Local Businesswoman Helps Organize Your Life
Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing
Photography Provided
Brittney Mickens, a busy mother of two and college student who works in human resources management, has never met a mess she wasn’t compelled to tackle. Decluttering spaces and making sense out of utter chaos is what Mickens does best. It’s a skill that has always come naturally to her.
“I’ve always been an organized person,” says Mickens, who decided in December of 2020 to use her skills to help others by opening a business called Organize Your Life. “I feel like when you’re organized, that makes life better. If things are intact, life is less stressful and that narrows down the anxiety.”
The idea came to her one day when she was helping her sister organize a space. It dawned on her that a lot of people struggle with disarray in their lives, not so much because they are lazy or unmotivated, but because they are overwhelmed and overtired. Often people see a messy room and throw up their hands, not knowing where to start.
The problem is that living with clutter can lead to depression and anxiety. According to Psychology Today, research shows that clutter can disrupt mental health. Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D., writes, “A collection of recent studies on stress, life satisfaction, physical health and cognition all speak to the value of streamlining.”
So it seems that Mickens’ services can help to not only improve the looks of a physical space, but also the inner workings of one’s mind. Mickens, who works with both residential and commercial clients, initially meets with people to learn what area they would like her to focus her efforts on. For homeowners, this often includes their closets, kitchen cabinets and children’s bedrooms. Commercial clients’ needs vary. For instance, she is currently working with staff members at a doctor’s office who have hired her to transition all of their paper charts to electronic files.
Some clients retain her on an ongoing basis, while others recruit her for a one-time service. For continuing clients, she returns quarterly to assess the situation and see if everything is still in order. If it’s not, she puts a system in place for order to be restored.
“Ongoing is what I love to do,” she says. “It’s one thing to get someone organized. It’s something else to keep the organization going.”
Mickens is empathetic to the challenges people face with keeping a space organized. She understands that life is tough, schedules are busy and that we only have a finite amount of energy in a day. That’s precisely where she comes in.
“I have a lot of clients who are on edge the first time I go into their homes because they really don’t want anybody to see what they have created,” she says. “I set their mind at peace by letting them know that I’m there to help them – that we are going to get a process in place and stick to it.”
Mickens has a 5-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son, both of whom have inherited their mom’s organizing gene.
“They really like to straighten their rooms, shoes and clothes,” says Mickens, whose best piece of advice for those who are overwhelmed by a project is to set aside just 30 minutes a day and dive in.
“Know that at the end of the tunnel, you will see light,” she says. “If you take it piece by piece, you’ll be able to set your mind free. Staying self-motivated is the main thing.”
Once Mickens has worked her magic, her clients typically feel a huge degree of relief. They tell her that she has not only changed their life, but also the lives of everyone else in the house. Others express appreciation when she finds an item that perhaps they haven’t laid eyes on in years.
“I love seeing the joy on their faces,” Mickens says. “I feel great changing their lives for the better.”
Mickens currently serves the Carmel, Fishers, Zionsville, Noblesville and Westfield areas, though she is looking to expand to expand into Avon, Brownsburg and Plainfield.
Organize Your Life LLC is located at 10255 Commerce Drive, Suite 150 in Carmel. To learn more or to book a consultation, call 317-719-4242 or email brittney@organizeyourlife.info.