Unclutter Your Life In One Week (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
As a professional organizer, I make a point to read a lot of books on organizing, but once I've read them, there are relatively few that I feel the need to keep in my personal library. Erin Doland's Unclutter Your Life in One Week is one of those books. It's five years old, but not dated. It's friendly and casual without being shallow, and well-researched without being dry. It's written from the perspective of someone who has been overwhelmed by disorganization and has found (and is now sharing) practical advice for getting through to the other side. And it doesn't presuppose that the reader has never heard of any of the general organizing concepts -- rather, it illustrates concepts in a lively way and motivates readers so they can go from the easy (understanding "that" a particular ritual or organizing practice should be taken up) to the difficult (encouraging them to actually do it).One of my favorite sections of Doland's book, which I share with my clients, is an early chapter on dealing with sentimental clutter. Doland combines first-hand experience with the difficulties of letting go with some academic research that explains, scientifically, WHY it's difficult and, more importantly, how to COUNTERACT those difficulties with strategic efforts. Basically, she knows that it's hard to purge the sentimental items that choke off the space, but combines the heart and head to get to your fingertips -- to get the work done. Doland's tone is one of straight-shooting advice from a close, no-nonsense friend. She can be funny, but she takes the topic seriously.I'm a fan of the way Doland has organized (heh) the book into task types by days of the week, to make the material manageable with three sections per day: morning, midday at work, evening. One part of home life is touched upon each weekday "morning" (wardrobe, bathroom, bedroom-to-commute, living spaces, scheduling); for the mid-day "work" category, Doland focuses on workspace and productivity -- office, files, communication, time management and routines; the evening brings the concepts back to the home -- "reception" (entry areas), chores, kitchen/dining areas, home office and living with clutterers. Doland saves the weekend sections for special organizing issues like self-care, travel, personal time management and relationships, and finishes the book off with tangible and digital resources. With this system, she's divided and conceptualized the areas of life to follow the flow of life.(As someone who specializes in paper organizing and management, I'm particularly impressed with Doland's attention to Tuesday "afternoon" and dealing with paper, files, sorting, scanning and protecting systems. With limited space, she covered the essentials without being cursory, and identified clearly how to approach and tackle each task.)The book is practical; it focuses more on holding attention (to drive activity) than emotional hand-holding. (Readers needing deeper help with ADHD, depression and other underlying causes of disorganization will want to combine the advice in this book with other support.) No self-help book can be all things to all readers -- this book will work best for people who are generally self-directed, who want to find that path from overwhelmed to mastery over the lives, and who are willing to attempt to make changes. Doland doesn't assume all readers have the same resources (financial, emotional, intellectual, relational, etc.) and skills (household, technological, interpersonal) but presents solutions and alternatives from which readers can choose in order to improve space, time, materials, head and heart.Unclutter Your Live in One week is a great purchase if you need to dig out from under, but it would also be a superior gift for a new graduate, to help create and maintain the essential skills and systems for being a functioning grownup. This book is excellent for someone who just fell off a truck and has no idea how to get their lives together. Or a hoarder. She has some great ideas, but takes many things to the extreme. She does acknowledge this though, and I respect that she knows her crazy. Many of her ideas I've already incorporated into my life without realizing that they were hers or really somethin someone would consider "organized." A lot of her advice seems common sense, but there are poor soles out there that don't know how to use email efficiently or that doing things regularly makes life run smoother. I will take some of her ideas to use. A reception station, sure- in my next home if I have a space. Cut back on linens- absolutely. Get rid of single use items, of course. But having nothing on a table or shopping daily, no thank you. I had set out hoping to find ways to better incorporate my new baby's possessions into my home without feeling overrun. Didn't quite get there, but I like Erin's style.
What do You think about Unclutter Your Life In One Week (2009)?
A worthwhile read, and a great guide to clearing out both your physical and psychological space.
—dejavutwice
A should-read book on how to be productive in your job as your manage your career.
—Faru
"Throw Out 50 Things" is more fun, better written, and overall more helpful.
—16466489388
A little bit unrealistic, but some good ideas nonetheless. :)
—Josh52
