Divine Order
By
Eileen Koff
Remember 9/11? Before
that infamous day I used to spend a lot of time explaining to people what it is
that I do, as a certified professional organizer. I would get questions like,
what group do I organize, or am I part of some labor union? Needless to say in
2013 I do a lot less explaining. Right after 9/11 a deluge of media began to
take notice of this industry. Our
society decided that since we could no longer control outside forces, we could
at least find comfort in our own environments. TV shows like “Clean Sweep” and
“Mission Organization” began educating the public that the world needs
professional organizers. Pick up any women’s magazine, and on the front cover “Get
Organized” is sure to attract attention.
Getting organized is
multifaceted. Our society understands the need for productivity and
goal-oriented tasks to help reach a higher level of productivity and
efficiency. With multitasking mania and time tyranny, we are no better off
today than we were in 2001 when it comes to obtaining that higher level of
organized bliss.
Here’s a story about
Heinrich to illustrate this point:
Heinrich, a 30 year-old single descendent of Austrian immigrants, was raised in the predominantly German community of New Braunsfels, Texas by his parents Helmut and Eva. Heinrich attended the University of Texas for two years, before dropping out to pursue his dream of establishing an Austrian bakery in New York City. He spent three years in Vienna training with the strudel-master Joachim, before returning to America and settling in Coram, New York, where he was employed by the local bakery.
For generations,
Heinrich’s family were quintessential clippers, saving newspapers clippings of
every newsworthy event, from the end of World War II, to man’s first landing on
the moon, to more recently the events surrounding 9/11. In addition to news-clippings, Heinrich’s
mother instilled in him the habit of collecting supermarket coupons, magazine
rebate promotions, movie reviews, and baking recipes. When his father Helmut
died, his mother Eva joined him in Coram, where they shared his two-bedroom
apartment. Eva’s relentless clipping,
combined with Heinrich’s fear of upsetting his mother ingrained since his early
youth, led to a situation where his kitchen had become completely
un-manageable. Shortly after his mother’s death, a mutual friend introduced me
to Heinrich, and as a professional organizer, I immediately saw the challenge
before me.
As a result of the
clipping habit, that he felt compelled to continue, Heinrich had lost all of
the space in his kitchen to bake. Clippings were everywhere, on the counter, in
the drawers, even in the baking bowls and in the pot rack under the oven. No longer finding pleasure in clipping, and
sending these clippings to other family members, he had lost life balance and
thus his clipping habit had overwhelmed everything else.
Getting him organized so
that he had the proper space and equipment to enable him to bake and clip
harmoniously was quite a daunting task.
Setting up a new filing system in an out of the way corner of the
kitchen was essential. Along side the filing cabinet, we installed a tools
center that included supplies (scissors, stamps envelopes, pens etc), which
would enable Heinrich to clip and address for mailing immediately the
clippings. These strategies for organizing these new spaces had a dramatic
effect. These efforts, combined with his
mother’s passing, allowed Heinrich to start fresh. Heinrich realized that his mother had kept
the family connected by her clipping hobby, to the now widespread families
living in Austria, Germany, Texas and NY.
The positive aspects of keeping the family connected had driven Heinrich
to continue the hobby, resulting in his inability to focus on achieving his
baking dreams.
With
his mother’s passing, and his realization that he could remain connected as
effectively with the rest of the family via cell phones and email, combined
with the more effective space in his newly organized kitchen, Heinrich returned
to his love of baking. Now that the space allowed him to breath once again, he
felt inspired to invent recipes, and to begin a serious path toward the bakery
dreams, which by the way, he finally opened in 2004.
The
world understands the value of organization, but as Christians, there are a
myriad of other reason an orderly life is essential. Our God IS orderly. Ever read the design for the
building of the first temple? The details are down to the nails. There are many reasons God tells us that an
orderly lifestyle will not only make your life more productive, but His purpose
and design for YOU becomes clear when all things are in order.
Have
I piqued your interest? In my next blog I’ll begin to outline the reasons why
living an orderly life is essential to know God’s daily purpose for YOU!
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Organizing is NOT about the stuff....it's about priorities. It's living your BEST life now, preserving your memories, and creating space for your future.
