Plenty of highly effective people get bogged down in clutter, says professional organizer Robin Stephens of Lynnwood, Wash. "There was a woman at a major corporation here in Seattle who was so disorganized — papers and files leaking out of her office cubicle — that her co-workers took up a collection to pay for a professional organizer," Stephens says. "They ended up hiring me to help her get control."Even professional organizers themselves occasionally need a reality check. "We're just as human as you are," says Denver-certified professional organizer Sally Allen, CEO of A Place for Everything. "When I walk into my office and the floor has become an option for storing things, I realize I'd better take care of it or somebody might walk into my office and say, 'She does what for a living?'"
But professional organizers do know the right tricks to get back on track. Try these five easy lessons for staying organized and you'll see a real improvement in the way you feel about your space — and about yourself.
![PHOTO](javascript:popup("http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2007/08/07/sally-allen-1organizing-tip_e.jpg",350,450))
![PHOTO](javascript:popup("http://img.hgtv.com/HGTV/2007/08/07/sally-allen-organizing-tips_e.jpg",350,450))
