Case studies.

My clients, who are all experts within their own area of pursuit, have struggled with clutter of one sort or another.

Some have had issues with physical clutter like piles of paper, too many belongings, inadequate storage and no systems for paper flow and follow-up. Others had mental clutter emanating from unfulfilling jobs, toxic people, the disease to please, a lack of life balance and more. Working with SWS, each client was able to bridge the gap between where they were and what they wanted.

The following are a few case studies of Smart WorkLife Solutions (SWS) clients.

Case study #1
Office organization

The Client: A financial management executive.

The Situation: This particular client was outrageously successful at making money, however in 30 years of management he had always struggled with organization. He would misplace important client files. It stressed him, wasted his time, and eventually infringed on other’s time as well . . . he would call his wife and ask her to scour their home; if the file wasn’t there she would search his office. They always found the files but clearly what he was doing wasn’t working. He contacted me to help him set up a system whereby he could find what he wanted, when he wanted it.

What Was Done: In less than a day I completed an organizational analysis and pinpointed the problems. Two important things were learned: 1) The client was a “visual” person; he needed a visible cue to remind him of priorities and what he would focus on. This visual preference is what prompted him to leave “active” files piled on his desktop. With a lot of big projects all going on at once, the files were in disarray. 2) He had two large file drawers in close proximity to his work surface with plenty of room in each. He said he didn’t use the space because he was concerned he would put a file away and not remember which files required his follow-up. I designed a system to store all his files in one convenient place and devised a way to visually differentiate the inactive files from the files requiring further action.

The Outcome: With the purchase of special storage containers, the client was able to store all his files in one organized space. It enabled him to file-not pile important documents. He had a system for storing and retrieving all of his client files and it included a simple “visual” arrangement of follow-up he could rely on. He was very pleased with his new work arrangement. He no longer stressed over misplaced files and his work product had a convenient home. He told me he now has a filing system he “trusts” and it has made his work life much easier!

Case study #2
Office organization

The Client: A pharmaceutical sales representative with a second business of his own.

The Situation: His home office was an obstacle course. There were stacks of paper, files, and other paraphernalia, from two businesses, littering every surface, including the floor. The furniture wasn’t arranged for maximum efficiency and items that belonged in other parts of his home had crept into the office taking up valuable space. With all the chaos and confusion he would walk into his office each morning and not know where to start. His productivity was taking a hit.

What Was Done: I coached him on my full-proof organizing formula and together we revamped his entire office. We spent 16 hours working together and he worked an additional couple hours on his own. We categorized and sorted everything in his space. I helped him decide what to keep and what to toss. We rearranged his furniture and put everything into a new and convenient home. Finally, I taught him systems for management of ongoing paper flow.

The Outcome: He had an office tailored to fit his unique needs. There was a convenient filing system for each business--making it easy for him to retrieve and put things away, an “action file” on his desk to help him stay focused and meet deadlines, and three separate areas for books, equipment and supplies.
A month after finishing our work together, I called him to see how things were working . . . he told me:

	He had gone to his accountant and had found it simple to gather everything he needed.
	He was better able to manage his second business.
	He was saving a lot of time.
	He found it easier to find things.
	He had installed software and, with no trouble, populated the fields. (He had previously tried to do this and got stuck trying to locate the data.)

Case study #3
Home organization

The Client: A Corporate Sr. Marketing Consultant.

The Situation: Her job had kept her on the road all spring and she was too tired to deal with things that needed attention when she got home. Her house was littered with clutter and she was feeling a lot of stress.

What Was Done: I walked her through my organizing recipe and together we completely revamped three rooms of her home (office included) in just two days. The process was amazingly fast as the client was really ready to let things go. On day one we focused on her office and on day two we organized the kitchen and living room. Approximately $50 worth of organizing product was purchased, plus we used a few containers she had on hand. We took approximately 20 bags of garbage to the dumpster, a handful of items were sold at a garage sale, a few items were returned to friends and family members and a lot of belongings were transferred to other more appropriate areas of her home.

The Outcome: The client was so energized by the simplicity and result of the process that she immediately proceeded to organize the rest of her rooms. She said it felt as though a big weight had been lifted off her shoulders because every item had a convenient home, she saves money by avoiding the purchase of duplicates, and she has time for her personal pastimes.

Case study #4
Home organization

The Client: A retired couple.

The Situation: A sudden change in health prompted this delightful couple to move into an apartment of only 400+ square feet. The unexpected timing of the transition left no time for downsizing before the move. And, they didn’t have the energy or know-how to unpack and efficiently organize all their belongings into their small space. They contacted me to help them whittle down their possessions and create the “jewel box” they had always dreamed of. They told me they wanted me to organize everything and to involve them only as needed.

What Was Done: When I arrived at their new apartment it was pretty overwhelming. Boxes were stacked in every available spot. I took one room at a time, eliminated the excess and created elegant, convenient storage for everything that was left. I started with the living room as it was the place they spent most of their time and received visitors. I worked quickly to eliminate the clutter. I next tackled closets, followed by the kitchen and bath. In the bedroom I stored paper files, medical equipment, memorabilia, and clothing, however you would never know all of those things were in there as the attractive storage solutions concealed everything.

The outcome: The clutter and boxes were gone and all that remained was a beautifully organized space . . . the “jewel box” they had always wanted.

Case study #5
Life organization

The Client: An IT executive.

The Situation: He was coming to the end of a 17 year career with the same company. He knew that he wanted to do something different with his life, but didn’t know how to go about finding what he really wanted, never mind how to actually go about doing it. He had always been a strongly independent person, and never thought that he would need help with anything from anybody, but he decided to take a chance and ask me if I could help him as he worked through the transition. He also thought this would be a great time to get his life in pristine order before moving on to his next venture.

What Was Done: Through weekly telephone calls and probing questions I was able to help him quickly focus on what was important in his life and the things that brought him happiness. I helped him to recognize the distractions, the things in his life that were getting in the way of what he really wanted. We discussed his professional aspirations and he made plans and took action each week. We also discussed his personal life. In this regard, I asked about his daily routine and learned he was skipping meals, not eating healthfully and making four to five trips to the grocery store each week (he estimated each trip took approximately forty-five minutes to an hour) mostly to have good food on hand for his son’s visits. I asked him if he wanted to work on taking better care of himself and save time. He affirmed he was interested in making improvements in this area of his life, thus we discussed an action plan he would try. Through our work together, he also recognized his core values, and how they influenced the choices he had made. All in all—he had a variety of new insights and started to operate in new ways: he designed a plan for his professional life, negotiated some outstanding new business deals and revamped his bachelor ways too.

The Outcome: He was able to use what he learned to set out his new course, with the confidence and tools that he needed to succeed. He stopped struggling with the things that had been holding him back and launched a business with ready clients and a lot of promising opportunities. On a personal level he made a lot of changes: the grocery store trips were reduced to one or two per week, he was eating three healthy meals a day and found he had more stamina, and his awareness of time earned accolades from his girlfriend.

Case study #6
Life organization

The Client: An insurance executive.

The Situation: His company was closing and he wanted to secure new employment. In tandem with this goal he wanted to work on his style of relating to other people. He felt his style was a little too authoritarian.

What Was Done: We put our heads together and created a resume that showcased his varied skills and talents. We also determined how he would target and contact ideal employers. At the same time, I guided him through the process of improving his personal foundation. He started organizing his environment and schedule, worked on getting his needs met, extending his boundaries, raising his personal standards, strengthening his family and building his financial reserves. This work prompted new insights and changes in habits and behavior. Each week he did reading, homework and experimented with the things he was learning.

The Outcome: The coaching process really changed him. In just three months he had a new job with better benefits and a higher level of compensation. He was utilizing new team building skills that proved more effective in honoring relationships and delivering results. Equally important, he reported some surprises too: he was more effective in using his time, thus he was very productive during work hours and did not have to work nights and weekends as he had previously. He was more aware and sensitive in dealing with others. He had strengthened family ties and he cleared up a lot of clutter he had formerly tolerated. His commute to work was no longer an irritation but a time to listen to books and music on CD and tape. It also served as a great time to unwind as he headed for home each day.

A year after working together he called me to say his employer had just given him his first performance review. He was ecstatic with the appraisal. Additionally, he was in a better place financially than he ever thought possible. He said the experience changed his life and it wouldn’t have happened without my support.

Case study #7
Home organization

The Client: A widow.

The Situation: Determined to honor the past and create a fulfilling future this new widow had a vision.  She wanted a home on the water.  And then it happened, with clarity of thought and purpose, she found just the right home, in just the right location, with just the perfect pond and fountain.  Her only reservation…how would she make the transition from her current residence to the new home by herself.  She decided to ask for assistance.

What Was Done: A month prior to the move date, the client asked me to help her plan and carry out all the pre-move activities and post-move organizing and decorating.  The pre-move work included:

	Boxing and mailing items to children.
	Determining dates for the moving company to pack and transport her possessions to the new location.
	Creating a floor plan for the new residence.
	Tagging each piece of furniture with the room it would go into.
	Making arrangements for the disposal and pick-up of furniture that would not be moved to the new house.
	Taking down curtains, rods, wall rack systems, and pictures and grouping them together.
	Collecting and setting aside the possessions she would move herself (medications, a few clothes, a small tool box, plants, etc.).
	Staging her current quarters for resale.
	Selecting materials for her new home, including: hardware for the kitchen and bathrooms and picking out a new washer and dryer.

When moving day arrived we guided the movers in the placement of furniture and boxes, made-up one bed, and started organizing the kitchen.  The following day, the post-move organizing and decorating began in earnest:

	The kitchen and pantry were organized first.  This was followed by: the master bedroom, walk-in master closet, master bath, living room, dining room, laundry, and guest bath.  In all—it took 3 days to organize and arrange these spaces.
	Every cupboard, drawer, and closet in the aforementioned areas was thoughtfully arranged.  I purchased containers and organizing tools to make it easy and convenient for the client to access what she needed as well as make the best use of her space.
	The office, basement bedroom, and storage area were organized next.
	Within a week of moving day we shopped for and found a few decorative items and dining chairs.
	We took our time in selecting window treatments as they are a big investment.  We ultimately ordered custom roman shades for each room.
	Finally, pictures were hung and a beautiful rug was purchased for the front entryway.

The Outcome: With planning and organization, the move came off without a hitch, every room was organized from top to bottom, and a few purchases were made to enhance the form and function of select spaces.  Best of all—my client is thrilled:  she was entertaining friends within a week of moving and she feels content in her stylish, functional new home on the water.  Take a peek at what we accomplished:

To learn more about who is behind these kinds of results, contact SWS.

Click here to learn about SWS.