The other day I lifted out the final stack of paper from a box we were working through and there it was… Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern. My client had a sheepish grin on her face. Organizing books are a common find in my clients’ homes and offices. There’s some great information out there and today I’d like to share my top three favorites (in no particular order), what they have to offer, and how you can get the most out of them.
TIMELY TIPS - book reviews
Organizing From the Inside Out by, Julie Morgenstern
One of the cool things that gives credence to this book is that Morgenstern now has an organizing empire, but she wasn't born naturally organized. Her whole premise is that if she could learn to be organized, so can you! The book has four parts including perspectives on organizing and how to create a plan. She goes into detail about how to organize every room in your house, office, and even car. The book ends with a section on time and technology.
I love the charts, bullets, and extras like “Insider Tips.” It’s very comprehensive and user-friendly. Once you’ve read parts one and two, you can pick an area or room you want to start with and go straight to that chapter. Morgenstern’s advice on where to start, “Pick the space you either spend the majority of your time in, find the most irritating in terms of clutter, or that’s keeping you from reaching your personal or professional goals.”
Organizing for the Creative Person by Dorothy Lehmkuhl and Delores Cotter Lamping, C.S.W.
If you’re creative and find getting and/or staying organized a challenge, this book's for you! Chapter titles include “Creative Ways to Schedule Your Work,” “To Keep or Not to Keep,” and “Plowing a Path Through Personal Papers.” The book is full of relatable real-life examples. Each chapter ends with a list of the most important points. So helpful!
Lamping’s experience as a psychotherapist brings insight into the challenges we face, “We repeatedly tell ourselves we’ll ‘get around to it soon,’ though we know full well that we’ll always be able to think of something better to do.” Their practical strategies help those who resist conventional organizing. More words of wisdom from their book-- “Clutter expands to fill the areas allowed for its reception,” and "the fewer items you have, the less time it will take you to manage them.”
It's All Too Much by, Peter Walsh
Peter Walsh says, “This book is for people who are overwhelmed, trapped, suffocating beneath their stuff. This book is for people who think cleaning up is a waste of time, but spend whole weeks of their lives looking for their keys.” While practical and applicable, Walsh’s book also speaks to the emotional aspect of organizing. Part One helps you evaluate your circumstances, set priorities, and cast vision. “As soon as you calculate the cost of clutter, you’ll realize that it’s not worth holding on to things… because of what they’re worth. Remember to think in terms of the life you want to live and the vision you have for your home,” says Walsh.
Part Two is straight talk, with a little humor, on how to get it done. “I have never been able to understand the urge to cover a bedroom floor with yesterday’s socks, underwear, and jeans. Consider what you want from your bedroom and then ask yourself if dirty clothes on the floor are part of that plan. I didn’t think so,” writes Walsh. For each area he outlines organizing strategies and provides helpful “Reality Checks.”
You might remember Walsh from his TLC hit series Clean Sweep. My claim to fame was when he sat next to me in a workshop at a National Association of Professional Organizers conference! Despite his success, he’s a very down to earth person. I love his book, but I must admit, I’m a bit more gentle with my clients than he was on his show.
It's All Too Much Workbook
It's All Too Much DVD version available for purchase on YouTube
MAKE IT HAPPEN!
MAKE IT HAPPEN with small group conference calls!
Do you need an extra boost to put into practice what you read? I'm offering four one-hour small group conference calls that will provide just the right amount of support, accountability, and guidance to keep you on task. This is a nonjudgemental zone where you can freely share and be challenged and encouraged to persevere and see results. We'll use the It's All Too Much Workbook as our text with the following schedule (every other Tuesday evening 7-8 pm PST):
Session 1 (April 18) Setting the Stage (Chapters 1-3)
Session 2 (May 2) You Pick One Area (from Chapters 4-7)
Session 3 (May 16) You Pick One Area (from Chapters 8-12)
Session 4 (May 30) Sustaining Your Success (Chapters 13-16)
To Participate:
Email info@organizedbychoice or call 559-871-3314 for more info and registration
Payment due by April 1st (Cost: $65 for the four sessions)
Purchase your own It's All Too Much Workbook
Work through chapters 1-3 prior to Session 1 - April 18th
Limited space available
wise words
Theory is splendid but until put into practice, it is valueless. -James Cash Penney
I would love you for you to join me (and Peter by book) for the MAKE IT HAPPEN Conference Calls! If that doesn't work out, before you get on Amazon and order an organizing book, consider if you’re willing to schedule time to read and apply its contents. Otherwise, when it arrives on your doorstep, you might as well put it at the bottom of a box of papers and call me! ( ;