Over the last few weeks, I've shared my advice for getting organized for attending conferences, both in terms of time and space, so I felt like I'd be remiss if I didn't clarify that careful adherence to the principles of organization doesn't prevent travel catastrophes. It just makes them less catastrophic.

First, the airline experience last week was as bad as you've heard. Despite Herculean efforts, many of my EXTREMELY organized colleagues never made it to Reno, thanks to American Airlines' grounding of thousands of flights for maintenance and inspection issues. But dangerous weather in the Midwest, the FAA scandals in general, and a sad goodbye to three airlines last week--ATA, Skybus and Aloha (pun intended?) -- on top of the usual security nightmares, made all of us who did make it to the conference all the most excited to be there.

I survived six flights (three each way, Chattanooga to Atlanta to Los Angeles to Reno and back again), lost luggage (in both directions, including to Salt Lake City, an airport through which I wasn't even traveling!), one expedited landing due to a medical emergency on board, and five flights delayed by an hour or (much) more, including one in 100+ degree heat due to a failed piece of equipment called "Smart Cart". (I imagine that anything leaving shrieking babies and sleep-deprived professional organizers in a sauna for 90 minutes is an unlikely item to be deemed "smart".)

Preparation helped. In my plastic portfolio, tucked neatly in my carry-on, I had my entire flight itinerary typed on one page, with my contact information, the hotel address and phone number, a description of my bag (make, size, etc.). While others in my queue stood searching photo arrays and filling out forms, I merely turned over my extra copy of this documentation and was done in mere minutes...my luggage (eventually) was hand-delivered to me with minimal fuss. Had the luggage been lost entirely, I also had a copy of my packing list in case I'd needed to itemize my losses. (Another copy was in the suitcase to later ensure I didn't leave the hotel room without any possessions). Another page had all my colleague's contact numbers, in case I found myself stranded and in need of their internet assistance, which indeed, I did.

But conference was wonderful, from the social perspective of seeing colleagues from as far away as Africa and New Zealand, to the learning opportunities from breakout sessions and some large and small scale interaction with special conference guest Peter Walsh (of Clean Sweep and Oprah fame).

Walsh's comments have been resonating with me, especially as my jet-lagged body dragged through concourses near and far. He talked about the same things that we professional organizers try to communicate with our clients, that "organization is a path to incredible freedom".

Moreover, just as virtual assistants aren't "just" about getting the tasks done but freeing their clients to focus on their unique capabilities, and web designers aren't "just" designing, but optimizing the opportunities of their clients to communicate more clearly and reach more of their potential audience members and coaches aren't "just" talking, but helping their clients achieve their own enlightenment, professional organizers aren't "just" about clearing the clutter. We're all, every one of us in our individual professions and geographic areas, trying to make a difference in the world.

In his keynote presentation, Peter Walsh encouraged us to CHANGE THE WORLD, something echoed throughout the beliefs of many, many disparate cultures, reflected widely from Judaism's philosophy of Tikkun Olam (or "repair the world") to Mahatma Gandhi's statement that "We must be the change we wish to see in the world."

I believe we must organize ourselves (our spaces, time, and thoughts) so that we can be the change we wish to see in the world. We can bring our visions to fruition, but it requires the clarity that comes from knowing where the resources are (and knowing it more specifically than "under those piles...or maybe those other ones") and having a sense of focus based in confidence that we are where we are supposed to be when we are supposed to be there.

As I recover from my jet lag, I'd love to pop back here and read how you use (or strive to use) your own organizing skills to help you make the changes in your worlds and our collective world.

--
Julie Bestry, Certified Professional Organizer®
Best Results Organizing
"Don't apologize. Organize!"
organize@juliebestry.com
Visit http://www.juliebestry.com to save time and money, reduce stress and increase your productivity

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