — the rest can hang in the closet. What a professional organizer helps a Classic do is loosen their hold on things a bit to show them alternatives that can work for the whole family. And especially, most importantly, teach and emphasize the one-step solution rule. It’s like a metaphorical loosening of a belt after a professional organizer comes into a classic-run household. Everyone can breathe a lot easier.
The Fun Pixie
Fun personality types are totally practical and organized — but only when it matters to them. For example, a Fun woman who loves designer clothing may see each day as an opportunity to express herself through her wardrobe choices. As a result, her closet is perfect (and we mean perfect). It’s a carpeted walk-in, complete with custom shelving for shoes and bags, drawers for jewelry and underwear, and everything else hung according to category. This Fun woman’s kitchen, however, is not as organized. In fact, it’s not organized at all. There is no vertical storage, the fridge is a cluttered mess. The opposite thing would be true of a Fun personality type who loved to cook and was passionate about cooking, but who didn’t give much thought to what they wore. Funs put things off, tend to procrastinate, (especially regarding what doesn’t ‘register’ to them), abhor boring routines and struggle with clutter buildup. They need a professional organizer to come in and help them make sense of that clutter by purging and bringing in tools to help make staying organized easier.
The Organic Pixie
Because it’s so hard for Organic types to let go of stuff and things, (BIG problem when it comes to organizational efficiency) there tend to be piles and more piles everywhere. For Organic Structures, the more organized of the two subgroups, there is a method to the madness, and the piles are often rational and orderly. For Organic Freedoms, it’s anyone’s guess as to which pile means what. One important rule of thumb for Organics: If they don’t see it, it doesn’t exist. So in order for a professional organizer to help this group of people, they need to come up with solutions that are visible.
The Smart Pixie
This type holds onto clutter, loves his/her piles, struggles with details, needs visual reminders and cues, becomes overwhelmed easily, not finishing things and having trouble starting them, and procrastinating. Why wouldn’t they hire a professional organizer? What we like to do with Smart types is to make easy-to-implement systems for them, equaling one-step solutions that need no translation, explanation or figuring out, but are self-explanatory and easy to use daily.
How to Find One?
Well, if you like the Pixie method of combining personality type with organizational strategy, look no further than our website: http:www.pixiesdidit.com. There, you’ll find ways to schedule a phone or in-person consultation. You can also check out our book at Amazon.com. For a broader resource, check out NAPO, or the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. Trust us, you’ll be glad you did.