the 1st day

for those of you who don't know, i recently started a business as a professional organizer. i help people de-clutter their homes, offices, busy lives so that they can spend time doing the things that are important to them. now that means, each time i start working for a client, it is my first day on the job. and if it is a new client, i have most likely never done this kind of work before.

today was day one of a new assignment organizing an attorney's office...brand new experience. part of me was excited to do a great job but the other part me questioned my capabilities. this made for a sleepless night. i tossed and turned while playing out different scenarios of my imagined day. then at about 4:30 in the morning, the winter storms that were expected descended on my home...rain, thunder, and WIND. for a moment, i thought it was raining inside. i started to pray that this storm would be like a snow storm back east. crazy weather equals can't go to new job. of course i live in the adult world where things like that don't really happen!

thankfully prior to my alarm going off my thoughts started to shift. first of all, no office jobs get cancelled because of rain and if they do that is some scary kind of rain. but more importantly, i started to think about what i heard an actor once say, "i love my job so much up that i am excited to get up in the morning to go do it". hmmm....if you know me, i love getting things organized. wow, this is a great day. i get to do what i love and someone is paying me money for it. phew, that was just first day on the job jitters. i haven't made a life choice mistake.

i arrived at my client's business and found him scurrying around the office. in fact, he seemed a little stressed. i have read that some people get emotional about having their things touched. sure enough, he told me he was feeling anxious. he was trying to put things away before i got there. kind of like hiring a maid before you clean the house. now most experienced organizers have told me that the best way to get started is to ask the client what is the one thing they would like to see done today. basically, try to set goals and manage expectations. unfortunately, this question seemed to really get him whirling. he began to stammer, sweat and say he didn't know and felt over whelmed by it. i scanned the room and instantly noticed files in random places, boxes scattered on the floor, book cases with scattered shelves...there were so many places to start. what to do? first reassure client. second, get started. i suggested he sit down and continue his day of work while i organize the reference library and set up a space for office supplies. he took a breath, sat down and said "good idea". i worked steadily for three hours with one project leading me naturally into the next. before i knew it, was time for me to go. i did a really good job. so with check in hand, and some new experience behind me, i completed the job...well done.

tip for the day..."do what you love. love what you do."