Hazel’s Organizing Stories

Organizing the Organizers: When colleagues are few and far between

By Hazel Thornton | March 21, 2013 |

Eight years ago I moved from Los Angeles, where there are hundreds of professional organizers and a thriving NAPO chapter, to Albuquerque, where there are seven of us. Well, there are a few more than seven, but I am referring specifically to our little group, PONM (Professional Organizers of New Mexico). When I was planning…

Does Progress Equal Happiness?

By Hazel Thornton | December 30, 2012 |

Last year I decided I wanted a mantra/slogan/motto/theme. Something that I could fall back on to keep me motivated and — dare I say it? — happy. As a fan of Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project (book and blog), I know that many things can contribute to one’s happiness, from kittens and rainbows and enjoyable…

Be Prepared: How Girl Scouts helped me get organized for life

By Hazel Thornton | September 9, 2012 |

It probably wouldn’t surprise you to learn that I was a Girl Scout. I started out as a Brownie and ended up working as a counselor at Girl Scout camps in the mountains of Idaho and Colorado as a young adult. I recently reconnected with some camp friends who reminded me how valuable the skills…

All I Really Need to Know About Organizing I Learned in Yoga

By Hazel Thornton | June 26, 2012 |

As a professional organizer I have found that yoga provides a perfect metaphor for the balance we are all seeking in our lives. Balance helps us organize our space, manage our time, and improve our relationships with ourselves and others. Here are 7 lessons I have learned from yoga class. They are all based on,…

What I Know For Sure: Oprah Really Gets It!

By Hazel Thornton | February 12, 2012 |

I am grateful to Oprah Winfrey for introducing professional organizers Julie Morgenstern and Peter Walsh to the world at large. She increased awareness of the benefits of getting organized, paving the way for organizers like me to help others and make a living doing what we love. I originally wrote this in 2011, about what has become O…