The Proof Is in the Dishes: I Don’t Judge

Dirty dishes that have been in my sink over a week

I hear a lot of apologies when I meet a new organizing client. “I’m really sorry about the mess” or “I’m so embarrassed, you must think I’m a slob.” Even if they don’t verbalize it, I can feel the guilt in their posture and tone.

I don’t judge — I can’t emphasize that enough. No one is perfect and that certainly includes myself. Organizing is my profession, not a hobby. I’m offering my services to help people achieve the quality of life that they want, not to criticize where they are currently. I’ve seen it all and no, your house is not the worst! I’ve never had a client who I thought to be lazy. Often times disorganization is a result of something much deeper, and it’s my job to help get at the root of that. Read Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern for more on that subject.

I hope the photo of my dirty dishes brings home the concept of non-judgement. Maybe I will post my dirty laundry heap next. Additional note — I have not vacuumed or otherwise cleaned in over three weeks. I’ve started wearing socks around the house to keep the dirt from sticking to my feet. Eww, right?

Wrong. Normally I keep things cleaner, but this dirt can wait because I’ve had more important fish to fry. The beauty of being organized? It will take me 30 minutes to do the dishes and about an hour and a half to DEEP clean my apartment top to bottom. Why? I don’t have much to clean and everything has a home so maintenance is easy... when I get around to doing it.