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The Organized Heart: A Woman's Guide to Conquering Chaos
Disorganized? You don’t need more rules, the latest technique, or a new gadget. The fight against chaos is universal, whether it be the outward chaos of disorder and frenzy or the inward chaos of fear and self-criticism. Even if we already know how to do better, something falls apart between our good intentions and getting it done. Most books on organization just add more rules to your life, whether it be another plan, another calendar, or another method. This book will show you a different, better way that is grounded in the grace of God. The Organized Heart focuses on four areas of common difficulty for Perfectionism, Busyness, Possessions, and Leisure. Jesus taught that true change doesn’t come by the addition of more rules, but from the inside out, with a change of the heart that only the gospel can bring. When you identify the heart problems behind the chaos in your life, lasting change can happen. This will not only reduce the stress in your life, but help you be more effective in your service to God.
108 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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229 people want to read
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September 19, 2011
In this book, Staci Eastin attempts to diagnose why we have a hard time maintaining order -- not by looking for techniques, but by examining our hearts. This is the right place to look, but also a tricky place to go.
While most books on household organization or cleaning presume that it is a lack of skill or knowledge that causes clutter and chaos, this book looks toward motivation. Instead of focussing on the doing, it provides a call to examine our hearts. She probes different sinful motivations: pride, fear, envy, self-indulgence.
The author takes a dangerous road and is bold enough to call our problem sin. While it is easy to agree that yes, we are sinful, it is much more difficult to actually see and admit that sin is actually affecting our daily lives. After all, once we admit a particular thing is sin, we have to deal with it. And that's hard. She does hedge her bets and give disclaimers about those who are in difficult circumstances, but I believe she is correct that many of us don't examine ourselves honestly enough, and we cut ourselves slack where we don't need it. She very clearly points out, however, that the way we address sin is not through rules or self-help, but through repentance. Once you find out where your idolatry is, where you are placing your trust, you can repent and receive grace. I believe it was Luther who said both that our hearts are idol factories and that the Christian life is one characterized by repentance. If we agree theoretically that our hearts are idol factories but aren't willing to expose potential idols to the light, then we are hardened in our sin. And, until we identify sin, we cannot repent -- and cannot turn from it.
Personally, I am very much the type prone to self-justification and covering over my sins, saying, "Oh, really, that's not so bad." But I am finally beginning to learn this lesson myself, through this book and through other avenues (doesn't God often work through synchronicity?) But identifying sin does not lead to despair when approached rightly. It results in admitting weakness and the need for God, the need for grace, the need for repentance. I am in the midst of learning what Mrs. Eastin writes about herself: "My attempts to get organized always failed because I tried to change my habits without letting the Holy Spirit change my heart." Bad habits founded upon sinful, selfish motivations can only be broken through honest confession and repentance. Then we can be restored and rest -- a rest in our hearts, while our hands work with joy. Once we are walking in the light and not hiding our pet sins, we are able walk in joy and peace, because we are walking in the Holy Spirit, who gives us His fruit.
Our goals need to be determined by Scripture -- God appoints our tasks and we are to walk in them, working heartily for Him -- not by comparisons or ideals. The work we have to do is a means of sanctification, not an end in itself. We need to look through the work itself to God at work through it in us, allowing Him to address our sin in this daily walk.
This book drives a hard point. Personally, as one who tends more toward the hard heart than the sensitive conscious, it was a breath of fresh air as well as a sledgehammer. I would not, however, recommend this book to a guilt-prone or sensitive spirit, despite the author's caveats that make room for such types.
----
Favorite Quotes:
"Pages of practical suggestions will be of little help if your heart is flailing about in despair. By first reminding yourself to trust God, you can then move forward, knowing that He is in control."
"One of the quickest routes to discontentment and discouragement is to compare your situation with that of others."
"A habit of procrastination indicates a worship problem: an unwillingness to do the work that God has appointed for us, or an inability to discern what He has given us and what He has not. The procrastinator loves to hoard her time for herself rather than work diligently in it on the errands and tasks God gives her."
"When we ignore the tasks we know we should do (which means that we understand that these tasks are assigned to us by God), we are essentially saying that our comfort and pleasure are more iportant than the needs of our families. When we do our chores sloppily and halfheartedly, we operate on the belief that God doesn't really know what's best for us. When we eschew our chores for our own hobbies, we show that God does not seem trustworthy to give us the rest we need, so we must take it for ourselves."
"Commit to change, and prayerfully seek the Lord's stregnth as you do so, but be prepared for discouraging days. Conquering sin takes time and effort, but the peace that you have aterwards is always worth it."
While most books on household organization or cleaning presume that it is a lack of skill or knowledge that causes clutter and chaos, this book looks toward motivation. Instead of focussing on the doing, it provides a call to examine our hearts. She probes different sinful motivations: pride, fear, envy, self-indulgence.
The author takes a dangerous road and is bold enough to call our problem sin. While it is easy to agree that yes, we are sinful, it is much more difficult to actually see and admit that sin is actually affecting our daily lives. After all, once we admit a particular thing is sin, we have to deal with it. And that's hard. She does hedge her bets and give disclaimers about those who are in difficult circumstances, but I believe she is correct that many of us don't examine ourselves honestly enough, and we cut ourselves slack where we don't need it. She very clearly points out, however, that the way we address sin is not through rules or self-help, but through repentance. Once you find out where your idolatry is, where you are placing your trust, you can repent and receive grace. I believe it was Luther who said both that our hearts are idol factories and that the Christian life is one characterized by repentance. If we agree theoretically that our hearts are idol factories but aren't willing to expose potential idols to the light, then we are hardened in our sin. And, until we identify sin, we cannot repent -- and cannot turn from it.
Personally, I am very much the type prone to self-justification and covering over my sins, saying, "Oh, really, that's not so bad." But I am finally beginning to learn this lesson myself, through this book and through other avenues (doesn't God often work through synchronicity?) But identifying sin does not lead to despair when approached rightly. It results in admitting weakness and the need for God, the need for grace, the need for repentance. I am in the midst of learning what Mrs. Eastin writes about herself: "My attempts to get organized always failed because I tried to change my habits without letting the Holy Spirit change my heart." Bad habits founded upon sinful, selfish motivations can only be broken through honest confession and repentance. Then we can be restored and rest -- a rest in our hearts, while our hands work with joy. Once we are walking in the light and not hiding our pet sins, we are able walk in joy and peace, because we are walking in the Holy Spirit, who gives us His fruit.
Our goals need to be determined by Scripture -- God appoints our tasks and we are to walk in them, working heartily for Him -- not by comparisons or ideals. The work we have to do is a means of sanctification, not an end in itself. We need to look through the work itself to God at work through it in us, allowing Him to address our sin in this daily walk.
This book drives a hard point. Personally, as one who tends more toward the hard heart than the sensitive conscious, it was a breath of fresh air as well as a sledgehammer. I would not, however, recommend this book to a guilt-prone or sensitive spirit, despite the author's caveats that make room for such types.
----
Favorite Quotes:
"Pages of practical suggestions will be of little help if your heart is flailing about in despair. By first reminding yourself to trust God, you can then move forward, knowing that He is in control."
"One of the quickest routes to discontentment and discouragement is to compare your situation with that of others."
"A habit of procrastination indicates a worship problem: an unwillingness to do the work that God has appointed for us, or an inability to discern what He has given us and what He has not. The procrastinator loves to hoard her time for herself rather than work diligently in it on the errands and tasks God gives her."
"When we ignore the tasks we know we should do (which means that we understand that these tasks are assigned to us by God), we are essentially saying that our comfort and pleasure are more iportant than the needs of our families. When we do our chores sloppily and halfheartedly, we operate on the belief that God doesn't really know what's best for us. When we eschew our chores for our own hobbies, we show that God does not seem trustworthy to give us the rest we need, so we must take it for ourselves."
"Commit to change, and prayerfully seek the Lord's stregnth as you do so, but be prepared for discouraging days. Conquering sin takes time and effort, but the peace that you have aterwards is always worth it."
August 24, 2022
Own.
This book does an excellent job in diagnosing idolatry as the major causes of disorganization. Mrs. Eastin develops four particular idolatrous behaviors or thought processes which keep women from organization: perfectionism, busyness, possessions, and leisure (although I think a better word could have been chosen here).
While extremely convicting and clear, her conversational tone and style, her willingness to recognize these factors in her own life, and her examples take the bitterness and defensiveness out of the reader's reaction to the admonition. Her chapter discussing God's mercy and grace toward those who have true limitations which make organization difficult was generous and kind.
I appreciate that while Mrs. Eastin is not trying to teach me a new system of cleaning or organization, she gives examples of how many families, including her own, approach different chores.
This book is quite short and, because of the style, can be read quickly. The reader could also spend a great deal of time considering each chapter. I think this will be a book that I read on a regular basis and recommend frequently.
2022:
I liked this better the first time I read it, but I think because I had incorporated most of the ideas already and there wasn't much *new* for me on a second reading.
This book does an excellent job in diagnosing idolatry as the major causes of disorganization. Mrs. Eastin develops four particular idolatrous behaviors or thought processes which keep women from organization: perfectionism, busyness, possessions, and leisure (although I think a better word could have been chosen here).
While extremely convicting and clear, her conversational tone and style, her willingness to recognize these factors in her own life, and her examples take the bitterness and defensiveness out of the reader's reaction to the admonition. Her chapter discussing God's mercy and grace toward those who have true limitations which make organization difficult was generous and kind.
I appreciate that while Mrs. Eastin is not trying to teach me a new system of cleaning or organization, she gives examples of how many families, including her own, approach different chores.
This book is quite short and, because of the style, can be read quickly. The reader could also spend a great deal of time considering each chapter. I think this will be a book that I read on a regular basis and recommend frequently.
2022:
I liked this better the first time I read it, but I think because I had incorporated most of the ideas already and there wasn't much *new* for me on a second reading.
October 25, 2011
This book caught my eye because it was advertised as a book about organization that wasn't about making lists and checking them off. Tomes with a few hundred pages detailing their particular author's favorite order for cleaning the living room I can pick up by the armful at my local library, but "The Organized Heart" promised to be something different. It didn't assume you didn't know how to be organized. Instead, it promised to tell you why you weren't doing what you know how to do.
I found that it lived up to its promise. Eastin's book is divided into four main categories, each of them a reason - she calls them "idols" - behind your disorganization. The fact that one of them ("leisure" out of the possible choices of "perfectionism", "busyness", "possessions", and "leisure") really hit home to me more than the others makes me think that she's probably on the right track in defining her categories.
In the "leisure" section, she observes:
. . . a habit of procrastination indicates a worship problem: an unwillingness to do the work that God has appointed for us, or an inability to discern what he has given us and what he has not.
And that sentence right there contains both what I loved about this book and what I hated about it.
What did I love? Well, look at the second half of the above-quoted sentence: it's brilliant. It's insightful. She's got it exactly right. Procrastination is either an unwillingness to do the work or an inability to discern what the work is. It's disobedience or it's ignorance. I'm still chewing on that.
But look at the first half of the sentence: it's exactly the sort of jargon that makes me grind my teeth when reading books by modern Calvinists. And this book is full of it.
Despite that, I recommend it. The define-my-terms-so-carefully-I'm-spending-more-time-defining-my-terms-than-using-them-in-normal-sentences style of writing really just is the style of a lot of modern Calvinists. Unless you're willing to ignore them completely (which would be sad, because they have good stuff to say), you'll have to put up with it. And I have a lot of sympathy for it; it's awful to be misunderstood, and it's tempting to hedge your sentences round with disaffirmations in order to avoid misunderstanding. But it makes for tedious reading.
Yet the kernel of goodness in this book is worth it, and many times Eastin's natural insight breaks free of what feels like a strong editorial harness and she goes striding beautifully through pages and pages of helpful prose before being reined back in.
How can you find a solution to your problem when you can't even state your problem? That's where I often find myself. And I think that "The Organized Heart" is worth its purchase price just for how well it states the problem. I haven't seen it done as well anywhere else. I think it'll help many readers towards a solution.
I found that it lived up to its promise. Eastin's book is divided into four main categories, each of them a reason - she calls them "idols" - behind your disorganization. The fact that one of them ("leisure" out of the possible choices of "perfectionism", "busyness", "possessions", and "leisure") really hit home to me more than the others makes me think that she's probably on the right track in defining her categories.
In the "leisure" section, she observes:
. . . a habit of procrastination indicates a worship problem: an unwillingness to do the work that God has appointed for us, or an inability to discern what he has given us and what he has not.
And that sentence right there contains both what I loved about this book and what I hated about it.
What did I love? Well, look at the second half of the above-quoted sentence: it's brilliant. It's insightful. She's got it exactly right. Procrastination is either an unwillingness to do the work or an inability to discern what the work is. It's disobedience or it's ignorance. I'm still chewing on that.
But look at the first half of the sentence: it's exactly the sort of jargon that makes me grind my teeth when reading books by modern Calvinists. And this book is full of it.
Despite that, I recommend it. The define-my-terms-so-carefully-I'm-spending-more-time-defining-my-terms-than-using-them-in-normal-sentences style of writing really just is the style of a lot of modern Calvinists. Unless you're willing to ignore them completely (which would be sad, because they have good stuff to say), you'll have to put up with it. And I have a lot of sympathy for it; it's awful to be misunderstood, and it's tempting to hedge your sentences round with disaffirmations in order to avoid misunderstanding. But it makes for tedious reading.
Yet the kernel of goodness in this book is worth it, and many times Eastin's natural insight breaks free of what feels like a strong editorial harness and she goes striding beautifully through pages and pages of helpful prose before being reined back in.
How can you find a solution to your problem when you can't even state your problem? That's where I often find myself. And I think that "The Organized Heart" is worth its purchase price just for how well it states the problem. I haven't seen it done as well anywhere else. I think it'll help many readers towards a solution.
May 18, 2016
The place to start when dealing with a disorganized life, is not the drawers nor the closets; but our hearts.
Staci Eastin writes:
"We never conquer sin by adding more rules. That’s what the Pharisees did, and Jesus chastised them for it. Jesus is interested in more than just outward works; he wants us to perform good works from the overflow of a loving and pure heart. My attempts to get organized always failed because I tried to change my habits without letting the Holy Spirit change my heart. It was only when I saw the sinful motivations behind my bad habits that I could see lasting change in my life."
So, be encouraged, my friends, to read this book before the other one that teaches you "how to organize your closet in 24 days and live happily ever after." :)
I read this in 2011 and 2016.
Staci Eastin writes:
"We never conquer sin by adding more rules. That’s what the Pharisees did, and Jesus chastised them for it. Jesus is interested in more than just outward works; he wants us to perform good works from the overflow of a loving and pure heart. My attempts to get organized always failed because I tried to change my habits without letting the Holy Spirit change my heart. It was only when I saw the sinful motivations behind my bad habits that I could see lasting change in my life."
So, be encouraged, my friends, to read this book before the other one that teaches you "how to organize your closet in 24 days and live happily ever after." :)
I read this in 2011 and 2016.
August 24, 2022
A wonderful little book that focuses on our heart and it’s priorities. If those are not in order then our home and jobs will be in disorder. It’s a practical book and greatly helped me asses why I feel overwhelmed and unorganized.
July 22, 2022
I loved this book! After reading several books on organizing, it was refreshing to read one that actually deals with the heart from a biblical perspective.
If you read this one, know ahead of time, there is more heart work to be done than physical work and it’s essential to long term success.
If you read this one, know ahead of time, there is more heart work to be done than physical work and it’s essential to long term success.
June 10, 2014
The Overview
The Organized Heart is a small, but powerful guide to help you understand what you really need to get your life under control. So many of us long to be organized and yet find ourselves frustrated over and over again. Instead of giving you 101 things to do to make your life more organized, Eastin writes about the heart of the matter.
The Readability
This is a Cruciform Press book which means it's easy to read for all of us - even those who don't have a lot of time. The chapters are few and short. Each one ends with a 3 to 4 questions that help you as an individual process what you have just read.
The Highlights
I enjoyed being challenged by this book and also rejoicing as I saw places where I have grown. This thought-provoking read made me stop and think through why I do what I do and where I need to change. I also really appreciated this book because I did not have to wade through list after list of ideas to find the one that fits my life. Instead this is the frame work, therefore being applicable to all, and giving room to apply the lessons learned in a way that really works for you.
The Downside
None!
The Recommendation
I want to recommend this book to anyone who is not organized and desires to be - this will be the encouragement you need and probably haven't gotten. For those who already are organized, you need to read this in order to check your motivations. And lastly, for those who don't know where you fit or maybe know you're not organized and have no desire to be, you will be challenged by this book, too.
The Organized Heart is a small, but powerful guide to help you understand what you really need to get your life under control. So many of us long to be organized and yet find ourselves frustrated over and over again. Instead of giving you 101 things to do to make your life more organized, Eastin writes about the heart of the matter.
The Readability
This is a Cruciform Press book which means it's easy to read for all of us - even those who don't have a lot of time. The chapters are few and short. Each one ends with a 3 to 4 questions that help you as an individual process what you have just read.
The Highlights
I enjoyed being challenged by this book and also rejoicing as I saw places where I have grown. This thought-provoking read made me stop and think through why I do what I do and where I need to change. I also really appreciated this book because I did not have to wade through list after list of ideas to find the one that fits my life. Instead this is the frame work, therefore being applicable to all, and giving room to apply the lessons learned in a way that really works for you.
The Downside
None!
The Recommendation
I want to recommend this book to anyone who is not organized and desires to be - this will be the encouragement you need and probably haven't gotten. For those who already are organized, you need to read this in order to check your motivations. And lastly, for those who don't know where you fit or maybe know you're not organized and have no desire to be, you will be challenged by this book, too.
May 9, 2025
2025 review: I enjoyed my second time through this book. Glad to see I've learned a few lessons since my last reading. As I've aged I've learned a few tricks to avoid procrastination and am not as inclined to be a people pleaser as I once was. But the struggle to serve God with the correct motivation is still real.
2014 review: Eastin's book is refreshingly different from other books on getting organized. Instead of chore charts and pep talks she gets to the heart of the matter by addressing our motivations for doing (or not doing) what we believe is important. She highlights four areas where women struggle: leisure, busyness, perfectionism, and possessions. And she has the nerve to call them what they are: IDOLS.
2014 review: Eastin's book is refreshingly different from other books on getting organized. Instead of chore charts and pep talks she gets to the heart of the matter by addressing our motivations for doing (or not doing) what we believe is important. She highlights four areas where women struggle: leisure, busyness, perfectionism, and possessions. And she has the nerve to call them what they are: IDOLS.
December 3, 2014
This book takes us back to the heart issues of four different areas of struggle for women in particular - perfectionism, busyness, possessions, and leisure. The author takes a firm but gracious approach, leaving us full of hope in the gospel for our fight against pride, selfishness and unbelief.
March 27, 2021
Foi um leitura bastante fácil e agradável, a dificuldade foi enfrentar algumas verdades que a Staci Eastin simplesmente joga na cara do(a) leitor(a).
Existem muitos aprendizados capazes de ser extraídos do livro, mas um dos principais é o excesso de compromissos que está relacionado a necessidades emocionais e não fáticas.
A autora é cristã, então toda a linguagem do livro alerta para os sutis pecados que cometemos como o perfeccionismo alimentado pela necessidade de conquistar a aprovação de Deus, negando a graça. Outro pecado é a necessidade de sermos bem-vistas o que nos constrange a dizer não quando é obvio que não conseguiremos incluir mais uma tarefa na rotina.
Deixo a transcrição de um dos trechos que me fez refletir sobre a raiz do problema da gestão do tempo:
"Assumimos compromissos demais porque não sabemos dizer não. Temos coisas demais porque preferimos a certeza de ter coisas em excesso do que a possibilidade de não ter coisas em excesso do que a possibilidade de não ter coisas suficientes. Buscamos a erfeição porque contentar-se com o que se é ou com o que se tem parece uma concessão. Em outras palavras, a despeito do fato de nossa vida estar fora do controle, em nossa mente distorcida acreditamos que viver dessa maneira é mais prazeiroso do que tomar uma atitude para resolver o problema."
Dica de podcast sobre o livro:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Ch7...
spotify:episode:1Ch73ZnA15qWVeuA2e9STq
Existem muitos aprendizados capazes de ser extraídos do livro, mas um dos principais é o excesso de compromissos que está relacionado a necessidades emocionais e não fáticas.
A autora é cristã, então toda a linguagem do livro alerta para os sutis pecados que cometemos como o perfeccionismo alimentado pela necessidade de conquistar a aprovação de Deus, negando a graça. Outro pecado é a necessidade de sermos bem-vistas o que nos constrange a dizer não quando é obvio que não conseguiremos incluir mais uma tarefa na rotina.
Deixo a transcrição de um dos trechos que me fez refletir sobre a raiz do problema da gestão do tempo:
"Assumimos compromissos demais porque não sabemos dizer não. Temos coisas demais porque preferimos a certeza de ter coisas em excesso do que a possibilidade de não ter coisas em excesso do que a possibilidade de não ter coisas suficientes. Buscamos a erfeição porque contentar-se com o que se é ou com o que se tem parece uma concessão. Em outras palavras, a despeito do fato de nossa vida estar fora do controle, em nossa mente distorcida acreditamos que viver dessa maneira é mais prazeiroso do que tomar uma atitude para resolver o problema."
Dica de podcast sobre o livro:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Ch7...
spotify:episode:1Ch73ZnA15qWVeuA2e9STq
January 4, 2020
Interesting read about what prevents us from being organised so maybe not the best title for the book?
Women need to watch out for perfectionism and wanting things a certain way for our own glory or accolades. Busyness and filling up our life with activities. Possessions and the need to fill our lives with stuff and lastly leisure whereby we procrastinate in any number of ways rather than get work done.
We are all guilty of one or some or all to some degree.
Anyway, some decent insights about what stops us being organised from deep within our hearts but not how to be organised.
3 stars
Women need to watch out for perfectionism and wanting things a certain way for our own glory or accolades. Busyness and filling up our life with activities. Possessions and the need to fill our lives with stuff and lastly leisure whereby we procrastinate in any number of ways rather than get work done.
We are all guilty of one or some or all to some degree.
Anyway, some decent insights about what stops us being organised from deep within our hearts but not how to be organised.
3 stars
January 31, 2025
I’ve spent the past few months scouring homemaking and house keeping books for helpful tidbits on how to get my home in better order. Each time I’ve come away with a helpful trick or two but mainly feeling defeated by standards I can’t meet or schedules that don’t work. This book was the fresh air—and gut punch—I desperately needed. Instead of checklists and schedules and decluttering guides, this was filled with the hard truth that if my heart is what needs better organization, then no amount of planners or checklists or decluttering days will get my home in order and keep it in order. So good.
May 2, 2021
Perfectionism, Busyness, Possessions - among a few other things listed by the author - can easily become idols in our hearts and lives. We will often have times of chaos in our lives, but Staci Eastin encourages us to make sure we aren't CREATING that chaos ourselves by having our priorities out of whack. So much of this book is about that ever elusive balance of taking our responsibilities seriously & being good stewards with what the Lord has given us, while, at the same time, not making idols of those responsibilities & possessions.
December 2, 2017
This is such a good little book. It packs a punch- in a good way. I love that the point the author is getting at is idols of the heart. Which can be hard to identify. So it is helpful and encouraging. An inspiring read.
September 17, 2023
This is a concise book that gently points to root causes of various forms of disorganization. The author humbly shares from her own experience and her lessons learned. This book points toward what matters most.
October 8, 2017
Gostei demais! Claro, bíblico e que aborda temas muito relevantes
February 19, 2018
Very helpful in directing the reader to the heart issues of chaos in the home.
July 1, 2018
Excellent book on organization and the sinful pitfalls we can fall into on either side of perfectionism or laziness. Practical, biblical, and convicting... highly recommend!!
June 12, 2020
Simplified Organisation course recommended book.
November 13, 2022
Not for my season or skills
June 22, 2023
Such good truth that was soooo good for my heart to hear. I only wish she would have given at least just a few practicals.
April 21, 2025
This book serves as a good reminder to check your motives for what you’re doing with your time.
March 21, 2017
A good reminder - organisation starts with your way of thinking. And basically stop wasting time or filling your time with things other than what you should be doing. For me - housework!
August 1, 2023
It's not a perfect book, but I do think the author hit the nail on the head in key areas, probably because she is speaking from years of struggle and growth herself. Each of the four categories she addresses—busyness, perfectionism, possessions, and leisure—are areas I've struggled with in the past or am struggling with now.
I can fill in the gaps with knowledge from other sources—for example, I do believe that some people's brains (including mine) are wired differently and therefore have more difficulty with executive functions, focus, time-blindness, etc. That's the baseline I've been given, and I can't control that. But what I can control—and what I have a God-given responsibility to control—is what I do with that baseline.
On perfectionism:
"The visible life of the perfectionist may seem ideal, but that carefully maintained façade hides a frenzied and wrongly motivated heart."
"Perfectionists can drown in a sea of details, stressing out over the minutiae of life and missing moments of joy. Perfectionists rarely get the luxury of resting in a job well done, ruminating instead on the minor flaws that spoil their idealistic plans."
On busyness:
"Sometimes our busyness displays our unbelief in God's ability to work through others. . . . Or we worry that future opportunities won't come if we don't seize everything before us now."
"God is not glorified in the amount of things we get done, the number of spaces we fill on our calendars, or the length of our to-do lists. God is pleased when we serve him with sincere hearts."
"God is not glorified if we exhaust ourselves in the hope that others will praise our actions; he is most glorified when we take the attitude of a servant, like Jesus did when he washed the disciples' feet."
On possessions:
"You want created things, and you expect that they will provide more immediate or even lasting satisfaction than your Creator can."
"Clinging to excess possessions indicates a fundamental distrust in God and his provision. Rather than use our abundance to bless people in need, we cling to our possessions and our money because we believe we have the obligation and power to prevent poverty and want."
On leisure:
"When we ignore the tasks we know we should do (which means we know these tasks are assigned to us by God), we are essentially saying that our comfort and pleasure are more important than the needs of our families. When we do our chores sloppily and half-heartedly, we operate on the belief that God doesn't really know what is best for us. When we eschew our chores for our own hobbies, we show that God does not seem trustworthy to give us the rest we need, so we must take it for ourselves."
"The procrastinator loves to hoard her time for herself rather than work diligently in it on the errands and tasks God gives her. She would rather blame the chaos outside of her than the chaos in her heart."
"We may use leisure to try to escape or block out thoughts of the mundane or overwhelming tasks in our lives, but we are usually not successful in this. Like a staticky radio playing in the background, your unfinished chore may nag at you, sucking joy and real rest from your life. Meanwhile, great blessing awaits us. There is no greater joy than humbly and obediently submitting to God's will for our lives."
On change in general:
"When we believe that our lives are only workable if God manages things in the manner we prefer, anxiety and fear will rule our hearts. It is only when we truly accept that God is sovereign over our present circumstances that we can fully trust him for the solution."
"Sanctification is a process. The habits that cause chaos in your life are deeply rooted. You probably won't conquer them instantly. If you find yourself sliding back into old habits, it doesn't mean that change is impossible. Christ frees us from the penalty of our sin, but the roots of sin will remain in our hearts, needing to be battles, for as long as we live. But though the presence of sin will linger, you can never exhaust the mercy and grace of God. Every day brings a brand new opportunity to start afresh and bask in his love." [emphasis mine]
I can fill in the gaps with knowledge from other sources—for example, I do believe that some people's brains (including mine) are wired differently and therefore have more difficulty with executive functions, focus, time-blindness, etc. That's the baseline I've been given, and I can't control that. But what I can control—and what I have a God-given responsibility to control—is what I do with that baseline.
On perfectionism:
"The visible life of the perfectionist may seem ideal, but that carefully maintained façade hides a frenzied and wrongly motivated heart."
"Perfectionists can drown in a sea of details, stressing out over the minutiae of life and missing moments of joy. Perfectionists rarely get the luxury of resting in a job well done, ruminating instead on the minor flaws that spoil their idealistic plans."
On busyness:
"Sometimes our busyness displays our unbelief in God's ability to work through others. . . . Or we worry that future opportunities won't come if we don't seize everything before us now."
"God is not glorified in the amount of things we get done, the number of spaces we fill on our calendars, or the length of our to-do lists. God is pleased when we serve him with sincere hearts."
"God is not glorified if we exhaust ourselves in the hope that others will praise our actions; he is most glorified when we take the attitude of a servant, like Jesus did when he washed the disciples' feet."
On possessions:
"You want created things, and you expect that they will provide more immediate or even lasting satisfaction than your Creator can."
"Clinging to excess possessions indicates a fundamental distrust in God and his provision. Rather than use our abundance to bless people in need, we cling to our possessions and our money because we believe we have the obligation and power to prevent poverty and want."
On leisure:
"When we ignore the tasks we know we should do (which means we know these tasks are assigned to us by God), we are essentially saying that our comfort and pleasure are more important than the needs of our families. When we do our chores sloppily and half-heartedly, we operate on the belief that God doesn't really know what is best for us. When we eschew our chores for our own hobbies, we show that God does not seem trustworthy to give us the rest we need, so we must take it for ourselves."
"The procrastinator loves to hoard her time for herself rather than work diligently in it on the errands and tasks God gives her. She would rather blame the chaos outside of her than the chaos in her heart."
"We may use leisure to try to escape or block out thoughts of the mundane or overwhelming tasks in our lives, but we are usually not successful in this. Like a staticky radio playing in the background, your unfinished chore may nag at you, sucking joy and real rest from your life. Meanwhile, great blessing awaits us. There is no greater joy than humbly and obediently submitting to God's will for our lives."
On change in general:
"When we believe that our lives are only workable if God manages things in the manner we prefer, anxiety and fear will rule our hearts. It is only when we truly accept that God is sovereign over our present circumstances that we can fully trust him for the solution."
"Sanctification is a process. The habits that cause chaos in your life are deeply rooted. You probably won't conquer them instantly. If you find yourself sliding back into old habits, it doesn't mean that change is impossible. Christ frees us from the penalty of our sin, but the roots of sin will remain in our hearts, needing to be battles, for as long as we live. But though the presence of sin will linger, you can never exhaust the mercy and grace of God. Every day brings a brand new opportunity to start afresh and bask in his love." [emphasis mine]
June 9, 2011
There are 2 things I like about this book. It talks to the chaotic heart and Eastin is real with her own heart. In doing so, I felt very connected to this book and finished it up in about 2 hours. She deals with perfectionism, busyness, possessions, leisure and difficult circumstances. She identifies the sin, the condition of the heart and a new mind-set. The book was challenging but not despairing (by adding new rules) which never conquers sin. A point that the pharisees did. In the books she talks about perfectionism that doesn't give but it takes. Instead of working to help others become their best, you work to gain admiration from others. Which is a real heart motivator. What motivates you?! If we are not motivated by faith, it is a sin. This causes you think. So many books out there that tell you want to do but it gives you no reason to think why you do what you do. Another reason to read this book and be encouraged. This comment really spoke to me "She would rather blame the chaos outside of her than the chaos in her heart. Eastin ends this book with a word of encouragement and hope!
May 15, 2015
The Organized Heart: A Woman’s Guide to Conquering Chaos starts with an interesting premise: you don’t need another system, you need to figure out what’s standing between your good intentions and actually getting stuff done. The author walks readers through common roadblocks like perfectionism, busyness, and possessions, and…then the structure kind of trails off.
The book is quite short and a breeze to read, but I think it might have benefitted from greater length so that the author could have developed her conclusions more thoroughly. On one hand, I think the author and I have different personality types, because her struggles and applications differed from mine, but even so I would have liked to see more deeply developed connections between the issues she raises and why those impact our outward organization.
{Read my full review here}
The book is quite short and a breeze to read, but I think it might have benefitted from greater length so that the author could have developed her conclusions more thoroughly. On one hand, I think the author and I have different personality types, because her struggles and applications differed from mine, but even so I would have liked to see more deeply developed connections between the issues she raises and why those impact our outward organization.
{Read my full review here}
October 27, 2014
This book was not helpful. Apparently my house is cluttered because I'm a sinner. I can just fix it by having a happier heart and not sinning so much. All fixed!
Um, hello? I know my house is cluttered and that I'm a sinner, but how does that help me be more organized? I'm not sure there is much cause and effect here - sinning and clutter run more concurrently.
So instead of helping me, this book made me feel bad and I'm still a sinning clutter-freak. Sigh. I wonder how she ever got published. Maybe I should write a mediocre org book, make fives of dollars and hire someone else to clean my house! Woohoo - a plan! Now I feel better.
Yay progress!
Um, hello? I know my house is cluttered and that I'm a sinner, but how does that help me be more organized? I'm not sure there is much cause and effect here - sinning and clutter run more concurrently.
So instead of helping me, this book made me feel bad and I'm still a sinning clutter-freak. Sigh. I wonder how she ever got published. Maybe I should write a mediocre org book, make fives of dollars and hire someone else to clean my house! Woohoo - a plan! Now I feel better.
Yay progress!
April 27, 2014
This book identified the idols in our hearts associated with procrastination and disorganization. The author hits the nail on the head; most disorganization issues boil down to underlying sin. I would've given it 5 stars if it had been a little more practical about organization. She encourages us to repent and helps us understand the root cause of our behavior patterns, but not a lot of how to get organized and stay organized advice.
June 20, 2011
The book is and easy read. It is not your usual put-me-under-another-pile-of-things-I-am-doing-wrong-with-my-life book. She presents a proper view of the Holy Spirit working in our lives and our responsibility to walk in step with Him. This would be a good book to use in counseling women to read together and discuss.
January 11, 2014
Great and interesting short e-book to read! It is more for the mom than for the single woman. There are great tips in there. It isn't a check list book to have things organize like we would want to do. This book is more about dealing with our heart and attitude. There are a bit of things in there for single woman like us too that isn't a mom with all the kids.
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