E.R.

Mar 16, 2015

I just had to call and tell you of a humongous success! It’s just amazing! This last weekend, we managed to switch rooms and put the girls in the big room and us in the smaller room, and it’s been phenomenal! Today when we got home, I hear Ann (age 9) saying to Elaine (age 6): ‘Now Elaine, remember….’ I hadn’t even told them anything of this. They just have such pride in their rooms that even Ann is not letting Elaine leave anything on the floor. And, get this? Last night before going to bed, Elaine calls me to her room and (just like a parent) stands there, not saying a word, and points down to the floor where I had left my shoes outside my closet! Acting very contrite, I put them away. Then she says, ‘Now the room is all clean!’ She was so proud that there was nothing else on the floor of their room! I was just flabbergasted! These systems are holding up and the living room is contagious and has been a beacon because it’s certainly spreading . . . Thank you for all the skills you taught us so that we can now manage to do it on our own. It’s just miraculous. I just feel like FINALLY something has clicked into place for me for everything . . . like another level of getting it . . . I’m really, really excited . . . thank you.

E.R., working mother

Rebecca Kodama

Mar 16, 2015

I love that you go out and help people live their life to the fullest. I’m forever grateful to you for setting up systems in my life.  I’m still putting things in the white Staples boxes when I can’t get to them right away and still have the store for my boys to get their office supplies.  And Daniel still remembers ‘the Organizing Maniac’ and set up homes at his apartment for things he frequently misplaces, like his phone, sunglasses, and keys. And you taught him that stuff when he was only 11 – nine years ago! Thank you so much! 

Rebecca Kodama, writer / mother / wife

J.W.

Mar 16, 2015

Where to begin? My sister left yesterday and my closet has stayed very orderly—which is quite an accomplishment because generally the week after houseguests, my closet would have disintegrated into a pile of ‘I don’t know what!?’ My sister was blown away by it all—and asked me to come to her house to teach her! And I received the nicest compliment from her: ‘You have the calmest house with a child that I’ve ever been in. I usually associate a child with chaos, and yours is so calm.’ It really highlighted the progress I’ve made—sometimes it’s hard for us to keep in touch with the baby steps, and to have her say that really made me feel like I’m in a different place now . . . closer to my goal of having my private self match my public self! Regarding my wardrobe . . . well . . . I can’t say that I love getting dressed now. I’m still standing there thinking that I have nothing to wear, BUT there are a few huge differences. It’s made me more mindful of the fact that it’s really just as easy to put on something nice as it is to put on a pair of sweats. Before I felt a sense of hopelessness, like I didn’t know where to begin. Now I feel like I see much more clearly what I don’t have and what I’d like. I’ve always liked the idea of buying a few wonderful pieces, rather than a ton of mediocre pieces, but never felt like I could see clearly enough to make a commitment. The temptation was always to just ‘stretch my dollar’ and get as much as I could with it, hoping that would fill the gaping holes. Now I feel like I can be more patient, that I can look at the process, that I can build upon it over a few birthdays, Christmases, windfalls, etc. . . . I’m thrilled with my shopping list, and I’m actually looking forward to my next shopping experience. I used to LOVE to shop, but I’ve been shopping so long with my ‘old script.’ It wasn’t working anymore and I would get so depressed. I can’t wait to shop with my ‘new script!’ And it was VERY interesting to look back and see how close my ‘closet work’ mirrored the goals I expressed at the beginning. I feel like the next step is to really focus on my money/time organization, so that the riches to support my goals will flow in!

J.W., website designer/mother/wife