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It's about time! Julie Morgenstern has written an organizing book that covers a new way of looking at the task of organizing effectively without labeling or blaming the person behind the lack of organization. Rather, she says, people who don't organize just never learned how to organize, through no fault of their own--after all, it's not a skill that's taught in school. That said, she gets down to work helping you figure out an organizing system that will really work for you, not a system based on cookie-cutter filing concepts or special storage units.
Morgenstern's "from the inside out" system begins by laying out the possible reasons for a failure of organization: technical errors (like having a complex organizing system that breaks down), external realities (like not enough space for your belongings), and psychological obstacles (like fear of failure--or success). Then, her Analyze and Strategize steps help create a plan of action based on your needs and goals, and the brief chapter called "Attack: Getting the Job Done" offers basic ideas for making space. The largest section of the book, "Applying What You've Learned," addresses the specifics of organizing workspaces, home offices, living spaces, and storage areas. Each section has a "How Long Will It Take?" box that gives a realistic time estimate, and Morgenstern's "Julie's No-Brainer Toss List" for each area gives the permission and encouragement that most of us have been waiting for to get rid of things we'll never use again. The section at the end, "Tackling Time and Technology," is worth its weight in DayTimers and PalmPilots. Whatever your organizing issues are, you're not a hopeless case, and you don't need special equipment--just a little understanding of the problem and a willingness to plan before diving in.
Book Description
A completely revised and expanded edition of the New York Times bestselling guide to putting things in order Getting organized is a skill that anyone can learn, and there's no better teacher than America's organizing queen, Julie Morgenstern, as hundreds of thousands of readers have learned. Drawing on her years of experience as a professional organizer, Morgenstern outlines a simple organizing plan that starts with understanding your individual goals, natural habits, and psychological needs, so that you can work with your priorities and personality rather than against them. The basic steps-Analyze, Strategize, Attack-can be applied to any space or situation. In this thoroughly revised edition, Morgenstern has incorporated new information in response to feedback from her clients and audiences. These changes include- new chapters on living or working with someone who is disorganized- new chapters on organizing photographs, handbags, briefcases, and travel bags- an expanded program for organizing your kitchen- a new guide to getting started- a fully updated resource guide
Customer Reviews:
Organizing from the Inside out -2nd ed........2007-09-23
This book is very helpful to get a home and life organized. I like the way it is separated into specific areas and the specific directions to get that area in order. The directions and suggestions are easy to understand and use. The second edition is larger and contains a section I really needed to use - that of organizing photographs.
Very good Reading.......2007-09-15
I really enjoyed reading this book and usually this type of book can be a little dull. It was very motivating and she didn't just tell you to throw all your stuff out. She gave good advice on how to organize the things you have and want to keep. She also had a way of not sounding judgemental of people just because they had a problem of keeping everything.
Organized - not neat.......2007-08-14
One of the most important points in Organizing from the Inside Out is that being organized is not the same thing as being neat. If you want your house to look neat, you can shove everything under the bed and in the closets. Being organized means knowing where everything is and having it conveniently located to where you need it. Julie Morgenstern divides the process of getting organized into a few important steps:
1. Sort. Before you start throwing things away, figure out what all ended up in that drawer or closet. Put it in piles and put labels on the piles. This will help you figure out how to make a home for everything and/or how to make sure it doesn't end up there again. If you just throw all the trash away, that closet will most likely collect trash again.
2. Purge. Now you can throw away all that junk.
3. Attack. This is the figure out where it's all going to go. Think where it will be most helpful and easiest to keep organized. If all your books end up by the sofa, don't put them away in the office upstairs. Put a basket or a bookshelf next to the sofa.
4. Containerize. Measure everything, figure out what kind of containers would work best and then go buy them. Not before! Put nice labels on everything so the whole family knows what goes where.
5. Equalize. Spend five minutes every day putting things back in their place.
She makes a good point that people that like to organize usually end up in one of two categories:
* Those that like to purge. (This would be me. Learned from my mom.)
* Those that like to containerize. I know lots of these - they like to buy containers and shelves and things. More gadgets to hold the junk says the purger.
Skip the chapter on technology. She is obviously not a heavy computer or gadget user.
Love this book, but I'm surprised she doesn't stress purging stuff more.......2007-07-14
First off, let me say I loved this book, got a lot of ideas from it, and use it constantly as a reference. She is a great writer, and really explored some new concepts. Do I think it could have gone a little more in-depth? Yes. What surprised me is that while she did touch on the subject of getting rid of excess clutter, she really didn't push. People will have a lot less to organize if they lose such an emotional attachment to their stuff. Maybe she didn't want to take the chance on offending some of the more hard-core pack rats, and didn't want to use "tough love". But I personally felt that she could have added some more about overcoming the emotional attachment people have to things they no longer need or use. Other than that, this is top-notch, with great websites at the end of the book to help get you organized.
Brilliant Read.......2007-07-04
Who would have thought that looking at a kindergarten class room you could organize your whole life?! This book is great. I have read a few organizational books that have left no impression on me, and then I read this one. It is great - it does not tell you to throw out 80% of what you own and then organize the remaining 20%, it actually tells you how to organize everything you own. Not only that it looks into the deeper issues of what's stopping you getting organized in the first place, which then helps ensure that you will stay organized after all the hard work. The book can be read from cover to cover or you can skip to whatever section you think you need to work on first.
Book Description
The nine habits of highly organized people
Organizing consultant Kathy Waddill demonstrates how the simple act of being organized can improve your quality of life. In The Organizing Sourcebook, she presents nine organizing principles that can easily be applied to any situation, activity, or environment. The book gives you the tools for managing time; decreasing stress; and dealing with cultural, personal, and emotional change. Case histories illustrate how each strategy solved a specific problem.
Customer Reviews:
Strategies Crucial To Organizing Success.......2007-07-15
Kathy has done a great job defining 9 strategies import to organizing. She begins with understanding your environment and the challenges currently in your life and then teaches the steps necessary for thining out your belongs, setting your environment up to be successful, and the strategies to maintain it.
Common Sense Strategies.......2007-01-10
I found this book easy to read (although, a little repetitious) and the strategies outlined in the book are highly useful to get and stay organized. The book is full of examples stories, including sevearl short ones and one Full-blown-crisis, in each Chapter(strategy). The story format can be motivating if happen to see yourself in one of them. However, the story format may be boring if you are looking for specific tips on organizing.
The strategies are useful whether you are completely disorganized or evenly mildly disorganized. Quiz type questions at the back can help identify which strategy or strategies are giving you trouble, and you go from there. Since sustaining a good system seems to be the most difficult part, this review section will be useful for quick refresher if things start piling up again.
My opinion is that this book paired with another that outlines specific tips would be more useful than this book alone. (And I plan to get another, after I check out some more reviews:)
My personal experience with this book - most of what I read was common sense type stuff, and after reading, I realized I'm not as dis-organized as I though I was! The sections on sorting and weeding highlight that keeping something just because you "paid good money for it", or because "you might need it someday" are NOT good reasons to fill your valuable space with useless items. In the back of mind, I knew this, but hearing it from an outsider, gave me the extra push I needed. I went through every closet in my house, and had a much easier time tossing or donating things. I admit I had let myself grieve over a few sentimental items, but it feels great to have the space back. I'm moving on to living spaces and organizing my time better now that the storage spaces are is in order.
Disappointment..........2006-08-21
I certainly agree with some of the reviewers: the book is boring; reading long, useles stories is just time consuming. It is not supposed to be a momoir: it should be a MANUAL "how to organize your life". You cannot learn it from a book which is, in many ways, not very well organized.
Good Organizing Advice.......2006-08-15
Some things to think about from this book:
*If things are too hard to put back, they usually just stay out.
*Have a place for everything so you can keep everything
in its place.
*Store things as close to their point of use as possible.
*The more steps it takes to do something, the less likely
it is to get done.
You can read the first chapter if you go to the author's website.
just ok.......2006-08-07
The book is based on stories from the authors clients. It was ok but I was getting bored with all the stories.
Book Description
You're no idiot, of course. You fold your laundry and put each article of clothing where it belongs, stack dishes in your dishwasher so they won't clank together, and keep all of your bills in a drawer by the microwave. But when it comes to finding your beloved blue shirt, your favorite cereal bowl, and your electric bill when you need them, you feel like it would be easier to organize a posse than organize your stuff. Don't call the cavalry yet! The Complete Idiot's Guide to Organizing Your Life, Second Edition helps you build the skills you need to hold everything together and stay in control of your life--even in the cyber-dominated 21st century. In this completely revised and updated Complete Idiot's Guide, you get:
Customer Reviews:
Actually quite good, overall, if a bit too broad in focus.......2007-07-30
Let me first say briefly that I don't care for the "Complete Idiot's ...." series name. It's one thing to be called a "Dummy" by another popular series, but a "complete idiot" is taking it a step too far, at least for me. So why did I pick up the book and read it? Well, frankly, most of the other titles available looked a bit too dry, and this was cheap.
In spite of my prejudices against the book, the first four chapters really impressed me, particularly the foundational discussions that analyze what role "stuff" plays in our lives and why we become bound to "stuff." This section of the book cut pretty deeply. As a matter of fact, I should go back and reread it every year or so.
The middle sections of the book dealing with actual organizational techniques, were in my opinion good but only average. I read a couple other organizational books at the same time as this book, as well as many web sites, and found that there is a lot of common wisdom about organization that is expressed in different words, but is more or less equal. However, if you really need this book, then it's likely that you need a plan to be laid out for you, even if it is only common sense. After all, not all recipes are amazingly creative, but we still need to follow a recipe!
Toward the end, the book includes chapters on organizing your taxes, your finances, your pet supplies, your vactions, etc. This is where I more or less lost interest. It's also the primary reason this is a four star (maybe three and a half) rather than a five star review. I've no doubt that these chapters may help some readers. However, if you just want to organize your "stuff," then you may be left wishing for more advice on organizing general THINGS and less advice on organizing specific items such as vacations and taxes.
Very helpful with organization.......2007-04-07
This is an excellent book. It helps you put together a plan to get started. I just got rid of 30 bags of stuff I didn't need. Nice and refreshing. It has helped me with my shopping problem. I highly recommend this book.
Happy.......2007-02-17
Book looks like it is what I want. Received it in good time and excelle nt condition. Thanks so much. KA
This book changed my life, literally........2006-02-04
With all the harsh reviews of this book, I had to put my two cents in. All my life, I had kept everything because I was so sentimental. Any little thing I was given, no matter if it was useful or not, was to be kept. I spent most of my teenage years perenally cleaning my room. It's not that I was a slob persay, but that I didn't have enough room to keep everything put away neatly. So it overflowed into my attic.. which was a mess as well.
When I went to college, the clutter came with me. Finally, the summer of my freshman year, I saw this book (2nd edition I think), in a bookstore and picked it up. I can honestly say it was a Godsend. Georgene Lockwood gave simple advice for dealing with the clutter that had taken over my life. It took me all summer to put everything in order. I had to get over the "attachment" I had to each item. I followed Lockwood's common sense approach for cleaning out each room, and closet. I gave things to friends, charities, had yard sales. For the first time in my life, I started to keep a filing system following the principles put forth in this book. I learned what chores I should do, and how often to keep the house cleaner. Now I have my own home, and it may not be perfect, but the amount of clutter is very low, and pretty much everything has a system.
The straight forward style of writing may be intimidating to those who aren't ready to make a life change. It's kinda like dieting, you have to be ready to change. If you're willing to make a change and strictly follow the steps in this book, you'll be all set.
dissapointed..........2005-10-05
ive read over 10 guides in this vien. this one's an overall dry read. i know my review's harsh but its the truth.
Book Description
Your personal consultant for creating the perfect home work space Here is all the information you need to create a comfortable, efficient home office custom designed to meet your personal and professional needs. In this book, architect and home office design expert Neal Zimmerman shows you how to plan, design, and equip the home office that's right for you. He helps you decide when to do the work yourself and when to hire professionals; and his numerous floor plans, photos, and examples provide countless design ideas and solutions to virtually every problem you encounter. This practical and inspiring guide provides
- Clear, step-by-step instructions for planning, organizing, and designing your home office space
- Simple tools for controlling costs and ensuring that you get the results you want
- Extensive coverage of workstation design
- Hundreds of photos, floor plans, and drawings to inspire the imagination and solve problems
- A broad range of design options to fit every budget
- Surveys of equipment, furnishings, and accessories available to help make your home office a better organized, more comfortable place to work
- Guidelines for those who are considering extensive renovations
- A section on planning for the desktop video era
- Charts, diagrams, planning methods, and inventory sheets to streamline the planning and design process
Customer Reviews:
Mostly Obsolete Info.......2005-12-01
I was sadly disappointed in this book. I was looking for lots of photos of typical home offices from which I could get ideas from. Instead, I got lots of pictures of dated commercial computer and home office furniture from the 1990s that are no longer germaine to the more modern, compact computer equipment and peripherals of the 21st century.
The book did briefly discuss office layout at its most basic level, but only in the most generic sense. I think the largest section was on out-of-date office furniture and ergonomic chairs.
Very disappointing.......2005-06-21
I had hoped for the promised "hundreds of photos, floor plans, and drawings to inspire..." but instead got a book with grainy black and white photos of office equipment and individual pieces, with woefully few design layouts or floorplans to consider. If you are looking for an interminable discussion of chairs and lighting, then perhaps you won't be disappointed, but if you are looking for DESIGN, you will be very disappointed.
The ultimate.......2001-12-08
This is the ultimate book for planning an office at home. These practical suggestions will inform and inspire. The examples pictured spaces are so inviting, you'll enjoy looking at this book even if you work elsewhere! Highly recommended.
Useful if you're starting from scratch.......1999-01-21
Lots of good suggestions for the bewildered home office novice. New ideas for the seasoned office dweller as well. See also ERGONOMIC LIVING for some truly surprising insights on this subject.
Book Description
Use this complete time/space management system to operate your home office efficiently and productively. Don't waste precious time searching for lost files and misplaced paperwork. Stay focused and avoid distractions while balancing your work and family life.
Customer Reviews:
Basic manual to get you started.......2003-07-01
For those who have made the switch to working at home this book is directed to organizing your home office so it actually functions as a business. "Organizing Your Home Business" addresses a lot of the little things that may make or break your business if you don't do them right. At a minimum they help to make the business run more as a business and less as a hobby. First she addresses the creation of a useful workspace including what you should consider before deciding where to work and how to organize it for efficiency.
One of the problems that most people don't think much about is the problem of office supplies. How much do you purchase? Where do you store them until needed? What supplies need a monitoring system so you know when you are running low and which ones don't need to be watched as closely? One of the biggest problems that I have seen in this area is printer ink. There's nothing like having to stop what you are doing, run out to a store, and get another printer cartridge so you can finish getting something out today. If you let your supplies determine your schedule you will find yourself frantically trying to get everything done.
The rest of the book deals primarily with organizing paperwork, creating a daily planner, home filing systems, how to handle incoming information so it is addressed efficiently, organizing receipts, time management, and even ways to turn your car into a home office if that is what you need. If you have minimal experience with office management then "Organizing Your Home Business" is a good place to start gaining an understanding of the details of organizing a home business.
For even the more experienced home office based entrepreneur.......2002-10-05
Organizing Your Home Business: Arrange Your Home Office For Maximum Productivity by home office expert, business consultant and public speaker Lisa Kanarek, is a solid written, "user friendly" guide to managing time and space in a home office for maximum efficiency. Step-by-step instructions and guidelines for setting one's own hours, tricks for saving space, troubleshooting, learning computerized record keeping, dealing with the IRS, staying organized, balancing work life and home life, creating a "car office kit", and much, much more fill this extremely practical and useful guide. Organizing Your Home Business is very highly recommended for novice home workers, and has a great deal of value for even the more experienced home office based entrepreneur.
Calm, at last, and still!.......2002-08-26
As an adult with ADD, I am so thankful I found this book in 1999! That was pre-diagnosis and it made life in my home office so much easier! It is still on the shelf right above my file cabinet and is referred to when needed to refresh my memory. Lisa Kanarek puts forth a readable, practical book that is easy to follow. Her basic home office supplies on p. 56 was especially helpful as were her sample categories for filing receipts on p. 162.
The book is a must have!
A guide you will refer to time and time again.......1999-12-23
Whether you telecommute or have a home business, this book is a must read. Full of how to's for office planning, set-up, and maintainenance, this is a guide you will refer to time and time again.
Lisa Kanarek has provided effective and practical tips for creating an office at home. Her general organizing revelations are right on target:
* being a neatnik is not the same thing as being organized, * don't label any of your files "miscellaneous" or you'll spend wasted time trying to find lost documents * you don't have to be born organized to become organized - Learn how by using Kanarek's "4 Keys to Organization".
It's like having a professional organizer right by your side, every step of the way throughout the home office organizing process. With Kanrek's basic "toss or keep" questions for getting organized, storage and space-saving tips, and formulas for increased performance, Organizing Your Home Office for Success is a staple to add to any home office supply list.
Inspired me to take charge of my office.......1999-10-15
Good book. Of course it has stuff we all know about - 'a place for everything, and everything in it's place', but how many of us actually practise what we know? When i finished this book, the organization demon took over and I finished organizing my office in one sitting. I liked the idea of having everything you need in a circle around you and questioning whether you really need something, else tossing it out - essential for a pack-rat like me.
Book Description
Family and household organizational tips are the focus here. Patricia Katz has created a helpful, humorous and practical guide to help you balance housekeeping, family and personal obligations. With her good sense and great sense of humor, Patricia shows us how to take care of the essentials, get more out of life and expand our personal choices. See also, Work Tips.
6" x 9"; fully illustrated; perfect bound
Average customer rating:
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Organizing Your Home Office for Success (Audio Cassettes)
Lisa Kanarek
Manufacturer: Viewmark
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
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ASIN: 0964347008 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from City Limits, published by City Limits Community Information Service, Inc. on February 1, 2003. The length of the article is 5170 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: A room of one's own: When your tiny home turns out to be prey for a destructive real estate scam, what do you do? Launch the biggest tenant organizing drive Harlem has seen in a generation.
Author: Matt Pacenza
Publication:
City Limits (Refereed)
Date: February 1, 2003
Publisher: City Limits Community Information Service, Inc.
Volume: 28
Issue: 2
Page: 15(7)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
Three Steps to Organizing Your Child's Room walks readers through decluttering, sorting, and creating functional areas that reflect the interests of their children. Also included are tips on storing school papers and artwork, maintaining the system, and using space efficiently.
Books:
- PATH, THE: CREATING YOUR MISSION STATEMENT FOR WORK AND FOR LIFE
- Peak Performance: Business Lessons from the World's Top Sports
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- Proposals That Work: A Guide for Planning Dissertations and Grant Proposals (Proposals That Work: A Guide for Planning)
- Proposals That Work: A Guide for Planning Dissertations and Grant Proposals (Proposals That Work: A Guide for Planning)
- Proust, Marcel Remembrance Things Past(boxed
- Real Simple Solutions: Tricks, Wisdom and Easy Ideas to Simplify Everyday
- Russell Kirk: A Critical Biography of a Conservative mind
- Secrets of Power Persuasion: Everything You'll Ever Need to Get Anything You'll Ever Want
- Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples
Books Index
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Time Management From the Inside Out
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The Organizing Sourcebook : Nine Strategies for Simplifying Your Life
Organizing Plain and Simple: A Ready Reference Guide with Hundreds of Solutions to Your Everyday Clutter Challenges
