I am a proud member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). Yes, it is a real industry, and no, I did not make up this vocation. NAPO is 1,600+ strong, and growing by leaps and bounds daily. It is educational, supportive and provides credibility. (See ww.napo.net).

However, my real in-depth knowledge and education in the organizing field comes through my participation in the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD). (See www.nsgcd.org). For some reason that name always gets a laugh. So when you are finished laughing, read on to determine if any of the following traits identified by the NSGCD resemble your organizing issues. Take this quiz then determine the results below.

Has disorganization been a factor in your life for many years?
Does your level of disorganization interfere with the quality of your daily life or others’?
Has disorganization persisted despite self-help attempts to get organized?
Do you own at least one organizing book?
Are you an “info maniac” (saving many articles, newspapers or books you’ve read)?
Do you suffer from “fear of filing?”
Do you feel every paper must be kept in sight or you’ll never find it again?
Do you lose or misplace papers and items despite keeping them out?
Does your filing system cause difficulty in retrieval?
Does it take you more than 3 minutes to find most papers in your office?
Do you like to collect things?
Are you a shop-a-holic?
Do you accumulate possessions beyond apparent usefulness or pleasure?
Does your disorganization cause you embarrassment or humiliation?
Are your desk, floor and/or countertops covered in papers?
Did you feel deprived as a child?
Is it difficult for you to part with things even though they outlived their usefulness?
Do you consider yourself a packrat?
Do you have a wide range of interests and several uncompleted tasks and projects?
Do you find it difficult to stay focused or are you easily distracted?
Do you tend to lose track of time?
Are you smart, successful, accomplished?

If you answered “yes” to numbers 1, 2 & 3, and some of the other questions, you could be chronically disorganized. Chronic disorganization is found at the extreme end of the continuum, differing from severely disorganized. CD is marked by its on-going, long- term characteristic, interference with quality of life and inability to respond to self-help.

If you answered “yes” to several other questions, don’t panic. We have solutions.