When Organizing Isn't Enough: SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life

by Julie Morgenstern

Outlines radical organizational steps through which people weighed down by physical and mental clutter have the potential to revamp their careers, relationships, and other life areas, in a guide that outlines the author's four-step program for eliminating mess, prioritizing, and renewing one's motivation. 75,000 first printing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Personal Development, Productivity, Audiobook, Reference, How To

272 pages, Hardcover

First published June 3, 2008

About the author

Julie Morgenstern, dubbed the “queen of putting people’s lives in order” by USA Today, is an organizing and time management expert, business productivity consultant, and speaker. A New York Times bestselling author, Julie's five books are timeless reference guides that are insightful, reader-friendly and jam packed with innovative strategies. Each volume features techniques and observations culled from her 20 years of experience as a consultant to individuals and companies.

Julie’s company, Julie Morgenstern Enterprises, is dedicated to using her philosophies and methods to provide a wide range of practical solutions that transform the way people and companies function. They provide one-on-on coaching, productivity consulting and training to Fortune 500 companies, organizations and agencies around the globe.

A contributor to O, The Oprah Magazine from 2001-2007, Julie has also been featured in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Time, Business Week, and Glamour and makes frequent appearances on national television and radio programs, including the Today Show, Rachel Ray, The Oprah Winfrey Show and NPR’s Fresh Air. Since 1989, she and her team have worked with clients such as American Express, GlaxoSmithKline, State Farm Insurance, The Miami Heat, the New York City Mayor’s office, Viacom/MTV and Hearst Magazines.

For more information, visit www.juliemorgenstern.com.

Reviews

[Mark Boszko · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to the Audiobook. Ridiculous amounts of "stories" from four fictional archetypes going through different life changes bludgeon you over the head with the same points over and over, and there's really nothing new here.

- Envision the outcome of your change.
- Does your current status and/or stuff support this change?
- If not, get rid of it.

Organize what's left over according to the "kindergarten" cubbyhole method outlined in JM's Organizing from the Inside Out:

- Everything has a home
- Label the home
- If it doesn't have a home, it needs to either be given a home (and displace something else) or it needs to go.

Likewise, organize your time according to her ideas in Time Management from the Inside Out and Never Check Email in the Morning, giving priority to things that support the change you have envisioned.

Not terrible for someone who's never heard this stuff before (thus the two stars), but nothing new either.

The one thing I felt that wasn't covered: how do you figure out what change it is that you should be envisioning? The examples given seem to go over obvious changes (empty nest, lost a job, etc.) that happen TO you, but no real suggestions on finding your own path. I suppose that wasn't designed to be the core of the book, but it seems that's the crux of the problem if it's not a change that's been thrust upon you. No cure for ennui. :P

[Debbie Petersen Wolven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, a busy work schedule left this library book sitting on the nightstand unread through the three weeks before it was due back, and also the two week renewal. It is several days late and needs to go back tomorrow. I'll have to check it out again.

I liked that it went beyond the normal "organizing" or "throw it all out" books out there. The first step is to separate out your treasures. Next, you heave the trash. What was different was the step where you envision your life right now and select a theme. Once you have done this, the choices become more clear. For instance, instead of looking at a ton of childrens books and remembering how much I paid for them, I have to recall that they were purchased during a different time in my life (when I had children that age) and do not fit my current lifestyle. Memorabilia for each of my sons, 2 of whom are grown and the last nearly there, can be stored into bins with their names on them, to go off with them eventually. We have heaved so much stuff in the past week, both garbage dumpsters are full for garbage day on Wednesday. We usually fill about 1/4 of one can with a week's garbage.
My current life theme is taking shape, something along the lines of "free spirit, writer and fit outdoor type." Holding onto items that served me in the past (but do not fit now) does no good for me or the people who could be using them. She used a great analogy about a Zen master who encountered a river he had to cross so he built himself a sturdy raft. After making it across the river on the raft, he carried it for the rest of his life in case he ever needed it again. He never did, so instead of being helpful the raft was really a burden. If he had put it down and left it by the river, he would have been better off. The more things that go out the door, it seems more time is freed up and life seems more streamlined. The things that are "treasures" can actually be seen and appreciated now. My goal is to free myself from "things" so that I can enjoy my time doing what I want to do in that small window of time when I am not at work. There is nothing worse than coming home tired, but unable to relax and do something enjoyable because there is a mess to deal with and a bunch of clutter all over the place.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was as much philosophy of why people hoard as a how-to on
getting rid of "stuff." The basic premise was:
S eparate your treasures
H eave your trash
E mbrace your identity
D rive yourself forward
Morgenstern encourages 'material detachment and radical generosity.'
Maryann Hershey: "May your walls know joy; may every room hold laughter
and every window open to great possibilities."
William Morris: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be
useful, or believe to be beautiful."
Mark Twain: "A habit cannot be tossed out the window; it must be coaxed down the stairs a step at a time."
Morgenstern suggests we rephrase the question "How much can I do?" to
"How little can I do."

[Rica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different from many other books about getting organized: besides shedding physical stuff that no longer serves us, Morgenstern also addresses paring down our overcommitted schedules and our non-productive habits.



I really like her approach, which starts *not* with tossing stuff out out willy-nilly, but with figuring out which "treasures" we want to keep--the stuff and activities that genuinely enrich us and support our vision for the direction we want our lives to take. Only after identifying what to keep (and why to keep it) does Morgenstern recommend moving forward with the "heave-ho" process.



She also looks at the identity crises that can sometimes surface when we jettison stuff we've been clinging to, especially if we've used it to define ourselves in some way.



Inspiring and practical. Highly recommended.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not one to like self-help books, I was VERY skeptical and am here to say this is a fantastic book. Getting ready for a move, I have been trying to clear out junk and it wasn't until I read this book that I could really begin to clean out the house. Morgenstern's point is not to have a sterile, barren home or life but rather to free up your life by getting rid of the irrelevant with some pointed questions:

"How much space or time would you free up if you were to release the obsolete items?"

"How difficult would it be to let go of the obsolete items?"

"Is it invigorating to my life right now?"

"What practical value does this item provide?"

Every time I was hesitant to clear away what I thought might be clutter, I would ask myself the questions that Morgenstern asks in her book. so for example, when I came across my grandmother's antique metal curlers that I had held on to for decades and moved about in the back of the closet, I was able to ask myself, How much space would getting rid of these free up? Not a lot. How difficult would it be to get rid of them? It would be easy to get rid of them. Is it invigorating to my life right now? No way! What practical value does this item provide? None! Done. Out go the curlers and I move to the next item. In fact I become a little embarrassed that it took me so long. Then on to that stack of books, clothing in my closet, the knick knacks that I dust, for what?

Morgenstern contends that we can't move productively into the future unless we SHED the stuff that is weighing us down and keeping us from making changes.
And this really cut to the core: "A perfectly arranged dresser drawer filled with clothes you haven't worn in years is still clutter."

Once Morgenstern finally convinces you, yes, even you, that you have a problem with junk in your life; she takes you step by step through her process of cleaning it out and letting it go. And she stresses this isn't about a one time clean up, it is about changing your thinking and thereby changing your life.
Reading this book can change your life!

[adllto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am fast becoming a connoisseur of books on organizing and this probably is the best so far.

Julie Morgenstern offers important insights and but her key ideas are based around SHEDing: Separate the treasures, Heave the trash,Embrace your identity and Drive Forwards.

Simple and logical but difficult to do. Until she suggested that we should look at this as a change in life. Which of course it is! But to give this change a sense of change we should give the life before a theme or a name. We should then also work at giving the next stage a name or a them.Once we know what our treasures are then we have an idea what the them was before. We can heave the trash and also if we find our theme has changed a lot we can easily lessen our grip on the things we had held on for the old theme.

I have found it amazingly liberating to let go of so many books on subjects I was interested in but they do not represent the theme of the next stage. Some treasures I will save but others I will be heaving.

[Karen]

I liked the early parts of this and got all fired up and started thinking about a theme to organize my decluttering effort and was so motivated that I tackled a drawer, getting rid of bunches of stuff, before I got very far into the book. Then I got bogged down. I could get my head around the S (separate your treasures) and H (heave your trash) but somewhere on the road to the E (embrace yourself) and D (drive for the future), I got frustrated. I didn't want to take time to do activities that would have no immediate impact on clutter, like dredging in my memories to find ones that supported my theme or surveying people I know to get them to describe me, so I stopped reading and kept decluttering. Maybe I'll revisit this at some point; I'm not sure.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what made me borrow this book. I am sure I saw it here on Goodreads and thought it might be interesting and helpful. I'm not much of a self-help fan, but I do have a lot of clutter and am willing to take steps to reduce it. I'm probably a good candidate for one of her consultations and should take her words to heart. The fact that I read this immediately after I finished Saint Maybe, where the main character Ian marries a professional cleaner/organizer got me thinking that perhaps this is one of those odd coincidences in my reading selections that is perhaps some karma or subconscious push. In any case, I read through this book rather rapidly, gleaning from it what I could and at the very least, getting a push to gather a load for Goodwill. I understand that her fundamental concept here is that it is not just enough to get rid of the physical stuff that clutters our life, but to also heave the emotional and behavoiral baggage that propagates it.

interesting quotes:

"The word enthusiasm is defined by Webster's dictionary as 'a strong excitement or feeling.' Its Latin root, enthios, literally means, 'the god within.' By studying your enthusiasms and accepting them, you will gravitate toward the light, and find the best, most natural, most organically satisfying ways to pursue your theme." (p. 225)

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than those you did. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe-harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain (p. 234)

The 4 SHED Steps at a Glance (p. 242)
Step 1: Separate the Treasures. A process of self-discovery that enables you to identify what to preserve from the past and bring with you into the future.
Step 2: Heave the Trash. A time of practical action, in which you release physical and time attachments that are weighing you down, freeing up space to pursue your vision.
Step 3: Embrace Your Identity. A moment to build your self-confidence. Enables you to discover your authentic self, pulling your identity from within, in context with your theme, rather than attaching it to external "stuff."
Step 4: Drive Yourself Forward. A time of proactive exploration, which enables your "something more" to come into focus and finally start taking shape, filling the space left vacant by your Heave with new stuff connected to your theme.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio of this book over the last three days as I've been cleaning out my study/studio/extra bedroom. While I'm not a hoarder (I don't fit the clinical definition by another book I'm listening to written by a psychologist! Thank God!), I do tend to make clutter and become overwhelmed by clutter. I thought this was a great approach to thinking about how clutter can hold us back from our potential. As with any "self-help" book, one should take what one needs from the text and forget about what doesn't apply and don't obssess over things that don't apply!

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly the most interesting reading, but organizational guru Morgenstern has some great advice for people who are suffering from clutter in their lives, including the non-physical kind. For the right person, this book could be very helpful.

[Another · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too complicated. And the "Drive Yourself" brings to mind an overseer cracking a whip. ugh

[Hollie Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

SHED – notes to self

What is Clutter? A Story. A wanderer on a lonely road came upon a torrential stream that had washed out the bridge. He couldn't swim and it was raging too hard to wade across, so he spent many days cutting down trees and vines with his small knife and building a good solid raft. It carried him across the water and once on the other side, he thought, "This is a good raft, if there is another such stream ahead, I could use it." So he carried the raft the rest of his life. (Whoa!)

Something doesn't have to be disorganized to be clutter. A perfectly arranged dresser drawer filled with clothing you never wear is clutter.

This book is about more than decluttering. It’s about those times in life when what you have is not exactly what you want in life.

Enthusiasm - Latin root enthios - "the god within."

People who are really ready for this process always have a bigger goal in mind - there is something they want, even if they don't know what it is.

Questions to ask yourself while sorting through possessions –
What practical value does this item provide?
If I got rid of it, what, specifically would I miss about it?
If it was taken away, would I try to recreate or replace it?
Is it invigorating to my life right now?
As I think about the theme I desire for my future, does this item vibrate with relevance?
What is worth more to me, this object, or the opportunity to achieve my vision?

Manifesting your vision -
When trying to determine your strengths, what you want, or what matters to the person you are, try telling your story in the third person, as if it were about someone else. What would that someone want, or be good at?
Ask 7 to 15 people in your life for 3 to 5 words that, to them, define/describe you. You will be surprised and enlightened by the answers.
Proclaim a period of self-study. Observe objectively your reaction to and thoughts about the world around you. What do you notice? What do you daydream about, and when?

In conclusion – get rid of what does not matter and follow your curiosity

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read many self help type books, but I found this one especially relevant to the little life changes that I'm going through now. I loved that it didn't say "throw all your stuff away and downsize", but rather suggested that you first figure out where you were heading and keep the treasures that will be use in your new direction. The author used a little zen story that I loved....a man is journeying/hiking through wilderness and comes across a river that he must get across. He builds a strong raft from reeds and twigs and it successfully carries him over the river. Because it so successfully met such an important need, the man carried it with him for the rest of his life (just in case another river turned up that he needed to cross). Sigh. Yes, I saw myself in this. I've been lugging around rafts for a long time.

[Kbord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julie Morgenstern has a way of making you feel good about yourself in spite of your self-described flaws.

I saw this book on a shelf and grabbed it on impulse. My mother is a fan of Julie Morgenstern from seeing her shows on television, so I picked it up.

This book shows the process she goes through with several people to clear out their junk--emotional baggage making a physical presence in a person's home, or cluttering up their schedules.

I didn't read the whole book cover to cover (it's not necessarily meant to be read that way). I enjoyed the anecdotes. I never tried any of the steps, but I mulled them over. The advice here does seem to make a lot of sense.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh how I love to throw things away! I even still watch the garbage truck come every week - it's just so exciting! I admit it - I should avoid the middleman and never get some of my junk in the first place. I've read many books on clutter, and my favorite clutter guru will probably always be Don Aslett. Julie Morgenstern's view is unique in that it doesn't really just tell you to throw it all out. She suggests coming up with a theme for your goals in life and then seeing what stuff, time, and habits you want to keep. Then get rid of what doesn't support what you want out of life. I had a lot of aha moments reading this book - and the DI now has many bags of my things.

[Nancy Keay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful book from organizing guru Julie Morgenstern has changed my life for the better. Usually this type of advice says "do this, do that..." but this book aims the arrows into the heart, which is where we all need to start. And then she guides you into discerning the next steps. Her book - "Time Management from the Inside Out" is great as well, helping you get hold of how you really want to be spending your days. The trick to appreciating her SHED book is actually doing the work, not just reading and hoping for a miracle :)

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book for anyone feeling like they're not sure what to do with their current life. I read it in spurts, so I sometimes lost the flow of the example clients referenced, but I definitely plan to reread it. Offers lots of insight into discovering your own unique identity & creating a life theme that fits you. I liked how she helps the reader work out the personal whys behind clutter &/or bad habits.

[Alfred Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

• The “SHED” program enables you to get rid of the possessions, time commitments
and bad habits that have become burdens in your life so you can start anew.
• Use the program to make a change or when unwanted change is thrust upon you.
• SHED stands for “separate” your treasures, “heave” your trash, “embrace” yourself,
and “drive into the future.”
• Before you shed, develop a new theme for the life you want in the future.

[Kirsti · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am taking the first step toward organizing my life . . . by jettisoning this repetitious, simplistic, and blindingly obvious book, which is cluttered with "case studies" that are really just the whining of feckless cake-eaters. Go work in a soup kitchen, you dithering upper-middle-class types, and you'll know how good you have it.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thinking of my messy basement when I checked this out of the library. This book surprised me ~ both in content and delivery. It made me think more about my mental clutter.
I almost think it would be a valuable book to have on everyone's shelf as a reference guide for clearing out home and head.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not your ordinary trash the "stuff" book... she really helps you get to the core of the matter. I have read my share of self help books...(one of these days the messages might stick) but this one is a tad different...I'm not great at explaining the nuances..but suffice to say she "shed" some light on some issues!

[Annette McLeod · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abandoning. Mired in too-detailed example stories and static writing. Good message lost in the execution. Get a dynamic ghost writer next time.

[Jennifer Heise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't finish. Too annoying.

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

SHED is a four step plan to transform your life by shedding unwanted things that clutter your space and time commitments that make you feel overwhelmed, over scheduled, and unproductive. It’s a positive message with good advice!

SHED can be used now and in the future as one evolves and needs to grow in a new way. First you separate the treasures, heave the trash, and embrace your identity. Shedding or downsizing or revising how time is spent is part of growth, goals, and needed change. Clutter is not motivating and it is distracting.

What I really liked about this book is how our use of time is addressed. So often our piles of stuff, clutter or hoards are addressed but time is a contributor to not having the free time to pick up, clean, have hobbies or recharge yourself.

Our use of time can be cluttered too with time wasters, workaholism, perfectionism or the fear of saying no. This book works through solutions and scenarios in a positive way that is motivating to look at how time is spent and to see if it is working for you.

If your space is tidy and organized the book questions if the space could be used better, is the stuff still serving a purpose, or do you have a new vision for how this space should be used. If there is excessive clutter, the SHED process helps with that too.

The book would be a good reference to come back to and implement more to transform your life. It also ties in you as a whole person and the importance of being healthy, making good habits, taking time for hobbies, and to care for ourselves as a whole.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have said before and I will reiterate here. You can find something of value in every book. There were some great points that I can see myself using. However I think that this is a better book for working professionals who are trying to get their entire lives in order.

As I read her advice on procrastination and being chronically late I could see where my daughters, who are out in the workplace every day, could benefit from the information. She actually gives very practical advice and often suggests that you write things down, as a method of processing your journey.

As I read her advice I could see myself being able to take away finding what makes me happy and letting go of commitments and yes objects that don't fit into my current life stage, which is retirement. The book was loaded with examples but again I could see them being far more pertinent to my children than myself.

So I tell you all of this to say, I found value in this book for others, but I felt like it wasn't the right book for me. That is in no way the fault of the author but I just want to give others the heads up.

[Callie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way TOO many stories!!! More time is spent on stories than actual time spent on the tips and advice that the book is meant to help with. I think the author needs to learn from her own advice and shed a lot of the extra words that are in this book. This book could've filled a single chapter with useful information the rest of it could be SHED! I would not recommend this book to someone trying to reduce clutter as it's just more clutter to clear.. It you like reading about other people's problems so that you can feel good about yourself having less problems, then go for it.

[Leesgoodfood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved her first book on organizing, discovered many many years ago and found it very useful. This one is also useful - there ya be a little more self-discovery than I am interested in, but her chapters on sorting out treasure, then heaving the rest to free you up of your life, were very useful. I liked that she covered not just physical clutter but also schedule clutter and habit clutter.
For simplifying and organizing, Stephanie is the best!

[Michelle Lucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book. I didn't realize that I needed to re-organize my life. But when I read her book she talked about how major life transitions can be hard to get through. I thought this book was going to be about minimalism, but it ended up to be so much more helpful than that for me. I learned to get rid of things that were helpful for the last chapter of my life but did not apply to this next one. If you are going through a major life transition this is a really good book to read!

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of feel-good mumbo-jumbo interspersed with reasonable guidance on making positive change in your life. I was on the verge of laughing out loud a few times, but I suppose if you're in desperate straits after having made bad choices, any lifeline may look pretty good. I am sure the author meant well, and it's good to know she seems to have gotten her life together after some serious changes were made necessary.

[Ellen Rosenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be chewing on this book for a while. And trying to make myself follow through with the changes in my life/space that I want to implement, ha! Very fascinating thinking about different angles to the reasons why we keep stuff (not only material items but activities on our calendars and daily habits). I didn't love the layout - skipping back and forth between chapters was annoying. Pretty practical stuff though!