Professional Organizer: How Our Stuff Gets in the Way of Our Progress

Jul 1

Click to view the full episode on YouTube.

Julia Rich, professional organizer and decluttering expert, echoes host Cynthia Cummins' view that a home is far more than just a rectangular structure with a triangular roof made from various building materials. It's a place where we create memories, and our belongings become intricately intertwined with the fabric of our lives. Our stuff can enhance our lives, but often it gets in the way! Despite some audio issues, this conversation is particularly enjoyable and relatable.

Highlights:

Realtors and other home-related professionals’ first job is to witness
Hiring an organizing pro is a magic solution to inertia or paralysis when it comes to “things”
Objects have stories in them, even if they aren’t objectively valuable anymore
People die of loneliness and isolation; beware becoming trapped in your house by your stuff
Never put things in a storage unit!
Beware endowment effect and mere ownership effect: Your stuff isn’t as valuable as you think.
Or it’s more valuable than you think; a third-party professional can help with that
“If you don’t love it, don’t acquire it” and “if you don’t love it, lose it”
Clearing out a longtime home is laden with emotion
"But Mom said I can have all the silver!"
A joke: "There's no crying in estate sales!"
Stuff impedes our progress. It keeps us anchored and rooted to the things that don't serve us and prevents us from moving on
“Open your drawers every 6 months and take a look.”