Graduation

Professional Organizers remind themselves, often and steadfastly, that we can’t want change for our clients more than our clients want change for themselves. We can’t force them to adopt new habits, mindsets, preferences or even a new kind of file folder. And that’s imperative – change is always something which each of us needs to accomplish at our own pace. Forming new habits is HARD, and it seems like the measure about how long habit formation takes changes every week.

But we’re human. We get impatient sometimes, bored sometimes, fearful that a client won’t get past an obstacle. Losing a client unexpectedly – they vanish on us, and we are left to worry “what went wrong?” – is wrenching. Losing a client and knowing why – an Organizer’s mistake, the client’s genuine inability to progress – is maddeningly dispiriting.

Graduating a client is momentous. I still remember, with warm amusement, a client calling me in guilty tears to announce she didn’t need me anymore and wanted to cancel our remaining appointments. I graduated a client today, who grew in self-confidence and decisiveness as we collaborated. It was an excellent day.