Another winner from JulieNovember 10, 2008 I love Julie Morgenstern's new book "When Organizing isn't Enough". Being a big fan of "Organizing from the Inside Out" and "Time Management from the Inside Out", I still felt like I could use some direction. This book was useful in getting me thinking about important things from a different angle. My life is a work in progress, and no one book is going to magically "cure" all the challenges, but this book is another tool to assist me in crafting a more purposeful life.
This book works - even for tough cases like me!October 20, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book works because the author more effectively deals with the psychological aspects of clutter and cleaning up - especially the pain of *gasp* actually getting rid of stuff.
What made the book so effective for me is the acknowledgment that some of our stuff isn't junk but rather hidden treasure. I was also able to forgive myself for the money "wasted" on some things because as the author said, the item served a purpose at the time I bought, but now I am in a different place in my life and I don't need it anymore.
You will probably get something different from the book - whatever it is that you need. But like me, you will find that this book really works (I have culled about 200 books from my collection so far).
Helped me out of my rut!October 1, 2008 6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I can't say enough about how great this book is! I had been in a rut for quite some time, and I didn't really know what to do next. Then I saw this book, and being a fan of Organizing from the Inside Out, I decided to give it a try, though I was kicking myself the whole way home from the bookstore because I bought "yet another" self-help book and I already had a ton of them. Thankfully I didn't listen to my reservations this time, because this is one of the best self-help books I have ever read.
I forced myself to work slowly through the process, reading one part, answering the questions and taking actions, then reading more. And now I stand back, looking at my clean house and schedule, and I have so much energy. Furthermore, I have tons of ideas for moving my life forward in new, exciting directions, things that never would have occurred to me with all of the obsolete clutter in my life.
As I mentioned, I had a bunch of self-help and organizational books (SHEDed those!!) and I felt this one helped me more for several key reasons: *Picking a "theme" for the next phase of my life. I had spent months agonizing over which career I wanted to do, to no avail, so picking a general theme and not having to make any specific decisions immediately helped me enormously. *Differentiating between "junk" and "obsolete stuff." My house was pretty much junk-free, but I had a lot of obsolete stuff. For example, I had a huge book "collection" (over 350 books), most brand new, that were still perfectly good, that I would never, even in two lifetimes, have enough time to read. SHEDing these books (keeping only the treasures) lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. Morgenstern also guides readers to reflect on why they have acquired the clutter they have, which was very helpful to me. When I reflected on why I had acquired so many books it was easier to get rid of them, and I don't think they will build up like that again. *Providing exercises after the fact. Most organizing books stop with a clean, organized house, but Morgenstern doesn't let readers off the hook that easy. She provides very helpful exercises for moving toward the life you imagined before and during SHEDing.
After reading this book and working though the process (which has taken me months) I actually feel "unstuck" and I have plenty of ideas for bringing my theme to life. I can't recommend this book highly enough; it's more than just a de-cluttering book, it's a life-changing book, giving you tips and techniques for getting out of the rut and propelling your life forward. Well done Julie!!
FYI: SHED ProfileSeptember 14, 2008 You need to join the online community in order to take the SHED Profile. (There is no visible way to get there from the SHED homepage...) It's then under "SHED Tools".
SHED your stuffSeptember 6, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
When Organizing Isn't Enough: SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life I never thought that organizing and getting rid of collected junk and treasures had some much to do with other matters. Once I read this book I was able to get right to work and finally had a clear understanding what needed to be kept and what didn't.
