Expert Shares Tips on Organizing Your Life
Linda Diamond, professional organizer and life coach, reduces the clutter and chaos – expert help for keeping your life on track.
Robyn Spizman Gerson is a New York Times best-selling author of many books, including “When Words Matter Most.” She is also a communications professional and well-known media personality, having appeared often locally on “Atlanta and Company” and nationally on NBC’s “Today” show. For more information go to www.robynspizman.com.
After graduating from Northwestern University, Atlanta native Linda Diamond worked in the nonprofit world for almost 20 years coordinating programs, committees and events. After taking a 10-year break to raise her children, she decided to step back into the work world on her own terms.
The professional organizing industry was a natural segway for her to use her professional skillset. She took online coaching and organizing courses, participated in webinars, joined NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals), and devoured information from books related to coaching, productivity, time management, ADHD and organizing strategies – to name a few.
Diamond shared, “I help busy people get on task, on track, and on time by helping them understand how to make efficient use of their space and their time. I ask questions to help clients identify the things that are relevant to their needs. I give them a safe space to try new ways of setting up their living spaces, work environment and/or their schedules. The three words I hear when an initial call takes place is ‘I am overwhelmed.’ Our lives are so busy today, it is easy to get ‘stuck.’ The people who seek out my services are extremely bright and creative but reach a point where they need another set of eyes, encouragement and time to think clearly about their vision for their space or just their goals for the week. I can also refer clients to other professional resources when needed and will do research for products that might be useful for their organizing plans.”
She said, “Much of what I do is help busy people stay accountable to their goals and to enable them to feel good about the choices they make to get their goals accomplished. When clients call me, they are saying ‘Help, I need someone to step into my personal space and teach me how to find a way to make my life less stressful and more efficient.’ I serve as an accountability and decision-making coach.”
Diamond’s work allows her to help people move forward. She shared, “What a joy it is to enable others to feel better about themselves. I often hear how grateful my clients are for my services. My fulfilment is when my clients tell me they could not have done this without my encouragement or ideas.”
Linda Ames, a client of Diamond’s, commented, “Linda Diamond, the dynamic and talented owner of Captured Clutter, is an organizer extraordinaire. Her skill, techniques, and out-of-the-box thinking turn complicated projects into smooth workable solutions. Linda’s tact, thoughtfulness and nonjudgmental patience are qualities that equal a true mensch.”
Diamond also assisted Lisa Moore who shared, “After 25 years, I was moving and not only had to downsize but had to purge way too much stuff. If she had not come to my rescue, I never could have done it. Linda got me started by asking questions about how relevant and useful my belongings were, helping me get organized and making my move go smoothly from start to finish.”
With a focus primarily on women, although some men, her clients are usually aged mid 30’s to 70’s who are going through transitional stages in life and have the interest to move forward in new directions. Some are ready to make their homes or offices more organized. Others are trying to get a handle on their schedules, and some are just ready to deal with the accumulated clutter.
For more information, please visit www.capturedclutter.com or email linda@capturedclutter.com and include subject line according to Diamond as “Ready To Get Organized.”
Linda Diamond’s Management Tips
• It is important to set a time/date on your calendar either once a week or every two weeks to sort and purge the piles. Honor this appointment as if it were a critical doctor’s appointment.
Tips for a filing system for your papers – ask yourself these questions:
• What is the purpose of the papers that you typically deal with?
• Think about words that immediately come to mind when touching each paper.
• Fix your filing system by labeling each folder.
• It might be helpful to write out the categories relevant to you and your family before labeling your system.
• Traditional words for filing might include Insurance, Health, Travel, Children’s Activities, Investments, Banking, Automobile, Warranties, Pet, House Contractors, Décor Ideas, and Classes/Enrichment.
• An open desk top bin with file folders, sticky notes and a Sharpie are useful for setting up your system for the first time. Consider using a label machine to print labels for each folder once you have decided on the categories.
• This process applies to digital document organizing as well.
• Think of the ART of paper management while touching each paper only one time!
• Act on it if it takes two minutes or less.
• Reference documents need to be identified for appropriate folders.
• Toss it if it is no longer relevant or you will never really use it.
• Think KISS — Keep It Simply Successful — with actions items.
• Use strong verbs for action required such as call, mail, order, cancel.
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