We are organizers. We are change-makers. And yes, we are women.
When I started Room Redefined, I didn’t do it with just organization on my mind. I wanted to have a role in changing society’s narrative that women should do it all. One of our core beliefs is that we reject the notion that women should be able to manage it all, instead, we value doing what we do best so our clients can focus on what they do best.
For decades, society has embraced and promoted the narrative that women should be “super humans” – excelling in our careers, in raising our families, and in maintaining our homes and ourselves. These are the visuals that flood our social media feeds each and every day. But I think we can all admit, this never-ending pursuit of perfection is exhausting, and if we’re being honest, not easy without support.
The Path to Burnout
This narrative – that women should do it all, and do it well – has created a culture of burnout. Burnout doesn’t just come from being tired, it comes from working to meet unrealistic expectations over a period of time. It’s physical and psychological. Think about a woman in your life who is also a parent. Take a moment to think about all the roles and responsibilities she has to juggle every day. As Isabelle Roskam so directly put it, “Society asks a mother to raise her child as if she had no job, to work as if she had no children, and the look like a woman who has no children and no job.” With expectations like these and a normalized societal narrative of women doing it all, it’s no wonder higher rates of burnout, especially in women and parents, are being experienced.
We are stuck in a cycle of proving our worth as a gender while still having to fight the narratives, pressures, and expectations of society. Rarely do we allow ourselves to seek support so we can focus on what we, not society, want. But we can change the narrative; and that starts with finding the right partners in this process: enablers that offer support so you can do what you do best.
Follow what You Choose
That’s where we come in. Room Redefined wants to help change society’s narrative that says we should be able to “do it all and do it well.” We all have unique paths that we want to follow. It could be focusing on your career, building a family, or taking care of your personal and mental health. No matter your path, we should all have the privilege to follow what we choose. We should have others in our lives that help clear the way for us to succeed on these paths and do our very best. Room Redefined helps clear the way to for clients to succeed. We are enablers.
Our work as professional organizers isn’t just to get your space to work better for you. It’s to take away the stress of yet another item on life’s always growing “To Do List.” We’re here to listen to you, give personalized attention to your space, and give you support so you can get back to what you do best – whatever it may be.
Room Redefined strives to help other women feel comfortable with the notion that we are all stronger when we give up the “superwoman complex” and instead work together to accomplish our goals. At Room Redefined, we are focused on taking some of those obligations off your plate. We are your partner. We promise to provide judgement-free assistance and personalized spaces so you feel empowered to take control. We’re here to give the support you need to continue to change the narratives in your life and the lives of others.
Room Redefined seeks to change lives by improving how we function in our spaces at home, at work, or at school while changing society’s narrative of “having to do it all” along the way.
Should You do it All?
Yes, women can do it all. But why should we have to? And what can we do about it?
We can change the narrative. We can allow ourselves to seek support where we need it – in our homes, offices, classrooms, anywhere. We can tell ourselves that not only do we not need to do it all, we shouldn’t do it all. We should spend our time and focus on the things that we say matter most to us not on what society tells us should matter most.
So, let’s work together and change the narrative. Let’s remove the burdens and expectations that tell us we shouldn’t need support to do it all. Let’s use enablers to help clear the way so we can focus on what we do best.
Erin Gaskins is owner of Room Redefined, a professional organizing company based in Denver, Colorado. After 25 years in public education, Erin decided to put her passion for organizing to work in the service of others and entered the entrepreneurship journey. Five years later, Room Redefined stands out in their dedication to offering customized organizing services to homeowners, businesses, and schools. She and her company are strongly committed to the work of changing society’s narrative- helping other women feel comfortable with the notion that we are all stronger when we give up the “superwoman complex” and work together to accomplish our goals!