As there is never any shame in asking an expert, a great place to start the process is OrganizingLA (www.organizingla.com), a consulting firm specializing in home and office organizing projects. Under the watch of owner John Trosko, clients not only determine what needs to be tossed or stored, but why they hold on to too much in the first place. “Organizing is more than just a neatly folded towel or a stack of papers or shopping for containers,” Trosko point out. “Understanding why you accumulate will help you wipe out clutter. It’s easier to pile up items instead of taking the time to make a decision to retain or discard. In out work-every-minute world, mass consumption society, people do not realize the amount of time lost to simply location paperwork, tools, gadgets, addresses, DVDs, flashlights, keys or photographs. Just think about the last time you looked for a warranty of receipt in order to repair or return something. According to a recent ‘Newsweek’ article, the average American spends 55 minutes a day – roughly 12 weeks a year – looking fir things they know they own but can’t find.”  
Sometimes practical solutions, in fact, are right at our front door. Founders of Valley-based organizations practices at the are of decluttering, including Expert Organizers (866-9635; www.expertorganizers.org), Closet Crafters (889-1342) and In Perfect Order, (438-7364; www.inperfectorder.com), will also tell you that the problem stems much deeper than the physical objects themselves. Laura McHolm, director of marketing for Chatsworth-based NorthStar Moving Corporation, asserts clutter is as much an environmental problem as it is a personal one. “I really see [decluttering’ as an outgrowth of the green

out [closets, etc.]into the middle of the room.  If you have items you don’t use much but cannot get rid of yet, make a pile of those things, and put it in a box or bag with a date on it. Give yourself a time limit of a month or two – or a year. If you have not gone into that bag by that date, then give it away. Get rid of the fantasy. If you don’t remember what’s inside the bag or box, you don’t need it. McHolm says for objects such as Grandmother’s wedding dress and other heirlooms that don’t serve the family on a daily basis, a storage facility is always a good alternative. To keep track of what is stored, use Excel or another database program to inventory what is kept stored or donated, and know there are many options for divesting what is not needed (eBay, charities, garage sales, thrift stores that accept donations). Books can also bee a helpful resource. Designer Christopher Lowell recently released “Seven Layers of Organization,” written to help readers establish an important timeline while guiding them through a step-by-step thought process for time vs. money, space re-allocation and the impetus to make room for a new fife free of clutter. Lowell’s objective is to help readers understand why the purging process is so hard and how, by changing physical iteriors, mental interiors will change along with them.  

The Joy of Letting Go
“My experiences with my clients have led me to a deeper level of understanding of how to help people get organized,” says Jessica Duquette, the founder of In Perfect Order. “The journey from chaos to order os a transformative undertaking. Although I am not a therapist, the work is therapeutic in nature. It is not uncommon for clients to experience emotional discomfort before, during or after our work. Not only is this Normal, but it is a sign that change is happening.”