How I Became An Organizer

Hi, I'm Dan. I am a professional organizer and a certified professional coach, and I want to tell you a little story about how I got started organizing. I grew up in a very chaotic, crazy household with three brothers and my mom and dad. We were all really busy, really involved. My dad was successful. My mom was involved in us and the community, and we were all close in age. And out of all of us, I was the only tidy one. My mom said, ever since I was a little baby, I would always gather my things and keep them neat and tidy.

I like to have things in line or in groups that even seemed to make sense to them. Back then, we had an addition put on our house, and during that time, my mom said that I made it my mission to organize everything and try to keep everything looking pleasant. It wasn't really possible, but she said, I tried. Later in life, I went into therapy to deal with anxiety and depression. I was an adolescent, and in therapy, I realized that the environment that I was living in, the environment that I grew up in, that I was raised in, was extremely chaotic, and it was emotionally unpredictable.

And it became clear that there was one thing that I could control, and that was my things and my roommate. And so I dove into that. You know, the funny thing was, is I received praise for it also, especially when I would also clean my brother's rooms. What parents wouldn't love a child who's cleaning their brother's rooms? It's so funny. I should have charged. So. I've always loved organizing, and I've always realized, well, not always. I realized once I started therapy, that organization and my state of mind, my mental health, are very tightly connected.

And the more I worked with other people, the more I realized that it was so for them as well. It seemed universal, that when our minds are a mess and we can't think straight and we're suffering emotionally, it's rare that our physical surroundings are all tidy and neat. They're usually a mess, too. And the connection between organizing and mental health is so strong, and the two are so intertwined, and it's really important for me to share that with people. I benefited so much as a young child from organizing my things and having a sanctuary to go my room.

It could never punish me because I loved going to my room. So organizing for me had a lot to do with my mental health, and my mental health had a lot to do with how organized I was. And the more I worked with other people, the more I realized that the benefits were the same for them. Everybody has their own experience, but organization and our mental health have a lot to do with each other, and there's so much to talk about in regards to those two topics. I am so blessed to have certification as a professional coach, and helping people achieve peace in their lives through organization is just a dream for me.

I'm so excited to be able to do it and I have so much to share. I'm really looking forward to it.