The Clutter Fairy Weekly #109
Many Hands: How to Ask for Decluttering Assistance (or Offer Yours)
Sometimes the work of organizing is too overwhelming for one person to tackle, so we ask for help. But helpers who aren’t sensitive to our goals, priorities, and emotional needs can create more problems than they solve. In episode #109 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, offers guidance on asking for help with your decluttering projects or offering your assistance to others who need it.
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The Weekly Tittle is an exercise designed to focus your attention on a specific space, aspect, or challenge of decluttering and organizing your home. We assign a new tittle in each webcast/podcast, then check on your progress the following week.
Help Is on its Way
This week’s assignment is to evaluate whether you could benefit from enlisting an organizing helper—or sharing your help with someone else:
- If you think you might need help:
- Identify a project or category of clutter with which you would consider asking for help. The scope and timeframe can be as small as you like.
- Make a list of people in your life who might make suitable and willing helpers. Think about the strengths each might contribute.
- Consider whether you can budget for professional help. Note any potential savings and benefits that might offset the cost.
- If you are considering offering your help:
- Reflect on your motivations for wanting to help the person get organized. Make sure your focus is on what they need.
- Think about how much time you’re willing to commit and what kind of schedule might work. Be prepared to make a firm commitment, no matter the size of the project.
- Make a brief list of resources, knowledge, skills, tools, and supplies that you think might help with the project for which you’re contemplating offering help.
For the full discussion of this week’s tittle, watch the Weekly Tittle segment on YouTube.
Chat Transcript
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Wondering if you would always offer some payment to potential helper. If yes, should you have an amount in mind to offer. Would you ask them first? I think this is an awkward situation. What are your recommendations? Thanks NJD