The Intrepid Declutterer

I’ll do Anything Once
By Ana Parra
LINK Magazine
January 16-22 2007

Assignment: get organized.

For some people getting organized might not be the most adventurous “I’ll do anything once.” But for me it was a pretty terrifying ordeal.

For one, I was afraid 28-year-old professional organizer and owner of The Intrepid Declutterer™ Adriel McIntyre would walk into my room and make a face of pure disgust and horror.

If the look of disgust and horror was to happen I would feel that despite my successes I had failed and disgraced my mother and her family’s honor.

I come from a long line of women who believe that cleanliness is next to godliness. Scheduled into their week is enough time to clean every room in the house, dust every object and maintain a home where you can eat off the floor. This continues into their personal lives and habits.

Organization is something I should have in my blood.

But I didn’t get the organization freak gene and now live in something I revel in: organized chaos.

I call it that because although my room, desk and closet look out of control, I know where 80 percent of my things are placed.

It’s the 20 percent that scares me, and the reason I think maybe it’s time I change my messy ways. Plus January is Get Organized Month so I figure maybe it’s time I get organized.

In order to give McIntyre a real challenge I fought off any urges I had to go through the stacks of paper and clothes in my room for a week, which wasn’t too hard because there weren’t too many urges.

When I let McIntyre see my room there were no screams or gagging. I’m not dirty, just unorganized. Instead, the member of the National Association of Professional Organizers got right to work.

McIntyre and I tackled two “problem areas” in my bedroom – the surface of my dresser and the stack of papers next to my bed.

With one question McIntyre solved my dresser’s problem: “What’s here that doesn’t need to be here?”

In five minutes I decongested a space that gave me a headache just looking at it.

Next, the floor. This area proved to be a little bit trickier.

The area next to my bed has become my version of a filing drawer and magazine rack (even though I own two).

It’s where I place mail, receipts, magazines I’ve read, magazines I’m currently reading and, as I discovered while getting organized, parking tickets.

As I went through the stack with McIntyre, I realized my belief that my messiness was an indication that I embrace life’s surprises – and a “creative, limber” mind as a New York Times article recently said – was not a reason enough to hold on to my habits.

It hit me when McIntyre told me about her travels through Europe and South America. Here’s a woman who carries a label maker in her purse but doesn’t seem inflexible or anal.

Messiness didn’t equal free spirited after all.

When I let go of those beliefs, I realized that maybe it was time to move on with my things. I realized the clutter was attached to my need to hold onto the past.

Whoa, who knew organizing could be so cathartic.

I guess McIntyre did.

Her organizationalisms like “if you try to organize parts of your life you’re just going to give up,” made me realize that my memories didn’t mean holding onto things.

McIntyre gave me homework. If I was going to progress with my new lifestyle of order, I needed a 13-file accordion holder (which I have but can’t find), a filing cabinet and a firebox.

With those tools in hand I could finally become the organized Ana that I was destined to be. And make my mom and DNA proud.

Tips For Getting Your Home In Shape

My Organizer Gets Around

Adriel McIntyre, the nice lady who transformed my bedroom, will be appearing in Southern Living magazine in February because of her organizing talents. She’ll also be starring in her own show “Organize Don’t Agonize” on Charter Communications Channel 10 in February. Check listings for times.

For more information on McIntyre visit www.anorderlymanor.com

Reporter Ana Parra gets professionally organized

Ana Parra says she knows where to find 80 percent of her stuff in those piles around her bedroom. But that 20 percent mystery makes her nervous. She called in a professional organizer to help her find her bedroom floor.

Reporter Ana Parra works with professional organizer Adriel McIntyre to get her bedroom in shape for the new year.