Sort, Purge, and Emerge From Chaos was written by Julia Crawford and originally published in North Shore News.

I pride myself on being a fairly organized person.

Nonetheless, I seem to leave behind a trail of clutter wherever I go, like a silvery slug trail.

Working from home, ongoing house renovations and two small children (certified mess machines in themselves) means my home is less than perfect.

Professional organizer Linda Chu says that whether she is helping someone like me tidy up my home or assisting a large corporation make its work spaces more efficient, the process and steps towards a clutter-free space are the same.

“The same principles apply,” she says. “It’s not about the stuff: the tangible stuff you accumulate is just a sign of emotional attachment.”

For example, how many items of clothing do you have in your closet that you can’t get rid of because you wore it on that romantic weekend with you spouse, or because it was really expensive, or because you’re convinced it will come back into fashion next season?

“If I took it away in the middle of the night would you even remember it was there?” she says. Ask yourself when was the last time you touched the item, and would you miss it?

At work it’s the same thing, Chu points out. We hold on to things and collect info thinking we might need it one day, or maybe it will help advance our career.

Those of us caught between a paper society and the electronic age still print out emails and memos because we like the safety and tangibility of a piece of paper.

We get into ruts in the workplace because people automatically do things the way they have always been done.

“We walk this way, talk this way and mimic what’s always happened,” she says.

But why take 10 steps to retrieve information when you could reduce it to three?

Corporate downsizing has resulted in companies constantly looking for the most efficient way for their staff to provide the highest level of service despite shrinking resources.

Chu worked in the hotel industry for more than 20 years, in a position that necessitated appearances 24 hours a day. “When you’re trying to maintain that level of professionalism and being able to retrieve information in a timely manner, you need to have all your ducks in a row,” she says.

After she left her full-time job, Chu took her love of streamlining and started her own business, Out of Chaos, and founded the B.C. chapter of the Professional Organizers’ Association, which now includes 51 members. She attributes the increase in people wanting to pare down and clean up to the popularity of home and garden TV shows and people trying to keep pace with new technologies.

Chu works on the principles of S.P.A.C.E. (adapted from Julie Morgenstern), which stands for sorting, purging, assigning priorities, and categories, containing your information or possessions, and evaluating the space that you work and live in to implement function and form.

There are lots of brilliant products out there to contain and organize your chaos, says Chu, but she points out that containing the mess is the fourth step in the S.P.A.C.E. process: “You need to take an inventory of what you have first,” she says. If you don’t have an accurate picture of what you own, you could be wasting your money by buying the wrong product or the incorrect size of container for the job.

Sometimes taking stock of what you have can seem like an insurmountable task. Chu suggests breaking things down into achievable chunks and using the kitchen-timer approach: if you can only spare 15 or 20 minutes then set you kitchen timer and tackle that junk drawer or that pile in the corner. Fifteen minutes a day can really add up.

“When we’re overwhelmed we ignore it,” says Chu. “So make things attainable and then plan to give yourself a reward afterwards. Just don’t go out and buy more stuff!”

A reward reminds us what it felt like to achieve something, she says. Celebrate the small successes rather than focusing on what hasn’t been accomplished.

You’ve watched all the home fix-it shows and read all the books, but are you any more organized? It’s all common sense, Chu says, but a professional organizer lends support and holds you accountable for your clutter.

“It’s like paying to go to a gym when you can walk around the seawall for free. Why? It’s having someone there supporting you through the tough decisions,” she says.

A professional organizer helps you with the emotions you have with your clutter and then creates a system that works for you so you can continue the process long-term.

“You’re dealing with personalities, not stuff,” Chu says, so it’s important to find the professional organizer who best matches your personal identity.

Chu conducts lunch-and-learn workshops and is available for corporate speaking engagements as well as private consultations. Contact Linda Chu today.