Happy birthday, blog!

10 November 2010

Today is the 4th anniversary of this blog. My first entry, on November 10, 2006, titled What is organized? was about everyone having personal standards for what they consider organized.

In four years of blogging, I’ve created 486 entries. I really enjoy blogging, and occasionally surprise myself when I look back at old entries. I’m actually pretty good at it most days! In honor of the anniversary I decided to come up with a favorite post from each year of this blog and post the first paragraph and a link. I hope if you have a minute you’ll click on the links and take a trip back in time with me.

2006
Backsliding (November 16, 2006). In the organizing field, particularly for organizers who work with chronically disorganized people, backsliding is all too common. You leave a client with systems in place, skills transferred, attitudes and motivation high, and then you stop hearing from her. You try to contact the client and when you finally reach her she admits that she’s lost control again. She’s ashamed of this and rather than reaching out to get more help, she just doesn’t call. What she probably doesn’t realize is that this happens all the time and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Continue reading

2007
For me, this is what it is all about (July 16, 2007). I just got back from an intense five days working with a client in another state. I know from her feedback and from what we accomplished that I really made a difference in her life. That’s what I love about this work! Continue reading....

2008
Self care (July 15, 2008). I’m always struck how clutter gets in the way of life. I have many clients who constantly feel an obligation to deal with their clutter. They plan to devote a weekend to decluttering, then they start to feel overwhelmed, so they don’t actually deal with it. (Until they call me.) Continue reading....

2009
It’s a tie. I just have to include both posts I wrote about working with professional organizers. I love them both.

My adventure with a professional organizer (June 12, 2009). As I blogged about the other day, I hired professional organizer Karel Worley, of Clearing Your Path, to come to my house and help my husband, Barry, and me declutter our basement. Continue reading....

I’m officially hooked on working with POs (July 6, 2009). Last month I blogged about working with professional organizer Karel Worley in my basement. With my husband’s help, we tackled a dirty decluttering job in only four hours. It was one that I’d been dreading for months. It was amazing how much we got done and how painless it was. Well, I’m at it again. My friend, Aby Garvey, of simplify101, and I have been talking about swapping services for awhile. We thought it would be more fun (and a lot faster) to work together on some of our projects at home. Continue reading....

2010
Fear of the Unknown (July 12, 2010). I’ve had to learn a new skill set. And I didn’t make it easy on myself. Continue reading....

It’s interesting to me that all my favorite blog posts were written in June or July. (Except 2006, but the blog wasn’t begun until November.) I wonder what’s up with that?

It took me several hours to skim all my blog posts, but what a fun exercise. It’s really a great way to be reminded of the milestones of the last four years.

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Comments

Janine,
Congratulations and Happy Anniversary! That’s no easy accomplishment to have written 486 entries. I see a book in the making! You’re awesome!

Linda Samuels November 10, 2010 11:13 PM

Congratulations!

I did, indeed, go back and read the older posts – does the 2007 story have a happy ending? Did she make her goal and reclaim her house?

Alice November 11, 2010 04:29 AM

Linda, thanks for your kind words. I can’t imagine turning this blog into a book, but you never know.

Alice, thank you for asking! I should go back and update that post. She did! She got the house emptied and renovated, though she still struggles with having stuff in storage because she still has a lot of stuff.

Janine Adams November 11, 2010 05:35 AM

Keeping a blog going for 4 years shows such commitment and I’m sure your readers are very grateful for that! Congrats, Janine. =)

Deb Lee November 11, 2010 06:51 AM

Janine, Congratulations on a fabulous anniversary date that is special on so many levels! I reread the blog entries and I am reminded of the “special” days we shared in such intense labor! Wow! is the word that comes to mind! Happy to be in my house again and wished I could say everything was in order but it is still a work in progress. Thanks to you I have some handy tools to work with along the way to creating some order throughout my life. Your fifth anniversary date will hopefully have new photos to update other anniversaries! :-)

Janice November 11, 2010 01:34 PM

Happy Blogiversary Janine! I had so much fun the day we organized together…thanks for including it in the blog highlights!

Aby

Aby November 12, 2010 03:23 PM

Happy belated blog birthday! Your blogs are always wonderful…

I enjoyed reading your favorites from the past 4 years. thanks!!!

Theresa Finnigin November 19, 2010 08:31 PM

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About Janine

Hello! I’m Janine Adams — a certified professional organizer based in St. Louis, and the creator of Peace of Mind Organizing®.

I love order, harmony + beauty, but I believe that the way that you feel about yourself and your home is what truly matters.

If you’re ready to de­clutter with a purpose and add more ease to your life, you’ve found the right blog — and you’ve found the right company.

read more »

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