Peace of Mind Organizing

Sometimes you just need company

15 August 2011

Some people just can’t organize alone. For those folks, sorting, weeding and organizing are activities that require company. I see it all the time with my clients. No matter how motivated or well-intentioned they are, they just don’t continue the work between my visits. It’s not that they’re lazy. They just can’t bring themselves to do it. But when I’m there, they’re focused and diligent and we get a lot done.

It’s not that I have some magical motivational power. It’s just that they can’t do it alone. In her groundbreaking book, Conquering Chronic Disorganization, Judith Kolberg identified this phenomenon and called what I’m doing in this situation “body doubling.” Body doubles maintain a quiet presence that enables the client to go through her stuff. It’s powerful work.

You don’t have to hire a professional organizer to get this kind of help, though I would argue that a PO who is good at body doubling is well worth her fee. But you do need someone who is non-judgmental and has a quiet presence. You don’t want your body double to be telling you what to do, offering unsolicited advice, chatting with you to fill the silence or moving constantly. You want someone who facilitates your focus by staying calm and quiet and enables your work by quietly doing whatever small tasks you need.

I personally love body doubling and really value the clients who value it. Sometimes I finish a session where I physically did very little and the client turns to me and says “I couldn’t do it without you.” I love those moments.

Tagged with: body doubling, focus, judith kolberg, social organizing

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