Order from Chaos: A Six-Step Plan for Organizing Yourself, Your Office, and Your Life

by Liz Davenport

The Six Steps to Organizational Freedom

Do
*Miss important deadlines at work?
*Forget to return urgent phone calls?
*Lose papers that were “just here a minute ago”?
*Have multiple layers of sticky notes on your computer?
*Leave projects unfinished for days, weeks, or even months at a time?

If any of these sound familiar, then you are among the ranks of the disorganized—whether mildly or completely—and Liz Davenport has written this book just for you. Order from Chaos is the organizing book for disorganized people. In six easy steps she offers a system that will help you clean up your act. She demonstrates how to clear your desk by teaching you what's trash and why, reveals what a calendar is really meant to be, and provides a no-fail system for prioritization. At the end of the day, your desk will be clear and your mind will be free to relax.

Rather than offering overcomplicated instructions for filing systems and time management plans, Order from Chaos focuses on ease of use. There is not one person—from office assistant to CEO—who will not benefit from this straightforward, easy-to-maintain plan.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

224 pages, Paperback

First published December 18, 2001

Reviews

[Stephen Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big GTD (David Allen) fan but have always struggled staying on the wagon. Decided to see if there was any other options out there after years of thinking that GTD was the best and only way to do anything. This book popped up and it had good reviews, so by the power of kindle, jumped in and bought it. Got to say it is fantastic! I've only been implementing it for a week, so early days, but I've got more done than I have in a long while. The Air Traffic Control system works so well, it's basically a rolling project list. As long as you keep reviewing each day then any projects you've got lined up naturally fall into place, especially if you've put in milestones along the way. For someone like me who in GTD terms is a 'crazy maker' and has over 100 projects on the go at any one time, this is a real eye opener. I have now looked at my lists and realised that I could work or 2 months solid just doing what's on there and still not be done. By staggering out what is important and when it needs to be done by means a much clearer head with no guilt!

Hope this is helpful!

[Julie H. Ernstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was exceedingly helpful in getting my act together in such a way that I was able to contine with some consulting work *and* finish my dissertation. These are lifelong tips on how to organize your "cockpit" (i.e., that crucial area within arm's length of your computer or area, drafting table or area of greatest actiivty and productivity). I've given this book to other friends who worked from home, and we swear by it. I'd recommend it to everyone from college students on up through home office or in-office types as it's full of practical advice that will make an immediate difference in your productivity. If you're currently overwhelmed by too many files, Davenport's advice to toss it if you can readily access it online or save it in an electronic format has helped me excavate my office and make much more efficient use of my time and space. Two thumbs up!

[Alexandria Blaelock · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first read this book in 2006, it was a revelation. An incredibly simple system, in many way so obvious that you need someone to point it out to you. The cockpit desk in combination with air Traffic Control issue management made a tremendous difference in my professional life.

This book was originally published in 2001 and its paper based focus may reduce its usefulness for some, but now that I live a different life I plan to be reread it to see what usefulness I can draw from it this time.

[Shayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good tip on how to include a baby step toward a goal. I'm adding a "heart line" to my daily to-do list. However, the advice is dated; written over a decade ago, it advocates lugging around a three-ring binder with your personal calendar on it and eschewing a group calendar because you can't take it with you. Ha!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for life improvement and organizing and productivity books. This one in particular had some actual practical advice and I have added a few tips to my toolbox.

[Deirdre K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't miss work deadlines or forget to return phone calls (as the pitch for this book asks) but I do have a dozen post-it notes and papers on my desk, regardless of my many attempts to clear the desk space. I randomly came across this book, and devoured it---because I was setting up a new office and determined to not fall into the paper-covered habit again.

I don't know that others would enjoy or benefit from the book---it's a bit out of date in terms of technology and everything is very basic, focuses just on your office space. But that is honestly the one area I have ALWAYS struggled with, so I loved the narrow focus.

I've adapted her "air traffic control" to be a combination of my Outlook calendar, Asana and TUL notebook, which I know she would disagree with---took many screens. Otherwise I followed her advice and can't wait to see in a month or two if I'm sticking with it.

[Sarah Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me tremendously at a particularly difficult and chaotic point in my life. It's really great for us 'out of sight, out of mind' people and I suspect it would be really helpful to people with adult ADHD or other neurodivergent types. I've recently looked it up and started using aspects of it again and it's lowered my stress levels WAY down.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The steps and ideas are great! The only issue: the book is very OUTDATED. A new edition that doesn’t reference fax, floppy disks and the like would be a good idea, but the concepts are totally universal and are still useful in 2020.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful, well-written, funny. I will be putting Liz Davenport's ideas to work!

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were good ideas in the book that could be applied to many areas of life however, it was a bit dated.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was turned on to this book in a business lecture on organization and time management and it is by far the best for someone like me. I've read and tried to do David Allen, but this worked best for me in an office then, as it does now.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read more than a few books on organizing, and this remains my favorite. Its easy to understand, easy to put into practice and does not assume you're some "important executive" like Julie Morgenstien or David Allen's books do, it treats you like a regular person.
Very practical advice, like noting what you need the most and having it located within an arm's reach of you and moving it further away, the less you have need of it. Also good info about what to do with old files and other "important stuff" you feel you need to keep but don't know what to do with.

[Dr Ted Edwards DC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd been looking for a means of getting organized and this is the one I decided upon. Liz presents a step by step procedure that I've been slowly, but surely implementing. The book is short, mainly because it doesn't contain a bunch of filler or fluff. I'm using it to reorganize my office and taking the same principles and putting them into play on the computer - where I'm also having trouble finding stuff I want/need

[Kelly]

I am apparently not organized enough to finish this book.

[S]

650.1 DAV

[Kiersten · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty good--basic tips for organization, nothing that I hadn't heard before though.

[Laurie Letz]

I learned that I am a hopeless clutterbug.

[Trisch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read first few chapters fully got the idea then skimmed the rest. A really good system a bit querky.

[Hunter Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Familiar advice, but advice that bears repeating. Could stand to be updated for electronic tools, but I still liked to metaphors of Cockpit & Air Traffic Control.

[Amanda W · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the suggestions are a bit dated or seem obvious, but the principles maintain in a digital system. A quick, tangible read.

[Marianne Burg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like these ideas as I reset up my desk area after moving.