10 Things to know before your inaugural session
Look at you! You’ve hired the Simplified team to help wage war on your chaos. But you’ve never worked with a team like ours before, and you’re not sure what to expect. We can help with that, too! Below is a list of ten things we want you to know before our first session together. Some of them are practical, and some of them are mental or emotional reminders. That’s because this isn’t just about your space; it’s also about what chaos does to your mental load and to your emotional health. We are your reinforcements in this battle, and we’ve done this before, so lean on us.
1) It will get worse before it gets better.
That’s just our process: we pull everything (and I mean everything) out of the space and sort it into categories, laid out in such a way that you can see it all. We do this not to embarrass you, but so that you know your inventory, so you can make informed decisions about what you need and what you can let go. And no matter how cleanly we lay it all out for you, it will look like a bomb exploded in your space. It’s ok! It’s all up and up from here.
2) stock your space.
If possible, do a few loads of laundry before our session in your closet. If we’re coming in to work in your kitchen, go to the grocery store and run the dishwasher before we arrive. We want to work with your fully stocked house so that nothing gets missed and everything finds a home.
3) keep private.
Please remove anything out of the space that you don’t want us to touch or want to keep private (firearms, valuables, etc.).
4) no need to tidy up.
Tidying up before we arrive is unnecessary. We want to see how you live in your space. We don’t and won’t think you are a slob. We can help you to a greater degree if we see where your pain points are. And don’t shame yourself for the mess/disorderliness. You live here and life is messy. Our homes look like this sometimes, too!
5) limit distractions.
While we love kids and pets, please make arrangements to keep them out of the spaces where we are working. If that’s not possible, no worries, just know we might not be able to work as efficiently/quickly. (We tend to get distracted by cute things, be they animal or human.)
6) Take a break!
As we’re decluttering with you, you may get overwhelmed. Please feel free to step away from the space and take a breather. Get a cup of coffee, start a load of laundry, watch the squirrels outside the window, or play with your dog. We know this process is overwhelming and you might get decision fatigue, so step away for a reset whenever you feel the need.
7) we know this is vulnerable.
Even hyper-organized people go through stressful seasons when organization must take a back seat to life circumstances. Our team members are compassionate and have servant hearts. We extend only grace, no shame or judgement. We are honored that you trust us!
8) Expect a final walk-through.
There will be an educational portion where we walk you through each space, talk about the new layout and explain why we did what we did. Feel free to video that portion if you want to use it to show your housekeepers or keep it as a reminder for yourself! There will also be a learning curve as you learn the new layout/system/habit, so give yourself grace here in the days to come.
9) Ask for edits.
Don’t feel like you can’t ask us to change something if you don’t think it will work for you. Just because we are the “professionals” doesn’t mean we know all the right answers for you and your family.
10) Trash & Recycling
While we will always take any trash/recycling created by packaging from any organizing products we bring in (ex. boxes containing shelving, paper Container Store bags), please expect to have extra trash and recycling from decluttering. You can buy stickers to put on bags of trash that won’t fit in your trash can at HEB, or we can help arrange a junk pickup for larger cleanouts. We are happy to take your donations to the closest Goodwill or the charity of your choice.
One final note: We’re proud of you! Be proud of yourself for advocating for peace and order for your family. This is gonna be great. And we will walk with you through each step of the process. Let’s get started!