There’s been a meme circulating in the last couple weeks about how Shakespeare wrote King Lear under quarantine. It’s unclear if it’s apocryphal or true, but whatever the case, the message is clear: Even under dire circumstances, great things can be accomplished. Or to put it even more strongly, there’s a kind of creativity and genius that is born of confinement. Some people find this notion inspiring, “Wow! I can still be productive when so much is beyond my control! I’m going to write that epic novel!”Others find it annoying, “Please. How am I supposed to be productive while Western civilization collapses all around me? And by the way, you’re not Shakespeare.”I vacillate between the two. Whichever you may be, all we can do is our best. This might be a great time to get your life in order. It also might be a great time to rewatch all seven seasons of the West Wing.As an organizer, my advice is this: If you have the bandwidth (and the good fortune to be able to shelter in place), pick one small project- one that can be finished in a sitting- and set a fixed amount of time to do it, say 2 hours. Put your phone on speaker, reach out to someone you love as you fold or toss or neaten. And if you’re not up for it, that’s okay. Shakespeare was Shakespeare. You’re you. Do the best you can.More tips to follow…
Savage Organizing
Where OCD meets TLC
Testimonials
-
“After working with Liz, I have to tell you guys that she’s great. We got more done in less time than any other organizer I’ve ever worked with, and I’ve worked with many since 20 years ago in my ongoing battle with clutter and disorganization. I’ll have her here working on the next layer early next year. Her rates are also very reasonable.”
Ellie, Yonkers -
“Liz is a magician. She comes over to a place of chaos, works her magic, and leaves behind order and calm – and me feeling a lot happier.”
Samuel, Brooklyn -
“I was awed, I was grateful. Liz was the one. Within two days, she had waded through everything, consulting with me over what to toss and what to file under which category. We came up with dozens…and she created a place for each, writing the headings onto manila folders that she dropped into hanging files in the double-wide, teak-finish filing cabinet I had bought at Ikea five years earlier, but had never made much use of. “
As seen in the New York Times
-
“We had a large closet in our front hallway that needed some serious attention. After speaking with Liz about our specific needs for the project, she quoted me a very fair and reasonable price and we made it happen. We spent a great afternoon together going through everything and reorganizing. We couldn’t have done it without her.”
Albert, Manhattan -
Liz is amazing. We met at a time when I was moving apartments and needed to deal with large amounts of clutter in order to make packing, and the overall move, work. She helped guide me through a huge, thorough and complete cleaning and reorganizing process that changed the way I use- and see- my living space. I can now get use of things because I can find them, and also because I have less. She truly helped me shed the unnecessary.
Carolyn, Manhattan