Simply The Best Magazine Neighbors By Jan Ericsson October 2001

ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL STUDY GROUP on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD), the chronically disorganized are officially classified by severe disorganization over a long period of time, often years, disorganization that adversely affects your life on a daily basis, and is marked by failed self-help efforts to get organized, indicating the need for professional help.

If you fit one or more of these criteria, it’s more serious than you think. Diane Hatcher to the rescue. A professional organizer, Hatcher is the owner and president of Broward-based Timesavers Services. Hatcher was not always the beacon of clutter control she is today. She earned a degree in journalism from the University of Florida, and has worked as a claims adjuster and a schoolteacher, but was eager to work on a more personal, interactive level with people.

A naturally organized person, Hatcher finally listened to the admiring oohs an ahhs and put her talent to work. Today she specializes in paper management, clutter management and time management. “A recent Wall Street Journal report revealed that the average American business person loses six weeks each year searching for lost or misplaced articles from messy desks or files.”

A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and NSGCD, Hatcher seeks to enlighten us as we wallow in our messes, noting that the No. 1 cause of disorganization is not putting things back in their proper place or not having a specific place where things belong to begin with. “People think they are saving time by not putting things back or not closing a closet door, but they are actually causing themselves more work down the line,” she insists.

Hatcher explains that if disorganization is creating stress in your life, or in the lives of people around you, it may be time for help. However, one must be motivated, for it is easy to revert to bad habits if a system is not followed. She compares organization to preventive maintenance on a car: If you ignore a problem, it will just become worse and more expensive to fix. “Being organized simplifies your life. It removes stress, so you can still get to where you are going, but you can get there much easier.”