From more than 25 years of experience in organizing the offices, files and daily schedules of executives and the spaces in private homes, Cindy Bisanti discovered that organizing was not only a knack that she had, but also a gift she took great pleasure in. The owner of Everybody Needs a Cindy says, “In business, that was expected of me, and I had the carte blanche to organize things without any questions asked and no one looking over my shoulder. Frequently though, in private homes, I found that the hardest part about clients organizing their own personal spaces was that they found it overwhelming. They just couldn’t get started, although they daydreamed a lot about doing it. That's where having me as personal assistant came in handy. I am there as a neutral party to look at items that have piled up over the years and to ask if they really needed to keep them or if they could be discarded for the sake of space.”

Organizing the spaces in our home, such as the closet, garage, or home office, has the psychological benefit of helping us to feel safe, according to Jennifer Vear Hoy, a licensed psychotherapist in Naples. “We find comfort in the predicable organized spaces where we know we can find things without searching. That makes us feel safe,” says Vear Hoy.

Bisanti frequently hears clients comment, “Once I get my office streamlined, it will affect my business, and I know I'll start making more money.”

But often, it’s very challenging to convince those dreamers to shred files and create empty spaces. “They live in a state of perfect chaos,” she says.

What can get someone to move forward with their dreams of organizing their closet is having Bisanti by their side to ask questions and encourage them. Queries such as, “Have you used this in the last six months?” which solicit, “Not in the last year,” responses signal Bisanti to answer, “Then you can probably be just fine without it. Piece by piece, we go through each pile and sort through it all. Generally once fear is overcome, a huge sense of relief is felt, like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders. It makes people feel like they got the wind back in their sails and motivates them to action with their dreams and goals.”

For organizing functional and clutter-free spaces, Bisanti uses many of Google’s best tips. Purge items regularly by taking inventory, dedicate a day to one specific area or item, make it pretty, arrange clothes by color and use drawer organizers to keep things from getting messy.

Bisanti’s advice beyond that is to opt for donating items rather than putting them into the trash, as well as telling her clients not to be afraid to organize upward. She says, “There is lost space in the vertical for people that are used to horizontal spaces. When space is limited, make a trip to Ikea. They are the kings of knowing how to maximize vertical space. I'm a true believer in that.”

For more information, call 239-202-3152 or email [email protected].