Best Results Organizing

As I write this post, I’m counting down the hours until I head to suburban Chicago for NAPO 2018. From 2002 through 2017, I had the pleasure of attending my industry’s NAPO Conference and Expo each year. 2018, however, has brought quite a few new developments.

First, we’ve changed our name! We’re still NAPO, but our full name has changed from the National Association of Professional Organizers to the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. While personal and professional productivity (say that three times quickly!) has always been a huge part of the organizing process, it’s taken many decades to give that side of what we do the name-value attention it deserves.

Second, we’re learning not to hide our light under a bushel (because piling things atop other things just leads to clutter). Instead, we’ve been spreading the word about organizing far and wide. For example, you may have seen our current president (and my NAPO 2015 conference roommate) Ellen Rubin Delap and some of our colleagues on CBS Sunday Morning this past weekend, talking about why people are so greatly in need of organizing assistance and what we can do to help.

I’ve been trying to spread the word, too, such as with my guest post for the NAPO Get Organized blog, entitled In Checkbooks and Underwear Drawers: What Certified Professional Organizers Offer Our Clients. The goal was to make sure that everyone (the public, the media, aspiring professional organizers, veterans, etc.) understands why we professional organizers (including CPOs, like me) do what we do: for you, the client. We recognize the vulnerability you share when inviting us into your homes and offices, and we want to honor you with respect.

Third, at least for this year, our conference structure is changing. There’s no expo. That means that Paper Doll won’t be frantically running around the expo floor in order to learn about every new product on display. (Never worry, readers. This just means that I’ll be spending more time independently investigating the great organizing products on the horizon. If your company makes something novel in support of organizing or productivity, be sure to use the contact page to let me know about it!)

I should note while there is no formal expo, two of our beloved NAPO business partners will be in attendance as conference sponsors. So, I’m looking forward to seeing our friends at Smead, the source of so many past post-conference product reviews, and Brother, from whom I just bought my new laser printer for Paper Doll HQ, and from whom I’m hoping to learn more about the Cube, their Bluetooth-connected label printer.

Fourth, and finally, this year’s conference is envisioned as a retreat, with more focus on self-care, not just so that we professional organizers can balance our lives, but so that we can better help our clients achieve balance.

Sure, we’ve got our traditional educational workshops on ADHD, space planning, chronic disorganization, Quickbooks efficiency, and the myths surrounding multitasking. But this year’s conference has a real focus on the robust emotional side of what we do and what our clients need, with topics ranging from silencing self-doubt and creating better boundaries, to improving self-care (with a focus on better sleep), to Buddhist principles and “Yogic tools” for organizers needs. Gracious!

A retreat brings to mind a spa-like experience, and in addition to our classroom experiences, we’ll have opportunities to participate in yoga, learn belly dancing, and embrace mindfulness. I also always like the duality of the term “retreat” — it’s about taking a step back from the busy hum of everyday life, but it’s also a possibility to advance — advance my knowledge, my skills, and my ability to help readers and clients.

It doesn’t hurt that the conference/retreat is being held at the Q Center in St. Charles, Illinois. Not too shabby, eh?

I look forward to reporting to you on this year’s conference retreat. Until then, feel free to type “NAPO” or “expo” in the search box on the left side of my site to revel in the products and experiences of past NAPO conferences.