Professional Organizer Training

Professional Organizers around the globe and shoppers looking for super-cool products to help with the final stages of organization – things they won’t find at Target or The Container Store – are fans of Jeri Dansky’s blog. (It’s one of my “must read” blogs.) “From Lego storage to jewelry mannequins to purse organizers to pegboards, my blog has you covered” says Dansky who is also known for her skills as a researcher, editor and cat lover. I asked her how she gets herself organized to write and research her blog posts, which often feature a number of related products, and she said it’s a multi-step process.

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1. Read updates from numerous sources, every day.

I read about 60 blogs that sometimes deal with organizing-related products. Well, I don’t read everything in those blogs, by a long shot. Rather, I glance at the list of posts in Google Reader, and then decide which ones are worth taking a good look at. Of the hundreds of posts that show up in my Reader every day, I may read 20 or so.

Some of the people I follow on Twitter also point me to interesting things.

Sometimes, with both blog posts and tweets, I find things a bit indirectly. For example, someone recently tweeted about a very nice side table she was thinking of buying – and while I had no interest in the table for organizing purposes, the same vendor makes some nice wine gift boxes that do interest me.

2. Bookmark the good stuff.

I have a lot of bookmarks. A huge number of bookmarks. (If you’re using Internet Explorer, replace “bookmarks” with “favorites.”) They’re organized into a large number of folders and sub-folders. And yes, I do have backups.

If I’m bookmarking a product, I also bookmark the website or tweet that sent me there, so I can give proper credit when I write about it.

I have to declutter my bookmarks on an ongoing basis – a bit every day, ideally – or things get totally out of hand. When I declutter, I delete bookmarks for products that no longer interest me; I’ve gotten fussier over time. I also deal with out-of-date bookmarks, since product offerings change all the time. Sometimes a folder gets too large to be useful, and I need to subdivide the contents; I did that just recently with my “cables, cords and wires” bookmarks, where I split out the cable-labeling products from other cable-management tools.

I know there are lots of fancy tools for keeping track of good sites, but simple bookmarks in my Safari browser have always worked fine for me.

3. Decide on an idea.

I keep a running list of topics I might want to write about. If I find a product I especially like, I’ll often note that I want to do a post on that type of product soon. That’s how I came to write my recent post on jewelry armoires, for example.

Sometimes the post is triggered by a question from a reader; those posts are especially fun. And if I’ve done some research for one of my clients, the information I found will often make its way into a blog post.

4. Do additional research, as needed.

When I decide on a topic, I’ll see what bookmarks I already have; how many products in this family do I already know about? If I’m not satisfied with what I have, I’ll use Google to find more. While there are lots of search engines, Google has almost always served my needs, without going elsewhere; I’ve learned how to phrase my searches to find what I want. I also will do searches within Etsy, which is such a good source for handmade items.

5. Write the post.

This is the easiest part! Once I’ve identified the products I want to include, the writing is simple.

I often include a list of related posts at the end of the current one – which gives me the motivation to check all the links on those old posts and make sure they still work. Again, product offerings change over the months and years, and I’ll often find products that are no longer available. And sometimes the product is still around – but from another vendor. Or maybe the original vendor still has the product, but has restructured its website, so now the URL has changed.

Another thing I do along the way is update my bookmarks, noting that I’ve blogged about the product. If I don’t do that, I may forget which products I’ve already written about. I usually remember – but after many years and over 650 posts, I sometimes forget.

All in all, an average product-focused blog post takes me at least two hours of combined research and writing time – and sometimes much more. It’s a lot of time, but my readers are worth it.

GT: Thanks for telling us about your process, Jeri. Where do you do all this great work?

JD: I work from a dedicated home office room, and pictures are here.

GT: What are your cats names and ages?

JD: In the order they arrived on the scene:

Sunshine is my female, the tortoise-shell.

Moonshadow is the huge black guy.

Puppy is the orange guy. He was feral, but as my neighbor and I took evening walks around the neighborhood, he started following us around – “like a puppy dog” I said. The name stuck. And now, while he still spends time outside, he’s coming in more and more. When I met him, he wouldn’t even get close enough for me to touch him; now I can wrap him in my arms and cuddle.

Since the cats were all strays in my neighborhood, age is a bit iffy. But I got Sunshine and Moonshadow as kittens in 2003 – so they are about 7 years old. I started my relationship with Puppy in 2004, but he wasn’t a kitten – so the age is really unknown there. He’s at least 7, I would say.

GT: What is the story behind the beautiful feather mask on your office wall and the framed art and other pieces of art in your office photos?

JD: The mask: I picked that up at a local art fair; I went there knowing the feather-mask lady would be there, and I hoped I’d find something I liked. I wanted something soft to go over the metal file cabinet. Artist’s web site: http://www.featherfantasies.com/gallery_masks.html

The framed poster behind my desk, old man and young boy: I picked that up in Singapore, on my first trip to Asia, around 1987.

The black and white tree trunk photo: I got that at one of the best local street art fairs, on Fillmore Street in San Francisco. I have another photo by the same artist (a photo of Stonehenge) in my bedroom.

The poster next to the bookshelf, showing a building: I bought that in Nepal. I’d seen this poster and others by the same artist around town. And then one day, I hired a driver and guide to take me out of the Katmandu valley for a day. After I’d seen what I wanted to see, and we were on our way back, the guide suggested we go one more place, and I said OK. As we drove down a poorly-maintained dirt road I wondered what I’d agreed to – but when we arrived at our destination, there was the building in the poster! Of course, then I had to buy it. The only one they had was the display version, already laminated – I had to convince them to PLEASE sell it to me!

The frog on the floor: That was purchased on a trip to Florida; I had it shipped home. I was visiting family, but one of my best friends lives not far away from the family, and I was spending an afternoon with her when I found it.

The bull on top of my file cabinet: That’s a Nandi, from a 1988 trip to India. I had it shipped home.

And under the black and white trees there’s a sculpture from this man. It came from a craft show in San Francisco.

GT: Where did you graduate from high school and college?

JD: Berkley High School, in Michigan. University of Michigan in Ann Arbor – quite the place to be in the 1960s.

GT: Do you ever organize with a team, or do you always work solo?

JD: So far, I’ve always worked solo. But I’d enjoy being part of a team sometime – on an estate organizing project, or a hoarding project such as the ones you do.

GT: What is on your reading list at the moment?

JD: My book club is reading As I Lay Dying by Faulkner, so that’s on my list right now. We just finished The Geography of Bliss, which I really enjoyed. I’m considering a vacation in England, so I’m getting my hands on Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behavior.

On the business side, I’ve just reserved Getting Organized in the Google Era from the library. I recently finished More Attention, Less Deficit – a very good book, as I noted on my blog.

I’ve got many more books on my “want to read sometime” list, but these are the ones that seem to be coming up next.

GT: What is something about you that surprises people who don’t know you?

JD: I spent many years as a volunteer on the VD National Hotline.

GT: How do you keep track of your ideas for future posts?

JD: A simple text file on my Mac.

GT: Now for some one-word answers – your favorite…

Childhood book?

JD: Charlotte’s Web

GT: Charity?

JD: Any walk/run/ride/climb that someone I know is participating in for a good cause. (OK, that’s more than one word.)

Jeri Dansky is a professional organizer, helping people whose clutter is driving them crazy – and helping the mostly organized do even better. She works primarily with those in the San Francisco Bay Area, but has clients around the world. You can reach her at 650-726-0456, or send e-mail to jeri at jdorganizer dot com. For more information, visit her website or her blog, or follow her on Twitter.

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I am really excited to introduce my guest blogger for this week, author Sarah Dessen.

Sarah and I met in Italian classes at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. To this day, we fake an Italian accent when we greet one another and yell, “Bella!” (people stare!) Sarah’s dad was my Shakespeare professor and her mom was my academic advisor. (Is this a family of academics or what?)

I’m always curious how one prepares themselves before practicing their craft. Below, she neatly outlines exactly how she goes about organizing herself for writing a novel.

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As a novelist, I’m often asked how, exactly, to write a book. The answer is…well, that there is no right answer. I read a quote back in college that summed this up better than I ever could: “There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” When I first began writing books, I just kind of plunged in and hoped for the best. Sometimes that approach works. Others, not so much. Now that I’ve published nine novels, though, with a tenth on the way, I’ve come up with a way of organizing my thoughts and ideas, if such a thing is even possible. Will it work for you? No idea. But you’ll never know until you sit down and try, so if you do, here’s what I recommend.

1. Have a plan. Some people outline their entire novels, chapter by chapter, but I’ve never been able to do that. I’m too much of a rule follower, and would feel like I couldn’t do anything that wasn’t in the outline. Instead, I never start a book until I have what I call my “skeleton”: first scene, climactic scene, last scene and first line. It’s enough to give you a sense of the plot and where you are going, as well as where you want to end up. But at the same time, leaving space between these things allows for those wonderful scenes and characters that you can’t ever plan. It’s not rare at all for me to have seventy-five pages written and someone appears who is instantly more interesting than anything that proceeded them. I would hate to miss that.
2. Pay attention. Writing is not just about the act of sitting in front of the computer, fingers on keyboard. It’s watching the world around you, eavesdropping on conversations (if you can do it without being noticed, a learned skill: waitressing helped me) and talking to people. I’ve gotten some of my best ideas at the grocery store, or sitting at a stoplight and looking over at someone in the next car, wondering what their story is. Carry a pen and paper so you can jot things down. They may seem silly or useless at the time, but you might surprise yourself.
3. Set a schedule. This is a big one for me. Everyone does their best writing at different times. A lot of novelists I know like to write first thing in the morning, when their minds are clear. Others prefer nighttime, when they have peace and quiet and everyone else is asleep. I personally have always done best in the afternoons, usually after I’ve had a busy morning and some time to reset by reading or doing something else quiet. (The power nap is the novelist’s best friend. Or, this novelist’s best friend.) Whatever you pick, though, the key is writing every day at that time. Even if it’s just for five minutes, or half a page, or whatever. You train your brain that this is the time you work, and then you’re always aware when you’re doing something else instead.
4. Clear out the clutter. Which is to say, revision is your friend. My first drafts are always long and messy, as I throw in everything I think I might need. When I’m done, though, I go back to the beginning and start reading through it, and that’s when the real organizing comes in. It’s like attacking a junk drawer. How many red pencils do you really need? Is that stack of miscellaneous envelopes actually serving a purpose? Usually in a draft I’m so worried that I’m not making my point, or being clear, that I totally repeat myself. That’s fine for a first draft. But in revising, you take out what you don’t need so what’s left can really shine.
5. Find out what works. This is really the sum of all the other tips I’ve given here, and therefore the hardest one. It’s like I said at the beginning of this post: there are no hard and fast rules. The only way you learn is by doing, and, if we’re being totally honest here, by failing. I have more manuscripts collecting dust in my closet than I care to think about, books that didn’t work, even if I put my whole heart into them. But I did learn something from every one of them, namely what not to do next time. Like, don’t start a book with no idea how it might end. Or, don’t rush through the beginning of a novel, thinking “I’ll fix it later.” It just makes everything else flimsy that follows as well. And don’t kid yourself: if you think a story is weak, everyone else will as well.

I honestly wish I could sit here and tell you exactly how to write a novel. I wish all it took was a stack of clean note cards, some fresh pens and a how-to manual. But it doesn’t. I have learned, long ago, that I can organize my office and my calendar and my junk drawer, but my writing…it resists. Art requires a bit of chaos. Thrives on it, even. The best approach, at least in my experience, is to get in order what you can and just let the rest ride. Somehow, between the two, you’ll get the story you want to tell.

GT: Thank you, Sarah! This information will be really helpful to anyone who has ever considered writing a novel – or even non-fiction, I’m sure!

On a lighter note, if you could possess any super-power, what would it be?

SD: Flying. I hate planes and delays.

GT: Name 3 things on your bucket list.

SD: Going to Italy, skydiving, learning to fold a fitted sheet. (Seriously. I have looked online for directions and STILL can’t figure it out.)

GT: Do you use coupons?

SD: I used to, but now I’m too disorganized. Need to get back on that.

GT: Beach or mountains?

SD: BEACH!

GT: What is your favorite phone app?

SD: I love Evernote. Keeps all my stuff on all my devices in sync.

GT: What is your biggest complaint about your schedule?

SD: Not enough time and always tired.

GT: What is your favorite color crayon?

SD: Green.

GT: What is your favorite hot drink?

SD: Coffee.

GT: What is your favorite junk food or candy?

SD: Hershey’s Special Dark Nuggets with Almonds.

GT: What is your favorite holiday?

SD: Thanksgiving. Food and gratitude: you can’t beat that.

GT: Least favorite chore around the house?

SD: Just about everything—I hate cleaning—but scrubbing bathrooms is probably the worst.

GT: Who is your favorite Professional Organizer on A & E’s’ Hoarders?

SD: Who do you think? No one rocks the puffy coat like you!

Sarah Dessen grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and attended UNC-Chapel Hill, graduating with highest honors in Creative Writing. She is the author of several novels, including Someone Like You, Just Listen and Along for the Ride. Her tenth book, What Happened to Goodbye, will be published in summer 2011. She lives in North Carolina.

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There’s still time for some good old-fashioned summertime fun, so let’s get together and make a list of wacky home-based clutter hiding spaces. To be more specific, places we hide stuff.

Are you interested?

Here is how it works: Go around your home and look for places you typically hide clutter. Then, post a comment at the end of this article (below). If you don’t have clutter, tell us how your BFF, in-law or clever neighbor hides his/her clutter.

Let’s Get this Party Started

You, the reader, are encouraged to add your two cents by posting a comment one right after the other, like joining a conga line at a wedding reception (admit it; you have done this at least once).

I’ll start with my top client-inspired hiding spots:

1. Ovens! Believe it or not, this is a real hide-n-seek-clutter-be-gone hot spot! I’m surprised by how many people do this. Here is how it works: When an unexpected someone rings the doorbell, BAM! Throw the counter-top clutter (bills, homework, rotten fruit, chip clips, dog leash and cordless phone) into the oven and close the door; clean countertops.

2. Dishwashers. Same technique as in number 1 applies except the goods get loaded in the dishwasher. Magazines, arts and crafts, sunscreen, i-pods, mobile phones and chargers, vacuum cleaner attachments, spare keys, inflatable pool toys, etc.

3. Cars. Since a lot of us don’t actually wear driving gloves I think it’s safe to assume that many of us use the glove box and arm rest to stash the trash on the dash. Ketchup packages, parking tickets, pacifiers, maps, hand sanitizer, expired coupons, “Learn a Foreign Language in 3 weeks” CD, soy-energy bars, it’s all here.

4. Luggage. When storage space is at a premium, especially in older homes with smaller closets, all sorts of odds and ends get stashed in the luggage: love letters from old flames, hotel bottles of shampoo, your aunt Violet’s sash from the yesteryear beauty contest she won, and mom’s pickle forks. For help decluttering containers like this, its’ fun to pretend you are filming your own little reality show and explain why you are hanging onto these items. Try it!

5. Spare room. Doesn’t everyone keep those pesky “I’ll put that away later” type-items in their spare rooms? I’ve seen beach umbrellas, old dentures, hamster cages, and QVC purchases not-so-neatly stowed in guest rooms. Hey, having house guests isn’t for everyone but the Embassy Suites is! I love the ad for a credit card that asks, “What’s in your wallet?” I want to know, “What is in your guest room?”

6. Pockets. Yup, a lot more people put things (things = money, jewelry, leftover narcotics from last year’s oral surgery and “emergency/shoes are on sale” money) into the pockets of off-season clothes than we will ever imagine. Beware of plunging your hand into someone else’s bathrobe pockets; yuck is one of the words that come to mind.

7. Toilets! This is my all-time-favorite-true-confession-hiding spot. While organizing, I’ve had: not one, not two, but three different clients tell me that they hide things in the tanks of toilets – not their own tanks but those of friends and family. Evidentially, there are a couple of things (think: airplane minis) which fit nicely into the tank of a toilet and remain in perfect condition even when immersed in water for long periods of time. Free Organizing Hint: check the tanks of your toilets after guests leave, especially if you notice a certain houseguest lolly-gagging in the bathroom AND you forbid alcohol in your home. Cheers!

Ok, now you see how this post works. Please tell us where your friends and families hide their clutter. What about you? Do you have a spot that we need to know about? If so, please post it and share it with other readers.

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