Introduction

YOUR LIFE IS IN TRANSITION NOW. While change is difficult, that place in between the old chapter and the new chapter—the before and the after—is even more difficult. It’s a place of limbo where you’re not through the changes and you’re not quite into your new chapter.

Organizing is so helpful in dealing with life’s big events. It’s not simply a “nice to have”—it’s an essential practice. The benefits of staying organized during and after major life changes are numerous.

• Organizing is cathartic and can help you process your emotions. As you go through your things, you’re not only thinking about whether to keep or let go of items, you’re thinking about the transition itself, the emotions, what you’ll do next, how you’re managing.
• Organizing gives you a sense of control, which, in the context of a life transition, is at a shortage, or may not even exist at some points. At midcrisis we often have no control.
• Organizing allows you to use your energy on the transition and the emotions of it. It gets you moving and makes you an agent of positive change in your home. You are no longer a passive bystander.
• Organizing focuses you on what’s really important as you move into the transition, while you’re in it, and as you move out of it and into your next chapter of life.

I coach my clients that organizing is part of your support system, whether you’re clearing the clutter, reorganizing, or changing how you use your time.

And in the words of coaching and organizing clients, organizing your stuff, time, and/or space …

• Helps clear the fog.
• Helps you put your life back together.
• Helps put your new life together.
• Helps you let go more easily when you know what’s important to keep.
• Helps you visualize the new place you’re headed more easily.

This book will help you step-by-step to reap the full benefits of organizing during a life transition. Work through things at your own pace. Call a friend for support if you need it. Step away when you need to and come back when you are ready.

Let’s begin this journey to reorganize your home and your schedule. We will move through this together.