Get Organized: The Neat Life by Cathleen Seco

I have a confession. I may be one of the few who has not watched Marie Kondo’s Netflix phenomenon on tidying up. I admit that I bought her book about two years ago, and started it...yet never finished. Ironically, this pattern mirrors my ongoing struggles with organizing the house - I always start...I never finish. Enter my own personal “life changing” magic...The Neat Life by Cathleen Seco.

As part of full disclosure, Cathleen was a friend first, before becoming my clutter-clearing savior. I had always admired Cathleen in so many ways, but the one that left me most envious was her beautiful, organized home. Every time I walked in, I felt...well, ZEN.

I wanted to recreate this feeling in my home. I wanted to walk through MY door feeling the same sense of peace and order, instead of stress and chaos. With three children and two dogs, I was skeptical that I could ever achieve this level of harmony , but I had to at least give it a shot.

Cathleen arrived beaming with excitement, and carrying trash bags, labels and bins underarm. Her enthusiasm immediately helped ease my trepidation. The first step, she explained, was to take inventory of everything. We walked, room by room, through my entire house, her notebook and pen in hand, and surveyed the disorder. I was impressed by her ability to stay positive about each room and see the potential, instead of staring at the chaos like a deer in headlights When our assessment was done, Cathleen sat with me and we wrote out a plan. She listed the rooms of the house, in order of need. We then picked dates on the calendar to which I could commit and see this work through.

The kitchen was our starting point, since most of our family’s every day activities and living occur here. Cathleen’s system consists of 3 steps: Clear Out & Organize, Minimize & Organize and Style & Label. Cathleen swiftly emptied EVERY cabinet, drawer and appliance so that we could survey and assess what was really needed for optimal functioning, and what was simply there because I had received it as a gift at my bridal shower. She asked me simple, focused questions that led to practical responses, such as “What do you use that for?” and “When is the last time you used this?” My responses, coupled with hours of placing the useful, necessary items back, transformed my cluttered fridge and pantry into a Martha Stewart worthy scene. The weight of chronic disorder and mess now lay in the overflowing large black garbage bags on the floor, instead of upon my shoulders!

We continued this process for the days and weeks that followed, room by room and closet by closet. We recycled, we donated and we got the kids in on the action. Cathleen asked them the same guiding questions, and empowered them to make decisions on what was truly purposeful and valued, and what was ready to move on to a new home or be recycled. It gave my girls an authentic feeling of accomplishment and pride, and has motivated them to keep their rooms organized, long after Cathleen’s work was done. I’d be lying if I told you that every day, every room is perfectly clean and organized (I’m eyeing up a pile of clothes as I write this). But now having these systems in place, it doesn’t require a lot of time or effort to keep things tidy on a daily basis. Having a renewed sense of order in our house helps all of us start the day with a little more peace, knowing the place for all things, which streamlines our routines.

As someone who sometimes struggles with seeing tasks to fruition, having The Neat Life on my side was ultimately what made the difference in my quest for a clutter-free home. Cathleen was committed to my project and forced me to show up, even on those days where cleaning out felt like the last thing on earth I wanted to do.

Although I fell short of reading Marie Kondo’s book and employing her “KonMari” method, I can proudly say that I took in every word of advice from Cathleen Seco and have adopted, what I have admirably named, the “SeCath” method. And the best part? Cathleen will be there, in person, with you on your journey to an organized and peaceful home.

You can contact The Neat Life at: cathleen.seco@gmail.com