Confessions of a POP Rewards Member: Why I Finally Hired a Professional Organizer
I’ve always prided myself on being organized. My POP Rewards membership is a badge of honor (IYKYK). But here’s the truth: my home organization skills? Not so stellar. With only two of us and a cat in the house, common areas were easy to keep clutter-free. But behind closed doors (and in closed drawers)? Closets cleaned out in January would mysteriously refill by June, and holiday decorations became a yearly game of "shove it in a box and forget it."
With two spare closets turned into black holes of miscellaneous junk and a vanity overflowing with Sephora samples and miracle creams, I knew something had to change. But I was convinced I could fix it myself. After all, I'm smart; I solve problems for a living. How hard could it be? I read blogs. I bought books. I binged home-organization shows on Netflix. I spent hundreds of dollars at The Container Store. Still, certain spaces in our home remained constant messy sources of frustration and angst.
Then, a friend (hi, Katie!) hired A Fresh Space (AFS) to organize her home. I was fascinated. I bombarded her with questions about the process, the disruption, the results. Was it worth the investment? The more I heard, the more intrigued I became. When she declared herself a "new person" after her first organized space, I was ready to book my own consultation.
Two weeks later, AFS has transformed my home. Junk drawer closets are now neatly labeled havens for home décor and off-season clothes. My garage is beautiful, and my mornings are a breeze thanks to AFS’s intuitive organization of my things. Even my kitchen, despite a few moments of "Where are the knives again?" has become a joy to use.
The biggest surprise? The sheer delight I feel in these organized spaces. I didn't realize how much energy I wasted on frustration until it was gone. It's like I was stuck in a rut, thinking this was just how things should be.
This experience has taught me a few valuable lessons:
Sometimes, the familiar is just comfortable misery. It's easy to stay in frustrating situations simply because we're used to them.
Our brains can trick us into thinking "my way" is the only way. I was so focused on solving this myself that I overlooked other solutions.
It's okay to ask for help, even if you're good at solving problems. There are infinite ways to solve any problem; sometimes, the best solution is the one you haven't thought of yet.
So, where are you spending unnecessary energy being frustrated? What problems are you wrestling with that a friend has already solved? Are you so attached to "your way" that you're missing out on a better solution?
I’m off to go admire the Costco storage shelves in my garage.