5 years of organizing: what this work has tought me
This year feels like a special one.
My business, Life Simplified with Sarah, is turning five, and I’m also celebrating my 40th birthday. Naturally, it has me reflecting on the last few years and everything this work has taught me.
When I started this business, I thought I was starting something centered around organizing homes.
And while that’s true, what I’ve learned along the way is that this work is really about people, families, and creating spaces that support real life.
Looking back, there are a few questions I’ve found myself reflecting on.
Why did I start this business in the first place?
I started because I needed to declutter my own life.
At the time, I was realizing just how connected my mental health was to my surroundings. When my home felt overwhelming, I felt overwhelmed too.
As I worked through my own spaces, I began to see how powerful that shift could be. I wanted to help others move out of that same overwhelmed place and into homes that felt calmer and more supportive.
What surprised me the most about this work?
The relationships.
When I first started, I imagined more pantry makeovers and organizing transformations.
And while those moments are fun, the most meaningful part of this work has been the people. I’ve developed relationships with so many wonderful clients over the years—some long-term and some whose paths only crossed mine for a short season.
One of my very first organizing clients still has the systems we created together in place today. She will probably never know she was my first client, but that experience meant so much to me and helped shape the work I do today.
What is the most common problem I see in homes?
The most common problem is actually very simple.
Items don’t have a home.
When something doesn’t have a clear place to live, it begins to float around the house. Eventually more items pile on top of it and clutter slowly builds.
Creating systems that give things a true home is one of the most powerful shifts people can make in their spaces.
What do people misunderstand about organizing?
One myth that drives me a little crazy is the idea that organizing is easy.
It’s not.
Decluttering can be emotional. Letting go of items—especially gifts or things we spent money on—can feel difficult.
Another common misconception is that buying bins will solve the problem. I see this all the time. People buy organizing products before they declutter.
But the truth is, bins don’t fix clutter. Systems do.
Once you’ve edited what you own and created systems that make sense for your life, then the organizing products can actually support the space.
What have I learned about clutter?
Clutter builds when things don’t have a home, but it also builds when life gets busy.
And life always gets busy.
What I’ve learned from working with so many families is that the least stressed homes are not the most perfect ones.
They are the homes with simple systems.
Busy families get behind sometimes. Every household does. But when systems are in place, it’s much easier to reset and move forward.
Perfection isn’t the goal.
Supportive systems are.
Why systems matter so much to me
One thing this work has reinforced in my own life is just how important systems really are.
I’m a mom of three—my kids are 18, 15, and 12—and I’m also a solo parent. Life in our home can be busy and full, just like many of the families I work with.
Because of that, the systems I help clients create are the same kinds of systems that help my own household run.
One of the most important ones in our home is something I call my closing shift. At the end of the day, we reset the house so the next morning starts fresh. It’s a simple routine, but it makes a huge difference.
We also have a weekly reset where the kids complete their chores and I do my own personal reset for the week ahead.
Over time, these systems have become second nature in our home. Each of my kids has ownership of a household task—like managing one of our trash systems for garbage, recycling, or cans—and they know it’s simply part of how our home runs.
It doesn’t mean our home is perfect. There’s still the mess that comes with everyday life.
But the difference is that everyone knows where things belong, spaces get reset regularly, and we take care of the things we get to have.
Before I created these systems, my home often felt overwhelming. At times it felt like I was drowning in the day-to-day of it all.
Now, the systems help everything move forward—even during busy or chaotic weeks.
What do clients feel after a session?
One of the things clients say most often at the end of a session is that they feel lighter.
Sometimes that feeling comes from clearing a large volume of things. Other times it’s because we’ve let go of a few items that had been quietly weighing on them for years.
Some of the most meaningful moments in this work come when we find something that was lost or when a client finally feels ready to release something that had been holding emotional weight for a long time.
Seeing the difference in someone’s life after we’ve worked together is one of the reasons I love this work so much.
What this work has taught me about “stuff”
Over time, I’ve come to believe that having less often creates more ease in life.
Less to maintain.
Less to clean.
Less to manage.
Something I often say to myself—and sometimes to my clients—is:
“Look around you. Everything you see used to be money, and a lot of that money used to be time.”
My hope is always that people bring into their homes things they truly love and items that genuinely add value to their lives.
Because when a space feels good, life inside it often feels better too.
Looking ahead
As I look toward the next chapter of Life Simplified with Sarah, I find myself feeling excited about what’s ahead.
I’m looking forward to continuing to help clients experience meaningful transformations in their homes, while also placing more emphasis on the maintenance that helps those transformations last. Because the goal has never been just a finished project, it’s creating systems that continue to support everyday life. Maybe this a hint about what is to come in the next year
That deep breath when a space finally feels lighter has always been my goal. This will remain the focus on my work.
In the years ahead, I hope my work continues to help families experience less overwhelm and more homes that feel calm, supportive, and easy to live in.
And if there’s one thing I hope people say about my work, it’s this: that the systems lasted, and that the approach we took together truly made a difference in their lives.
A thank you
To every client who has welcomed me into their home over the last five years, thank you.
It’s truly been an honor to be part of your spaces and your stories.
I’m so grateful you’re here.
Celebrating 40 trips around the sun, and 5 years simplifying your life.
