I'm going to upset some people with this post. Actually I will upset a lot of people. I have been observing something for quite some time and I have to say something. Another person is about to get suckered into buying into a solution that, more often than not, just does not work.

Ads appear daily in user feeds on social media with enticing opportunities to get organized by simply buying into their programs. Promises that you can "organize you entire house in one day" are appealing of course, but realistic? I don't believe so. There are so many factors that went into the state of your home becoming cluttered, there are different levels of clutter, and there are miscellaneous factors like the square footage of your home, how many people live there, does anyone have hoarding tendencies, are all members of the household on board with getting organized... the list goes on and on.

Another solution offered is self help books on getting organized. I LOVE my organizing comrades, and appreciate all of the time, research, and effort put into writing those books. But, I lost count a long time ago on the number of books I have removed from our clients' homes. And trust me, I am not the only professional organizer to make this observation.

Listen, I'm not saying that these options are 100% not going to work. Many, many success stories are out there. But I AM encouraging you to proceed with caution. Ask yourself, are you really motivated? Are you able to focus on doing what it takes alone? Do you have hours and hours available to devote to accomplishing the tasks as they are assigned? Truthfully, if your reason for not being organized yet is that you don't have enough time, a self help book or a class is not going to help. In fact those things take time too.

I'll be brutally honest, blog posts and social media posts aren't the magic answer either. *Gasp! What?!* Yes, I said it.

But guess what? All of these things have something in common and that is that they are all tools, and the lessons taught through these tools really can make a difference for you. But you have to be brutally honest with yourself. How extensive is your clutter? If you have an area in your home that is troublesome, like a desk or a bookshelf, you probably can handle it on your own by following tips offered in social media and blog posts. Have a somewhat cluttered home but it's functional? A self help book or signing up for a program that offers scheduled instructions may work for you, as long as your are self motivated and able to keep a steady level of progress. But if your troublesome areas include a kitchen with no clear surfaces, bedrooms with floors completely covered with piles of "stuff", and a garage that is packed so full you can't open doors, you're going to need the help of professionals. You can search for Professional Organizers near you using an online search engine. However, a search on napo.net will find you a professional with solid education and experience needed to address your specific needs. If you're in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, you can use the search tool found on napodfw.com.

While I knew this post would upset some, mainly the professionals selling the books and programs mentioned, that isn't the goal. The goal is to make sure that you have your eyes wide open, and know your options before buying into the advertising fanfare.

Be honest with yourself and make educated choices in finding your solutions, and you can find the peace that comes from being clutter free.