How it all began…
January is the annual Get Organized (GO) Month sponsored by the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (formerly called the National Association of Professional Organizers—NAPO.net). This special event is dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of hiring a professional organizer and/or a productivity consultant.
It all began back in 1988 when Paulette Ensign first proposed the idea for an annual NAPO-sponsored holiday. As often happens with trailblazing ideas, the thought was acknowledged but not acted upon immediately. Three years later, Susan Lannis, unaware of Paulette’s idea, became interested in the use of holidays as a public relations tool after coming across an article about Clean Off Your Desk Day (the first Monday in January). She rallied NAPO-Oregon to comb through Chase’s Annual Events looking for days appropriate for marketing campaigns.
Not long after, Rick Allen, a Connecticut organizer serving on the NAPO Board of Directors in charge of chapter development, sent out a questionnaire asking chapters for any suggestions they would like him to present to the Board. Susan put in a proposal to create Get Organized Week. It was approved and adopted by NAPO in December 1991.
NAPO headquarters developed materials to assist members with the promotion of the first GO Week held in October 1992. Nancy Black, a Massachusetts organizer, completed an application to have the week listed in Chase’s Annual Events beginning the following year.
Manufacturers and retailers became interested and joined forces with NAPO to sponsor this event. Companies such as Hallmark Cards and DayTimer featured GO Week prominently in their press releases and on their promotional material. Interest continued to expand exponentially from major corporations, with GO Week featured on the cover of a 20th Century Plastics catalog and in a national promotional campaign launched by Microsoft.
NAPO members should consider the boost in their own business as they establish this event within their marketing materials and PR efforts. Getting organized is one of the top 10 New Year’s resolutions made by Americans year after year. Join forces with colleagues and ride the wave!
