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Eighty Percent of Canadians Say They Are Disorganized and Unhappy About It


Professional Organizers in Canada gives advice on how to make 2010 more organized.


An overwhelming 80 percent of Canadians feel disorganized, with most saying they have a hard time keeping order in their home, at their workplace, and with time management according to a December 2009 Leger Marketing survey conducted by Professional Organizers in Canada (POC).

The Most Disorganized Lack Time Management

Thirty-four percent of Canadians polled said they lacked the necessary skills to effectively manage their time and that their personal and work schedule was the most disorganized area of their lives. Among the most likely to struggle with time management were young Canadians, those with children, and working Canadians.

At Home and At Work

Twenty-nine percent of Canadians said their home is the most disorganized part of their lives with 34 percent of women reporting that their home was disordered. The workplace was also named as a place of disorganization with nine percent of Canadians saying that their office needed order. Ontarians and Quebecer’s were the most likely to report that work was the most disorganized part of their lives.

Disorganization Distress

Perhaps more alarming than the large number of disorganized Canadians, is how being disorganized affects them. Ninety percent of disorganized Canadians reported that being disorganized negatively impacted their lives. Forty-three percent said they felt stressed, 39 percent felt frustrated, 14 percent reported being upset, and 11 percent claimed that their disorganization made them feel like failures. Those who reported the most significant negative impact of disorganization were women, Canadians under the age of 45, working Canadians, and those with children in the household.

“We at Professional Organizers in Canada have seen first-hand how being disorganized can wreak havoc on all parts of a person’s life,” says Kristie Demke, President, POC. “It’s not that people don’t try to organize their time and spaces, but often attempts without the help of a Professional Organizer just don’t tackle the problem strongly enough to take effect.” According to the survey, 81 percent of Canadians have tried to become more organized by themselves, but most say that their efforts didn’t work and that this simply caused more stress and negative feelings.

Resolve to be Organized in the New Year

Hiring a Professional Organizer is a sure way to start 2010 off on an organized path. “When people have car troubles, they hire a mechanic. When something is wrong with their health they go to a doctor. So it should be natural that when disorganization is making your life less pleasurable, you should hire a Professional Organizer,” says Demke. “A Professional Organizer helps individuals and businesses by organizing their space, time and information in order to create functional spaces, increase productivity, and reduce stress.” Finding one is easy; POC offers an online directory to help clients find a professional organizer in their area who is right for their needs.

Tips and Tricks

In addition to hiring a professional, the following are some basic tips and tricks from POC that all Canadians can employ to improve their organization skills to make 2010 a more productive year.

  1. Set daily priorities. Make sure the most important tasks are at the top of your list! If you don’t determine what is most important, you may spend the day being reactive instead of proactive and find that you haven’t completed any important tasks by day’s end.
  2. Know how you like to work. For instance, take advantage of your “power hours”; if you are an early riser, schedule the most important tasks for your most productive time of day. If you work best with a clean desk, spend a few minutes getting your desk cleared before you start work—you’ll get more accomplished.
  3. Put it in your schedule. Determine which rooms or areas you want to organize, and schedule one per week until the list is complete. Start with something easy like a linen closet, decide how much time you can devote to the project, and put it in your calendar – or you will never get around to it.
  4. Prepare for tax time. January is an excellent month to go through your file cabinet and prepare for you taxes. Review your files, tossing anything that is outdated or obsolete like instruction manuals for items you no longer own. While you’re doing this, consolidate your tax records and receipts so that you are not in a panic on April 30.
  5. Consolidate tasks for efficiency. Return calls or respond to emails at one time, pay all your bills, even group your errands together by geographic location. You’ll get more done in less time when you don’t have to switch from one activity to another.
  6. Everyone should pitch in. Make sure that all members of the household know where items are kept, whether it is sporting equipment, photographs, or even incoming mail and newspapers. Create a simple map of such zones if you like, and make sure that storage areas are kid-friendly so that even the younger members of the household will be able to help return items to the proper home.
  7. Edit your wardrobe. Does everything fit, look good, and make you feel good when you wear it? If not, should it really be taking up valuable closet space? Remember, we wear 20 percent of our clothes 80 percent of the time!

To find a Professional Organizer in your area, visit the POC website's online directory.

About POC

Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) is a national registered non-profit association that provides education, business development tools and a code of ethics for all types of organizers across Canada.

Currently representing nearly 600 Professional Organizers in more than 14 chapters nation-wide, POC’s mandate is to provide a supportive environment for members to learn, share ideas, network, and exchange resources. POC also works to educate the public about the organizing industry and the benefits of working with a POC member. POC offers an online member directory to help clients find an organizer who is right for their project.

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