Yes. Virtual organizing has been around and effective for much longer than this recent COVID-19 quarantine. However, our current degrees of isolation are making virtual organizing more attractive than ever before to both organizers and those looking for organizing help.
Unlike house cleaners or home renovators, much of what a Professional Organizer does is intangible.
Surprised? You might be. Yes organizers can, and often do, physically redesign your office or room layouts, remove your clutter and set up your files and spaces. Yet, the more important and valuable benefit of what they do (what you are really paying for) is what you don’t see. It is the things you experience when working with a professional organizer and the resulting benefits of those experiences.
Whether in-person or virtually in-person, a professional organizer is a pot of gold when it comes to processes, goal setting, motivation and innovation. Partnering with clients from deciding where to start, to trouble-shooting client-specific challenges, to supporting continued maintenance – an organizing and productivity specialist is the way to go.
How do you find someone who offers Virtual Organizing?
If you have already worked with a professional organizer, start there! Contact them and ask them if they are running virtual sessions or, if not, ask if they would consider trying one with you. I recommend sticking with someone with whom you already have a good rapport.
Otherwise, the National Association of Productivity and Organizing professionals (NAPO) and it’s local chapters (here in the Philly area it is NAPO-GPC) are the places to start. NAPO professionals invest in their businesses, training and professional development to make sure they are bringing the best services to their clients. What’s even more exciting is that, since they will serve you virtually, you could choose an organizer from literally anywhere!
What should you expect when Virtual Organizing?
- Technology The first, and frankly essential, expectation for virtual organizing is that you must use some form of technology that includes video. It can be a cell phone, tablet or laptop computer. The best devices for most projects will be portable devices (with the exception of digital organizing, where you could remain in place at a desktop computer throughout the sessions). It is okay if you haven’t tried any virtual meetings yet, your organizer will help you get set up.
- Time Virtual organizing sessions will almost always be shorter than in-person sessions. Expect to set aside between one and two hours with your virtual organizer, as opposed to a three to six hour day.
- Results Whether you want to organize a physical space, or manage your time and information, it is the goal of a professional organizer to help you create environments and systems that support the harmony and effectiveness of your lifestyle and to impart skills so that YOU can become organized, efficient, happier and more free in your life. You can expect immediate results – whether they be in your physical space, in clarity of mind…or both!
During this time of COVID-19, many of us are experiencing some degree of isolation and limitation in our lives. Some of us are eager to get back to an unrestricted lifestyle and others are cautiously waiting it out until stronger assurances are announced. Either way, the support of a professional organizer will help unravel difficult decisions, set up successful solutions and motivate you to stay on track. It is a service that you may decide works best for you even after the quarantines are lifted!
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