Why should I buy a product for organizing
when there are so many helpful tips available?

It is better to have a complete plan of attack. The ADD Audio Coach is a plan of attack. It is developed to show you where to put your energy and why. It progresses step-by-step using a clean, concise format. Hints and tips are like accessories that you can gather later as you progress. You can then decide with clarity what tips are useful, and how to apply them.

Does the program take the place of
personal coaching or hiring a professional organizer?

Nothing beats one-on-one coaching for your specific needs, but most coaches will not come to your home and help you organize your belongings. Professional organizers will come to your home and organize your belongings, but you are responsible for keeping it organized after they leave. This program teaches you how to keep up with your environment and your projects for a lifetime.

If you are working with a coach:

Coaches familiar with the program can help you progress and attend to any questions that you might have. This makes for a great combination. The lists included in the workbook can also be very useful since many coaches do not specialize in home organization. The program allows you to streamline your progress at home, so the time you spend with a coach can be more effective.

If you are working with a professional organizer:

Professional organizers can help enormously, if you are currently overwhelmed with your environment, however, there is tremendous value in learning how to go through the process yourself.

As an organizer, I have seen some pretty big projects. One of my projects was for a retired professor, a brilliant man with attention deficit disorder, and a love for books, electronics, and just about any other gadget on the market. The project included cleaning out a bedroom and a study, which we estimated had not been cleaned for almost ten years. Let me describe the state of these rooms when we first arrived.

There was a small path in the bedroom that led to the side of the bed used for sleeping. The other side of the bed had long since collapsed in on itself from the weight of books stacked upon it. This stack acted as a wall and made us wonder if the man was ever afraid to go to sleep for fear of being buried by his books. After some work, we realized this man had actually been sleeping on the box spring. The weight of the books over time had caused the mattress to shift half way of the box spring. The half of the mattress that remained on the bed, acted as a shelf for the books. The other half of the mattress rested on the floor and had been buried by other objects. Clothing, papers, gadgets and computers parts were crammed between books stacked in columns falling over one another filling almost all of the space in both rooms. Piles blocked the entry to the study. So, armed with gloves, face masks and hair nets we first cleared a path into the bedroom, bagging papers and trash as we moved forward. It took a team of five people, five days to complete the project. From these two rooms we removed thirty-five large plastic tubs of books, more than thirty large garbage bags of old paperwork and trash. When the job was complete, the bedroom looked bright and clean. The closet held a complete wardrobe; sun was shining through the washed windows. The family cat was resting at the bottom of the newly delivered bed.