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It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff
When you think of what it will take to clean your house, are you so overwhelmed you throw up your hands and cry "It's all too much"? Do you dream of having a closet where your clothes aren't crammed in so tightly that you can actually get to them? Is your basement filled with boxes of precious family mementos you haven't opened in ten years but are too afraid to toss? Are your kitchen counters overrun with appliances you've never used? Do your kids play in the living room because there's no room left in their playroom? If somewhere along the way you've simply lost the ability to keep your home organized and clutter-free, then It's All Too Much has the solution you've been searching for.
Peter Walsh, the organizational guru from TLC's hit show Clean Sweep, understands how easy it is for clutter to creep into your life and how hard it is to get rid of it. In It's All Too Much, he shares his proven system for letting go of your emotional and physical clutter so that you can create a happier, more stress-free home and life. At last, here is a system for managing your clutter, regaining control, and living the life you imagine for yourself.
Peter has helped clients from every walk of life. With his trademark humor and insight, Peter guides you step-by-step through the very charged process of decluttering your home, organizing your possessions, and reclaiming your life. Going way beyond color-coded boxes and storage bin solutions, It's All Too Much shows you how to reexamine your priorities and let go of the things that are weighing you down. Clearly and simply, Peter gives you the courage you need to go through your home, room by room -- even possession by possession -- and honestly assess what adds to your quality of life and what's keeping you from living the life of your dreams.
Filled with real-life examples and advice for homes of all sizes and personalities, It's All Too Much will set you free from the emotional baggage that goes along with clutter and help you lead a fuller, richer life with less stuff.
230 pages, Hardcover
First published December 12, 2006
337 people are currently reading
7582 people want to read
About the author
Peter Walsh
37 books178 followersBorn and raised in Australia, Peter moved to Los Angeles in 1994 to launch a corporation to help organizations improve employee’s job satisfaction and effectiveness. He considers himself to be part-contractor, part-therapist in his approach to helping individuals attain their goals.
When not wading through clutter and large-scale disorganization, Peter divides his time between his work in Los Angeles and visiting Australia as frequently as possible. Peter’s passions include mid-century architecture and design, home renovation and transforming chaos into order.
When not wading through clutter and large-scale disorganization, Peter divides his time between his work in Los Angeles and visiting Australia as frequently as possible. Peter’s passions include mid-century architecture and design, home renovation and transforming chaos into order.
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November 28, 2008
Okay, I thought this book was fine, but I didn't love it. It may not even be the author's fault. I might have liked it a lot more if it was the first book I read about de-cluttering, and before I had gutted 75% of my house last spring.
I have another book that I loved 100 times more. It was more detailed, more convincing on why to de-clutter, and totally funny. And inspiring. I read it, and I stayed up until midnight for days on end, went without sleep, food or exercise in favor of cleaning out our junk room, and filled up my recycle/garbage bins to overflowing, plus all of my neighbor's cans.
That book is "Clutter's Last Stand: It's Time To De-junk Your Life!" by Don Aslett.
It doesn't seem like emptying your house out of stuff could make you so much happier when you first contemplate it, but it's like losing 50 lbs. Instead of fitting into a new pair of skinny jeans again, you instead finally feel like you can fit in your house. And you don't even realize how much crap you have accumulated until to trash it and breathe freely without it.
You know how you walk through a model home and it looks soooo nice, way nicer than most real homes you see (like yours)? I used to think it was just because of all the nice decorating. Now I think it's more because those houses have zero clutter anywhere. There are no papers stacked on the counters, no toys on the floor in the hall, and the books in the bookshelf have plenty of room to be viewed, plus space for cool looking bookends on each row.
In our house, I accidentally let my mother in law give us a big stack of old church books (from my husband's grandpa's house, which my father in law picked up when nobody else wanted them after his death, and my mother in law didn't want either and offered to us). I am mainly the only one who reads at my house, unless you count my husband's bi-annual book and reading internet articles about stock we own, so you'd think I could pick which books stay and which go.
We have crammed our bookcases with too many books. My first thought is to send all of the ancient church books to D.I., like our ten copies of "Jesus the Christ" and the Book of Mormon (having more copies doesn't make us even a teeny bit more righteous, I swear). But my husband says NO! to ridding ourselves of ANY church books. What the crap?
Me: "Dale, what about this book? It's a book about finding your ancestors and doing family history work. We don't do any family history work, and it was written in 1962, long before computers or any of the things we would use to do it nowadays. Toss, right?"
Dale: "No."
Me: "Huh? What? Why keep it? It's definitely a toss. You're joking, right?"
Dale: "NO!!!"
Me: "What about these books? "History of Utah" (missing the last 60 years of its' history), and "Biblical Sites in Jerusalem". Don't those sound boring? I'll never read them. If I never read them, you will definitely never read them."
Dale: "No!"
Me: " AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Every box we send to D.I. or garbage can we fill makes life a little sweeter. I totally encourage you to get rid of half of the clothes in your closet (half of it you never wear or think you look fat in when you do), dump any books in your house you've already read or probably won't ever read. Get rid of extra pillowcases and sheets your are storing in your closet but never use. Put away (get rid of) half of your kid's toys and clothing. Send food from your pantry you don't like to a food bank. Go through the stacks of papers you have saved (like old Ensign magazines, school work from when you were a kid, old ward directories from places you no longer live, instruction manuals for devices you know how to work (like the vacuum), old wedding announcements (I found some where the people have been divorced a couple years now!), and everything else you can think of.
There's so much crap in our houses we store for no reason, but don't need. If we DO need it again someday, we can buy it for a dollar at D.I. And out of the thousands of things I dumped last spring, I have wanted two things since then: 1. a book about funny English phrases that would have been a good gift for a Russian woman who stayed a couple weeks with me and loved that kind of thing. 2. A picture a friend of mine drew for me when we were best friend's in 4th grade, who I then miraculously reconnected with on Facebook after years and years this fall.
Neither were the end of the world, and not having them was totally worth it because my whole house has been cleaner and more organized for months and months. You'll never miss 99% of what you toss, and even if you do, you'll admit the purge was still worth it.
That's my recommendation. Especially before you get a bunch more crap (shudder) for Christmas, get rid of as much as you can now from your house. And don't be afraid to get rid of crap that you get as a Christmas gift the very next day. The point of getting a gift is to know that the gift giver cares about you, not that they want you to have useless junk taking up room in your house forever. Acknowledge that the person cares about you, maybe keep it for a week at the longest, then get rid of it. We do that when we get flowers. We keep them for about a week (long enough to enjoy them), and then we trash them. Why keep an ugly pocketwatch with weird sketchings on it any longer, just because Grandma bought it for you? They may very well be worth the same price, have the same meaning/intention, but one lasts a week and the other is crap in your house forever. Which would Grandma want for you?
I have another book that I loved 100 times more. It was more detailed, more convincing on why to de-clutter, and totally funny. And inspiring. I read it, and I stayed up until midnight for days on end, went without sleep, food or exercise in favor of cleaning out our junk room, and filled up my recycle/garbage bins to overflowing, plus all of my neighbor's cans.
That book is "Clutter's Last Stand: It's Time To De-junk Your Life!" by Don Aslett.
It doesn't seem like emptying your house out of stuff could make you so much happier when you first contemplate it, but it's like losing 50 lbs. Instead of fitting into a new pair of skinny jeans again, you instead finally feel like you can fit in your house. And you don't even realize how much crap you have accumulated until to trash it and breathe freely without it.
You know how you walk through a model home and it looks soooo nice, way nicer than most real homes you see (like yours)? I used to think it was just because of all the nice decorating. Now I think it's more because those houses have zero clutter anywhere. There are no papers stacked on the counters, no toys on the floor in the hall, and the books in the bookshelf have plenty of room to be viewed, plus space for cool looking bookends on each row.
In our house, I accidentally let my mother in law give us a big stack of old church books (from my husband's grandpa's house, which my father in law picked up when nobody else wanted them after his death, and my mother in law didn't want either and offered to us). I am mainly the only one who reads at my house, unless you count my husband's bi-annual book and reading internet articles about stock we own, so you'd think I could pick which books stay and which go.
We have crammed our bookcases with too many books. My first thought is to send all of the ancient church books to D.I., like our ten copies of "Jesus the Christ" and the Book of Mormon (having more copies doesn't make us even a teeny bit more righteous, I swear). But my husband says NO! to ridding ourselves of ANY church books. What the crap?
Me: "Dale, what about this book? It's a book about finding your ancestors and doing family history work. We don't do any family history work, and it was written in 1962, long before computers or any of the things we would use to do it nowadays. Toss, right?"
Dale: "No."
Me: "Huh? What? Why keep it? It's definitely a toss. You're joking, right?"
Dale: "NO!!!"
Me: "What about these books? "History of Utah" (missing the last 60 years of its' history), and "Biblical Sites in Jerusalem". Don't those sound boring? I'll never read them. If I never read them, you will definitely never read them."
Dale: "No!"
Me: " AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Every box we send to D.I. or garbage can we fill makes life a little sweeter. I totally encourage you to get rid of half of the clothes in your closet (half of it you never wear or think you look fat in when you do), dump any books in your house you've already read or probably won't ever read. Get rid of extra pillowcases and sheets your are storing in your closet but never use. Put away (get rid of) half of your kid's toys and clothing. Send food from your pantry you don't like to a food bank. Go through the stacks of papers you have saved (like old Ensign magazines, school work from when you were a kid, old ward directories from places you no longer live, instruction manuals for devices you know how to work (like the vacuum), old wedding announcements (I found some where the people have been divorced a couple years now!), and everything else you can think of.
There's so much crap in our houses we store for no reason, but don't need. If we DO need it again someday, we can buy it for a dollar at D.I. And out of the thousands of things I dumped last spring, I have wanted two things since then: 1. a book about funny English phrases that would have been a good gift for a Russian woman who stayed a couple weeks with me and loved that kind of thing. 2. A picture a friend of mine drew for me when we were best friend's in 4th grade, who I then miraculously reconnected with on Facebook after years and years this fall.
Neither were the end of the world, and not having them was totally worth it because my whole house has been cleaner and more organized for months and months. You'll never miss 99% of what you toss, and even if you do, you'll admit the purge was still worth it.
That's my recommendation. Especially before you get a bunch more crap (shudder) for Christmas, get rid of as much as you can now from your house. And don't be afraid to get rid of crap that you get as a Christmas gift the very next day. The point of getting a gift is to know that the gift giver cares about you, not that they want you to have useless junk taking up room in your house forever. Acknowledge that the person cares about you, maybe keep it for a week at the longest, then get rid of it. We do that when we get flowers. We keep them for about a week (long enough to enjoy them), and then we trash them. Why keep an ugly pocketwatch with weird sketchings on it any longer, just because Grandma bought it for you? They may very well be worth the same price, have the same meaning/intention, but one lasts a week and the other is crap in your house forever. Which would Grandma want for you?
March 1, 2008
Peter Walsh is a self-styled expert in the area of organizational consulting. According to his website he considers himself to be "part contractor and part therapist in his approach to helping individuals attain their goals." He doesn't mention any particular credentials.
I disagree with Walsh about clutter in general; he seems to have zero tolerance for it while I don't think there is anything wrong with a little bit of clutter. A few piles of assorted stuff around a home make it look interesting, lived in and human, IMHO.
When I took his clutter quiz (twice, and I cheated the second time), I scored as a "hard-core hoarder." I'll be the first to admit that I have too much stuff and could stand to be a lot more organized. But I can find all of my important documents and my keys, and there is plenty of room in my front closet for guests' coats. My poor test score results largely from the fact that I have some outdated prescriptions in my medicine cabinet, a couple of dirty coffee cups in my sink, and I own 2 or 3 pairs of jeans that no longer fit. (Walsh's quiz is an all or nothing approach; you get the same score whether you have one pair or 100 pairs of unusable jeans in your closet)
He does share some excellent ideas for controlling clutter and a few philosophical observations that are worth taking to heart. But there isn't much here that is new. There is lots of organizational folk wisdom which may or may not be true ("we wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time") and makes sweeping recommendations that may or may not be valuable in all cases ("if you haven't used it in a year, get rid of it"). He's very bossy, too. For example, he forbids you to put a desk in your bedroom even if that's the only place in the house for it, and he doesn't want anything stored beneath the bed. (This made me think immediately of Amy Dacyczyn of "Tightwad Gazette" fame who said if your home was tiny with limited storage and you wanted to make some frugal bulk purchases, why not store cases of canned goods under your bed? I wonder what Peter Walsh would think about that!)
Some of his ideas were simply lost on me. While I know that I'm pathologically sentimental, I also know that a photo of my mom's teapot is not the same as having the teapot itself.
Finally, Walsh attaches a bit more meaning to some cluttery habits than they probably deserve. The reason people don't want to give away their books, he suggests, is because they believe that "owning the book is equivalent to owning the knowledge in the book." He urges readers to "declutter their parenting," (I have no idea what this means) and notes that if your home is cluttered, you are telling your children that "we are all powerless to change things in our lives." Now I know that he is often talking about the kind of home where children have to tunnel through 6-foot high stacks of newspapers to get to the kitchen for a snack. But the problem is that the people who create these homes have psychological issues that even a part-therapist like Walsh can't fix.
For anyone who just wants to pare down a little and neaten things up around their house, this book has some useful tips, but most of them could have been summarized in a magazine article.
I disagree with Walsh about clutter in general; he seems to have zero tolerance for it while I don't think there is anything wrong with a little bit of clutter. A few piles of assorted stuff around a home make it look interesting, lived in and human, IMHO.
When I took his clutter quiz (twice, and I cheated the second time), I scored as a "hard-core hoarder." I'll be the first to admit that I have too much stuff and could stand to be a lot more organized. But I can find all of my important documents and my keys, and there is plenty of room in my front closet for guests' coats. My poor test score results largely from the fact that I have some outdated prescriptions in my medicine cabinet, a couple of dirty coffee cups in my sink, and I own 2 or 3 pairs of jeans that no longer fit. (Walsh's quiz is an all or nothing approach; you get the same score whether you have one pair or 100 pairs of unusable jeans in your closet)
He does share some excellent ideas for controlling clutter and a few philosophical observations that are worth taking to heart. But there isn't much here that is new. There is lots of organizational folk wisdom which may or may not be true ("we wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time") and makes sweeping recommendations that may or may not be valuable in all cases ("if you haven't used it in a year, get rid of it"). He's very bossy, too. For example, he forbids you to put a desk in your bedroom even if that's the only place in the house for it, and he doesn't want anything stored beneath the bed. (This made me think immediately of Amy Dacyczyn of "Tightwad Gazette" fame who said if your home was tiny with limited storage and you wanted to make some frugal bulk purchases, why not store cases of canned goods under your bed? I wonder what Peter Walsh would think about that!)
Some of his ideas were simply lost on me. While I know that I'm pathologically sentimental, I also know that a photo of my mom's teapot is not the same as having the teapot itself.
Finally, Walsh attaches a bit more meaning to some cluttery habits than they probably deserve. The reason people don't want to give away their books, he suggests, is because they believe that "owning the book is equivalent to owning the knowledge in the book." He urges readers to "declutter their parenting," (I have no idea what this means) and notes that if your home is cluttered, you are telling your children that "we are all powerless to change things in our lives." Now I know that he is often talking about the kind of home where children have to tunnel through 6-foot high stacks of newspapers to get to the kitchen for a snack. But the problem is that the people who create these homes have psychological issues that even a part-therapist like Walsh can't fix.
For anyone who just wants to pare down a little and neaten things up around their house, this book has some useful tips, but most of them could have been summarized in a magazine article.
May 11, 2023
Peter Walsh and I have an interesting history. I was first introduced to him when he starred as the organizational guru on TLC's Clean Sweep, a show my mom used to watch alongside While You Were Out every single weekday when I was in high school. Since then, she has also listened to his audiobooks, many of which I've borrowed from the library where I am currently employed.
As much as it pains me to admit it, I am a bit of a hoarder; earlier this year, I got rid of all the books and DVDs that weren't in my local libraries' catalogs, and ended up purging umpteen bags of media! I've done somewhat better recently--at least all of my movies and literature can fit on my shelves--but, I still struggle a bit with clutter...which is why I needed to read this book.
Mr. Walsh is right: America does suffer from an epidemic of "stuff". It seems like us Yanks just can't have enough; as the song says, "We just want more, and more, and more...until it's all we can afford." Even though this was written years ago, his advice is timelier than ever; if you have a clutter problem, you should definitely read this.
The one issue I take is with Mr. Walsh's words on iTunes; he says that you should copy your CDs to your computer using such a program, and then toss them...but, that's illegal. In order to have a copy of any physical media--compact disc, DVD, VHS tape, etc.--on your hard drive, you have to have legal ownership of that media. It may sound stupid, but, that's the law. (At least, that's what I've heard; am I wrong?)
As much as it pains me to admit it, I am a bit of a hoarder; earlier this year, I got rid of all the books and DVDs that weren't in my local libraries' catalogs, and ended up purging umpteen bags of media! I've done somewhat better recently--at least all of my movies and literature can fit on my shelves--but, I still struggle a bit with clutter...which is why I needed to read this book.
Mr. Walsh is right: America does suffer from an epidemic of "stuff". It seems like us Yanks just can't have enough; as the song says, "We just want more, and more, and more...until it's all we can afford." Even though this was written years ago, his advice is timelier than ever; if you have a clutter problem, you should definitely read this.
The one issue I take is with Mr. Walsh's words on iTunes; he says that you should copy your CDs to your computer using such a program, and then toss them...but, that's illegal. In order to have a copy of any physical media--compact disc, DVD, VHS tape, etc.--on your hard drive, you have to have legal ownership of that media. It may sound stupid, but, that's the law. (At least, that's what I've heard; am I wrong?)
February 10, 2009
and my obsession with organizational books continues…
I liked this one. Seems like a cool guy.
2/2009: edit to add another star and this note:
Apparently I more than liked this book. I have read it two more times. This is odd. I don't have clutter and am somewhat of a minimalist. Why has this book been almost a spiritual experience for me?
He asks Big Questions. What do you want your life to be like? Does your living space reflect that? I love his message that we should relate to people rather than be possessed by our things. Go outside rather than shop indoors. Make memories rather than scrapbooks.
"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." William Morris
This book is basically the above quote further examined.
I liked this one. Seems like a cool guy.
2/2009: edit to add another star and this note:
Apparently I more than liked this book. I have read it two more times. This is odd. I don't have clutter and am somewhat of a minimalist. Why has this book been almost a spiritual experience for me?
He asks Big Questions. What do you want your life to be like? Does your living space reflect that? I love his message that we should relate to people rather than be possessed by our things. Go outside rather than shop indoors. Make memories rather than scrapbooks.
"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." William Morris
This book is basically the above quote further examined.
February 17, 2008
I have always considered myself to be an organized person, but in the past few years, with two kids, a full time job and a slew of volunteer commitments, that intrinsic organizational skill seems to take a vacation.
I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend and also because I loved Peter Walsh on Clean Sweep.
While my home doesn't even remotely look like the ones he worked on for TLC, I confess to the problem of "too much stuff". My cabinets, drawers and my closets are my personal Waterloo.
But the Waterloo has been met, and the tide is turning!
After reading a chapter,I would feel compelled to put the book down, hop up and do a 10 minute "Mini Sweep".
My method may not follow true to form to the book, but the sense of satisfaction I am getting in return is enormous.
Highly recommended for everyone, not just die hard hoarders!
I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend and also because I loved Peter Walsh on Clean Sweep.
While my home doesn't even remotely look like the ones he worked on for TLC, I confess to the problem of "too much stuff". My cabinets, drawers and my closets are my personal Waterloo.
But the Waterloo has been met, and the tide is turning!
After reading a chapter,I would feel compelled to put the book down, hop up and do a 10 minute "Mini Sweep".
My method may not follow true to form to the book, but the sense of satisfaction I am getting in return is enormous.
Highly recommended for everyone, not just die hard hoarders!
October 11, 2009
I'll start with some background. I consider myself a fairly organized person, and I throw a lot of stuff out. I don't buy a lot. It's common for me to walk through a store and come out without making a purchase. I do not feel the need to acquire lots of stuff to make my life whole. I can find my keys, my papers, and my wallet -- immediately.
Nonetheless, after reading just a few chapters into this book, I put it down and yanked some photos and papers off my shelf -- items I did not want but felt obligated to keep track of for various reasons -- and threw them in the recycling. Freedom!
I went through my clothes and threw out or donated everything I didn't wear (with, I admit, one exception -- but I'll get to it). I combed my bookshelf and recycled or donated whatever was not consistent with my life goals. Several of these "toss" books, I'll add, were titles I purchased years ago and never read. Looks like I need to think twice before I buy from Amazon! I pulled out everything from under the bed, recycled most of my old sketchbooks, donated things I didn't even know were under there.
I even dug into the dreaded "black hole" in the corner of my closet. A few items from there are still in my room, pending a usefulness check, but most of it is either in the trash or at Goodwill now. A few model horses that haven't seen the light of day for years went to neighbor girls who were happy to get them. Gone also are the cardboard boxes these things were stored in.
I continue to look for things I can throw out, and will think harder before bringing new stuff into my room. My purge showed me that some of my "must-have" purchases were really impulse buys. Others gave me pleasure at the time but have outlasted their usefulness to my situation. It was an eye-opening experience.
What really helped me see my possessions differently was the author's assertion, towards the beginning of the book, that de-cluttering is not about "the stuff." It's about envisioning the life you want to have, the ways you want to spend your time, and then going over your living space and eliminating everything that is not consistent with that vision. That's what I needed to hear before I could throw away certain items that were "owning me." If they were so important, why did I wish they would disappear and free me from having to keep track of them?
Since my big clean-up, I have been drawing and writing more freely. My mind is clearer. I feel better about myself and my surroundings. I hope to cut down on impulse spending on the future, and I'm sure having that clear vision for what I want to be and do will help me better evaluate purchases before I make them. I used to think I didn't have enough money, but now I see that I was spending a fair chunk of it on unneeded and ultimately unwanted items.
I also appreciated learning that "the space you have is all you have" and that clutter does not happen because your space is too small -- it happens because there's too much stuff for the space, and it's okay to live within your limits. In fact if you accept your limits instead of overstuffing a small space, you'll be much happier and accomplish more.
This book flies in the face of materialism, instant gratification, and other related pillars of popular culture. That's probably why it's so good at helping people de-"stuff" their homes.
Highly recommended. But really, you probably won't need to read it more than once, so get it from the library and avoid jamming up your bookshelf with more "once-reads" clutter.
Nonetheless, after reading just a few chapters into this book, I put it down and yanked some photos and papers off my shelf -- items I did not want but felt obligated to keep track of for various reasons -- and threw them in the recycling. Freedom!
I went through my clothes and threw out or donated everything I didn't wear (with, I admit, one exception -- but I'll get to it). I combed my bookshelf and recycled or donated whatever was not consistent with my life goals. Several of these "toss" books, I'll add, were titles I purchased years ago and never read. Looks like I need to think twice before I buy from Amazon! I pulled out everything from under the bed, recycled most of my old sketchbooks, donated things I didn't even know were under there.
I even dug into the dreaded "black hole" in the corner of my closet. A few items from there are still in my room, pending a usefulness check, but most of it is either in the trash or at Goodwill now. A few model horses that haven't seen the light of day for years went to neighbor girls who were happy to get them. Gone also are the cardboard boxes these things were stored in.
I continue to look for things I can throw out, and will think harder before bringing new stuff into my room. My purge showed me that some of my "must-have" purchases were really impulse buys. Others gave me pleasure at the time but have outlasted their usefulness to my situation. It was an eye-opening experience.
What really helped me see my possessions differently was the author's assertion, towards the beginning of the book, that de-cluttering is not about "the stuff." It's about envisioning the life you want to have, the ways you want to spend your time, and then going over your living space and eliminating everything that is not consistent with that vision. That's what I needed to hear before I could throw away certain items that were "owning me." If they were so important, why did I wish they would disappear and free me from having to keep track of them?
Since my big clean-up, I have been drawing and writing more freely. My mind is clearer. I feel better about myself and my surroundings. I hope to cut down on impulse spending on the future, and I'm sure having that clear vision for what I want to be and do will help me better evaluate purchases before I make them. I used to think I didn't have enough money, but now I see that I was spending a fair chunk of it on unneeded and ultimately unwanted items.
I also appreciated learning that "the space you have is all you have" and that clutter does not happen because your space is too small -- it happens because there's too much stuff for the space, and it's okay to live within your limits. In fact if you accept your limits instead of overstuffing a small space, you'll be much happier and accomplish more.
This book flies in the face of materialism, instant gratification, and other related pillars of popular culture. That's probably why it's so good at helping people de-"stuff" their homes.
Highly recommended. But really, you probably won't need to read it more than once, so get it from the library and avoid jamming up your bookshelf with more "once-reads" clutter.
March 24, 2008
This book is for people who are overwhelmed by the accumulation of stuff in their homes. They yearn for clean, empty spaces, but they just don’t know where to start.
Peter Walsh is the Dr. Phil of neat and tidy. If your house looks like the bargain basement of the local discount store at the end of the Boxing Day sales, and you’re sick of it, you need this book.
Walsh is a lively enough writer to keep you modestly entertained while he is putting his ideas across. His fundamental philosophy is that you cannot just start tidying aimlessly - the stuff will creep back just as the weight creeps back when you go on a diet (if you ever manage to get rid of either of them in the first place).To clean up your house, you must first decide what kind of a life you are trying to achieve, then you must decide how your house should contribute to your life, and you must determine the purpose of each and every room in reaching your objective. Only those items in the house that truly support your vision should be kept. The rest of the stuff is clutter and should go.
But knowing where you want to get to is, as scientists and mathematicians are wont to say, necessary but not sufficient. Walsh provides solid, workable mechanisms for applying his philosophy. You will, for example, inevitably have disagreements with the other occupants of the house. He tells you how to resolve them. He understands that the problem of clutter lies in the difficulty of letting go, not of an object itself, which is just a thing, but of its associations - the dreams it was to help you fulfil, or the memory of the grandmother who gave it to you or the child who played with it twenty years ago - and he helps you separate the real from the false.
If you buy this book, don’t just add it to the pile in your living room. Use it and you won’t have a pile in your living room.
Now, if only I could figure out why my daughter gave it to me. I don’t need it. But she did, and she is my daughter, so I guess I’ll have to keep it in case I hurt her feelings.
Peter Walsh is the Dr. Phil of neat and tidy. If your house looks like the bargain basement of the local discount store at the end of the Boxing Day sales, and you’re sick of it, you need this book.
Walsh is a lively enough writer to keep you modestly entertained while he is putting his ideas across. His fundamental philosophy is that you cannot just start tidying aimlessly - the stuff will creep back just as the weight creeps back when you go on a diet (if you ever manage to get rid of either of them in the first place).To clean up your house, you must first decide what kind of a life you are trying to achieve, then you must decide how your house should contribute to your life, and you must determine the purpose of each and every room in reaching your objective. Only those items in the house that truly support your vision should be kept. The rest of the stuff is clutter and should go.
But knowing where you want to get to is, as scientists and mathematicians are wont to say, necessary but not sufficient. Walsh provides solid, workable mechanisms for applying his philosophy. You will, for example, inevitably have disagreements with the other occupants of the house. He tells you how to resolve them. He understands that the problem of clutter lies in the difficulty of letting go, not of an object itself, which is just a thing, but of its associations - the dreams it was to help you fulfil, or the memory of the grandmother who gave it to you or the child who played with it twenty years ago - and he helps you separate the real from the false.
If you buy this book, don’t just add it to the pile in your living room. Use it and you won’t have a pile in your living room.
Now, if only I could figure out why my daughter gave it to me. I don’t need it. But she did, and she is my daughter, so I guess I’ll have to keep it in case I hurt her feelings.
January 17, 2010
Nice to have a book on organizing that approaches the problem from a different angle. Instead of what containers/system would work best, Peter Walsh asks what do you really want out of your life? Is your home getting in the way of that? What do you want to use this room/space for? What things in this room get in the way of that? Sparks a more heartfelt approach to decluttering that helps keeps your stuff from getting in the way of your life.
November 18, 2024
2.75 to 3 stars
Typical organizer book. Not as specific as some de-clutter books, probably more verbal encouragement than actual steps to de-clutter.
One of the things I did take away from the reading was to set a time. Whether it is one day of the week or a certain time of the day. Set it and stay with it - every day or week. And secondly to make more than one swipe at the clutter, starting with a FAST pace (F = fix a time, A = anything not used in the last year, S = someone else's stuff and T = trash.) The first pass is to separate your stuff - by throwing away what you should and giving away what you can. During a second pass you can take more time and look over the things you kept that you may be undecided about.
Keep in mind that your clutter did not accumulate in just days - more than likely it is years worth of clutter. Therefore it won't be cleaned up in mere days - it may take weeks or even longer to clean it up. But working at it steadily is the key and then weekly maintenance is a must.
Typical organizer book. Not as specific as some de-clutter books, probably more verbal encouragement than actual steps to de-clutter.
One of the things I did take away from the reading was to set a time. Whether it is one day of the week or a certain time of the day. Set it and stay with it - every day or week. And secondly to make more than one swipe at the clutter, starting with a FAST pace (F = fix a time, A = anything not used in the last year, S = someone else's stuff and T = trash.) The first pass is to separate your stuff - by throwing away what you should and giving away what you can. During a second pass you can take more time and look over the things you kept that you may be undecided about.
Keep in mind that your clutter did not accumulate in just days - more than likely it is years worth of clutter. Therefore it won't be cleaned up in mere days - it may take weeks or even longer to clean it up. But working at it steadily is the key and then weekly maintenance is a must.
December 9, 2011
This is a perfect book for me to be reading now, but it's not surprising I had to renew my library copy 3 times before I even got around to starting it. Peter Walsh makes some big claims about how we'll all live a better life after we clean up the clutter that is overrunning our homes. He feels that our stuff comes to own us, and that we no longer own our stuff. Not only will we have an organised, clutter free house that will allow us to have a dinner party at the drop of a hat and without any rushed cleaning- we'll also enjoy more outer calm from our inner peace, we'll be better at work, better in our relationships. We'll be richer, less stressed, happier and more focused. Wow. It's all rather Oprah really. We have to start by imagining the life you want. And then work out what you want the function of each room to be. Then only the things that support this function should be in that space. He does a kickstart with the surface clutter. And has a F.A.S.T plan.
Fix a time
Then concentrate on 3 types of clutter in your living spaces
Anything not used for 12 months (time to go)
Someone else's stuff (give it back)
Trash- get rid of it.
He then goes through the house systematically by rooms
-refer to your Room Function Chart
-establish Zones for the different activities
-remove what doesn't belong in the room.
I'm just starting on the decluttering project. Not sure how Amazing my life will be when I finish, but at least I won't have to say ""This is not my beautiful house"". And don't you just love how I've summarized the book here, and now I can take it back to the library, and declutter my house one book at a time!
Fix a time
Then concentrate on 3 types of clutter in your living spaces
Anything not used for 12 months (time to go)
Someone else's stuff (give it back)
Trash- get rid of it.
He then goes through the house systematically by rooms
-refer to your Room Function Chart
-establish Zones for the different activities
-remove what doesn't belong in the room.
I'm just starting on the decluttering project. Not sure how Amazing my life will be when I finish, but at least I won't have to say ""This is not my beautiful house"". And don't you just love how I've summarized the book here, and now I can take it back to the library, and declutter my house one book at a time!
September 27, 2007
I've read several home organization books, and this one was a little different, in a good way. The author has you visualize what kind of life you want and how you want each room of your house to look and feel, before you even start decluttering. He claims that the clutter really isn't about "the stuff," and I know that to be true. There ends up being a lot of shame and guilt about clutter, self-recriminations, "why can't I keep the house straightened?" Etc. Visualizing what I really want has helped me to get around the shame and step toward my vision instead. It has a different feel to it this way.
Some good advice in this book. Some of it you've heard before, but he has a good approach.
Some good advice in this book. Some of it you've heard before, but he has a good approach.
January 28, 2010
Pregnancy has put me in nesting mode, so I've been on a crazy cleaning and organizing tear these last couple of weeks. I don't really think I have too much clutter in my home -- I'm not a hoarder, and I regularly get rid of things I don't need. But, the issue is that mainly with a hectic life (job, kids, errands, gym, etc.), things don't always get put back where they belong. And as a result my house gets messy...and I find a messy house stressful. So I like books like this one because even though the bulk of what they say is common sense (i.e., get rid of an old item when you buy a new one), I always come away with a few helpful tidbits I hadn't thought of and a renewed motivation to make sure everything in my house has a place.
Walsh's book is better than most in this genre in that it really encourages focusing on a room's function and ridding the room of excess items that don't have a function in that room. That method of thinking alone has been encouragement to relocate some things in my house (like my son's toys that are perpetually in my bedroom) and think about what and how much stuff we really need. I even got rid of two entire bookshelves' worth of books!
Walsh's book is better than most in this genre in that it really encourages focusing on a room's function and ridding the room of excess items that don't have a function in that room. That method of thinking alone has been encouragement to relocate some things in my house (like my son's toys that are perpetually in my bedroom) and think about what and how much stuff we really need. I even got rid of two entire bookshelves' worth of books!
June 21, 2008
This book rocked my world! The title says it all, really. I've never watched the author's show, but I love this book! The author has you analyze your stuff and why you're keeping it. It's a great shot of perspective, and has practical ways to go about methodically going through your stuff and thinning, trashing or caring for your things. I found my attachment to what is essentially "junk" disappear after reading this; there is something profound in his analysis of how we value and overvalue our possessions, and it just makes so much sense. It helped me see how tenuous my attachment to my stuff is, or in many cases, to other people's stuff that I'm storing for them! This book is not as kind as Julia Morgensterns's excellent organizing books, but boy, does it get the job done! He's more of a tosser-outer than Morgenstern, but sometimes we need tough-love when it comes to deciding the fate of Great Gramma's Electrolux!
May 13, 2015
I've read this one before, but it's the kind of book you can come back to. It provides inspiration and encouragement for dealing with all the stuff that clutters the average home. At times it gets quite philosophical, acknowledging that a large amount of clutter can be just as much a mental or emotional problem as a physical one, and the author talks a lot about the deeper personal benefits of decluttering.
There are lots of inspirational stories of people with truly desperate clutter situations who managed to sort and organise their way to a better, more fulfilling life. Armed with that kind of encouragement, plus practical solutions to navigating the inevitable battles with family members, this book leaves you feeling energised and ready to take on the challenge of decluttering both your life and your home.
There are lots of inspirational stories of people with truly desperate clutter situations who managed to sort and organise their way to a better, more fulfilling life. Armed with that kind of encouragement, plus practical solutions to navigating the inevitable battles with family members, this book leaves you feeling energised and ready to take on the challenge of decluttering both your life and your home.
April 6, 2007
"How to live a richer life with less stuff..." when I saw this book at my store, it spoke directly to me. I finished it within a couple of hours, and it actually made me want to go upstairs and trash those old term papers that I haven't looked at since college! The part where Walsh talks about book clutter was especially relevant, but I don't think I'm ready to part with any of mine. He has some sensible, easy to follow advice that I'd better start listening to.
February 15, 2012
My parents always had books in the house. We had fiction and non-fiction which matched the things they were interested in. They had four children and ALL of us like to read. Yes, even though boys notoriously are often not readers, both of my brothers are avid readers. This is another of the books that my brother, Gordon recommended to my sister, Barb and I. How well does he know us, huh?! It was definately a winner. Now all I have to do is put it into practice.
Barb and I started reading this book aloud, together since she had already purchased it. We reached page 22 and took the "clutter quiz". Scary! We didn't come out as "hard core hoarders" but we were the highest you could get in the "clutter victim" category without spilling over.
The book was written clearly and simply and really did help you to think about reasons for why you keep things. It also emphasized that if you are keeping something because it has a high sentimental value to you than it should be showcased as an item of value and on display rather than jammed away in a closet somewhere.
I have already started weeding some things out. Just the other day I went through one of my cupboards and got it organized and outdated things hit the garbage can. Ahh, I feel lighter already. Not really, I have so far to go it isn't funny. One step at a time.
As Peter Walsh says, we have so much that we no longer own our stuff, but our stuff owns us. I have been captive for years. Stay tuned to see if I ever get free! Maybe Peter wants to come over to my place next week?!
Barb and I started reading this book aloud, together since she had already purchased it. We reached page 22 and took the "clutter quiz". Scary! We didn't come out as "hard core hoarders" but we were the highest you could get in the "clutter victim" category without spilling over.
The book was written clearly and simply and really did help you to think about reasons for why you keep things. It also emphasized that if you are keeping something because it has a high sentimental value to you than it should be showcased as an item of value and on display rather than jammed away in a closet somewhere.
I have already started weeding some things out. Just the other day I went through one of my cupboards and got it organized and outdated things hit the garbage can. Ahh, I feel lighter already. Not really, I have so far to go it isn't funny. One step at a time.
As Peter Walsh says, we have so much that we no longer own our stuff, but our stuff owns us. I have been captive for years. Stay tuned to see if I ever get free! Maybe Peter wants to come over to my place next week?!
December 27, 2012
Glad I read this one. I learned some new strategies for clearing up the clutter in my home, but more importantly, I think, is the reality that I have limited storage space and that a good deal of what is using up that storage space currently, is stuff I haven't used during the five years I have lived in this house. So, if I want more storage space for the things I have used or the things that add value or beauty to my life, I need to clear out the stuff that does not do either of those things.
For me, it will be a massive undertaking. Throwing out, recycling and finding a much more peaceful and happy daily life at the end, will be a motivating force for me.
Walsh gives you concrete plans for tackling every room in your home and the how and why of doing it. Here are just two ideas of many that I found most helpful to my change of perception and perspective: from page 90 "Mementos are not memories";from page 91 "Remember that rooms serve functions". "Life is lived in the present, not in the future or past".
One cautionary word of advice that sprang from these pages and is nothing short of pure common sense is this ". . . learn how to balance the stuff you want to own with the space you have for it". Lesson learned, I think. Time will tell.
For me, it will be a massive undertaking. Throwing out, recycling and finding a much more peaceful and happy daily life at the end, will be a motivating force for me.
Walsh gives you concrete plans for tackling every room in your home and the how and why of doing it. Here are just two ideas of many that I found most helpful to my change of perception and perspective: from page 90 "Mementos are not memories";from page 91 "Remember that rooms serve functions". "Life is lived in the present, not in the future or past".
One cautionary word of advice that sprang from these pages and is nothing short of pure common sense is this ". . . learn how to balance the stuff you want to own with the space you have for it". Lesson learned, I think. Time will tell.
July 15, 2015
Very helpfully inspirational, even though I didn't actually *like* the book all that much. (I've read much kinder and gentler organization books, but then again, this approach might be more effective.) The author does a great job of pushing readers to let go of "the stuff" and move on to the more interesting and more important business of living their lives, in the present. He has no patience for excuses about why people think they need to hold on to "treasures" if they're stashed away accumulating dust. If you're not honoring and respecting an item, you don't need to be keeping it. Live in the present. Establish limits and routines. Take the time now to deal with it all. Imagine - and work toward - the life you want.
In addition to advocating a general attitude shift and redefined relationship to possessions, the book has practical suggestions for addressing individual rooms in your home (although it was a bit annoying that it assumed pretty stereotypical suburban houses), specific tips for addressing such things as incoming mail (pg 145) and filing systems (pg 147), and helpful suggestions for establishing new clean-up rituals for every month of the year.
A good choice to read and revisit, but not to own (certainly wouldn't want it to add to the clutter!).
In addition to advocating a general attitude shift and redefined relationship to possessions, the book has practical suggestions for addressing individual rooms in your home (although it was a bit annoying that it assumed pretty stereotypical suburban houses), specific tips for addressing such things as incoming mail (pg 145) and filing systems (pg 147), and helpful suggestions for establishing new clean-up rituals for every month of the year.
A good choice to read and revisit, but not to own (certainly wouldn't want it to add to the clutter!).
September 3, 2011
The beauty of this book is that I can't tell you what exactly made it effective for me except for the fact that I have felt a HUGE shift. I am currently living differently, in a different mind set and in a different physical realm so to speak. My tiny house is feeling freer and more spacious. I am feeling better in my relationships, more organized in my every day life functions. I am not bogged down by clutter, and not feeling like a deer in the headlights, unsure of what to do, where to start, or lacking the energy & motivation to do so. I am having an easier time letting go of things & giving things away. My head is clear, along with the flat surfaces. I am feeling like I am able to keep it up as well, as I know I am worth it. I am seeing positive changes in my family members as well. This book was life changing in that it addressed with the underlying reasons for clutter....not the stuff itself. It's never about the stuff. Many organization books talk about how to organize and what to do with the stuff, but I have found that doesn't work for the long term. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love hate relationship with clutter.
March 16, 2011
I''m not a pack rat, but i can always use a little motivation, or ideas for fine tuning home organization. Peter Walsh is SO good at what he does, so it's fabulous that he's written a book to help more people. I've read other clutter books and this is probably the best one out there. Others may have great, practical tips, but Walsh had a special gift for speaking to the heart. Clutter is all about what's in our heart and mind.
My favorite lightbulb moment while reading the book::: All my life I've fought the idea of making the bed. It's like tying your shoes after you take them off. For the first time ever, I now understand WHY I should make the bed. Walsh explains how the bed anchors and sets the tone. " you need to create the right mood and and set the tone for the whole space. A well-made bed does this by encouraging order and inspiring calm.... You know how nice it is to walk into a hotel room with fresh sheets and a tightly made bed...". Yes! I do! Finally, I'm convinced to make my bed.
My favorite lightbulb moment while reading the book::: All my life I've fought the idea of making the bed. It's like tying your shoes after you take them off. For the first time ever, I now understand WHY I should make the bed. Walsh explains how the bed anchors and sets the tone. " you need to create the right mood and and set the tone for the whole space. A well-made bed does this by encouraging order and inspiring calm.... You know how nice it is to walk into a hotel room with fresh sheets and a tightly made bed...". Yes! I do! Finally, I'm convinced to make my bed.
June 19, 2007
Wow, this book was helpful. See, I'm a second generation pack-rat; I grew up with piles of papers on the dining room table and clutter everywhere. I've actually read quite a few of these self-help organization style books, but this was the first one that addressed the real issue with living you life in a pig-sty: you are cheating yourself out of the life you want to live. When put that way, parting with all the crap I've been lugging around since I moved out of my parents' house has become much easier. Maybe someday I will even have a room nice enough to invite people into. :)
November 30, 2015
I used to be sentimental about possessions, but the past few ears have seen me shed most of that sentimentality. The last vestiges are clinging pretty tightly, but this book is helping me assess where that sentimentality is coming from, whether it's making my life better (it isn't), and what to do about it.
Even before reading this, I had gotten rid of so much stuff it was shocking. Every bit of junk discarded makes me feel a little freer.
Even before reading this, I had gotten rid of so much stuff it was shocking. Every bit of junk discarded makes me feel a little freer.
December 26, 2012
I feel like this book is a must-read by anyone who needs permission to let go of STUFF in their homes. This author gives great tips, but more than that, by reading through a whole book reinforcing how to deal with "stuff" and getting organized, my frame of mind changed. Even if you don't take his literal advice, you can benefit from the organization mentality he reinforces throughout the book.
February 22, 2009
Peter Peter Peter. Must you ask me to reflect on my goals for my life and my living space? Can't you just tell me how to stop being a slob? I AM AN AMERICAN . . . I expect solutions to be immediate and painless.
Actually, I thought this was quite good. The author has a TV show called Clean Sweep, which I don't think I have ever seen. The book is really designed for a woman who lives in the suburbs, is married, has small children, and has a house and a yard and a garage. However, Walsh tries to provide information for others who may not have exactly that situation.
Can you believe that some people save their kid's first dirty diaper? Walsh insists that he's seen this more than once.
While listening to this, I jettisoned three bags full of junk mail, shredded a few years' worth of old bills and tax returns, did laundry, cleaned the kitchen, and reorganized my cookbook shelves. I did not reimagine my life, develop a purpose and plan for each room of my home, or commit to an ambitious year-round cleaning-and-organizing plan. Oh well.
Actually, I thought this was quite good. The author has a TV show called Clean Sweep, which I don't think I have ever seen. The book is really designed for a woman who lives in the suburbs, is married, has small children, and has a house and a yard and a garage. However, Walsh tries to provide information for others who may not have exactly that situation.
Can you believe that some people save their kid's first dirty diaper? Walsh insists that he's seen this more than once.
While listening to this, I jettisoned three bags full of junk mail, shredded a few years' worth of old bills and tax returns, did laundry, cleaned the kitchen, and reorganized my cookbook shelves. I did not reimagine my life, develop a purpose and plan for each room of my home, or commit to an ambitious year-round cleaning-and-organizing plan. Oh well.
January 29, 2011
So much of this book resonated with me.
It's a perfect follow-up to The Story of Stuff, at least it is for me, since it turns the reasoning of keeping things (both emotional and logical thinking) on its head.
I like that he takes the approach that American society IS a consuming society and unless you consciously decide otherwise, you WILL have to deal with too much stuff in your life many many times.
This quote, at the end of the book, is something I really liked and will keep me going with this, no clutter life, thing:
'When your home is overrun with clutter, the silent message you are sending to your children is, "I don't like this, but I can't change it." You're telling them, "We can't better ourselves or alter our circumstances." You're saying, "We are all powerless to change things in our lives." You are teaching a message of hopelessness to your children and reinforcing this message every day.'
It's a perfect follow-up to The Story of Stuff, at least it is for me, since it turns the reasoning of keeping things (both emotional and logical thinking) on its head.
I like that he takes the approach that American society IS a consuming society and unless you consciously decide otherwise, you WILL have to deal with too much stuff in your life many many times.
This quote, at the end of the book, is something I really liked and will keep me going with this, no clutter life, thing:
'When your home is overrun with clutter, the silent message you are sending to your children is, "I don't like this, but I can't change it." You're telling them, "We can't better ourselves or alter our circumstances." You're saying, "We are all powerless to change things in our lives." You are teaching a message of hopelessness to your children and reinforcing this message every day.'
January 11, 2009
AUDIO version review; I won't say this is the best written book primarily because of redundancy, but he did drive home the point. He convinced me to stop fretting over stuff and hanging onto to those "just in case" items. To stop holding onto so many "treasures" (?) from the past, and free myself to live life NOW based on today's priorities.
He gave very good counterarguments to the ones in my head and used humor to boot. I also liked his philosophy of planning life with structure and soliciting opinions and agreement from everyone who must participate to make the plan work.
As I have slowly decluttered my life, and I am now "biting the big one" and really getting serious about structuring for living well, I am finding my creativity surge and my enjoyment of the intangibles blossom. :-)
He gave very good counterarguments to the ones in my head and used humor to boot. I also liked his philosophy of planning life with structure and soliciting opinions and agreement from everyone who must participate to make the plan work.
As I have slowly decluttered my life, and I am now "biting the big one" and really getting serious about structuring for living well, I am finding my creativity surge and my enjoyment of the intangibles blossom. :-)
January 29, 2011
I admit, I skimmed through this book. I don't really think I have a problem with clutter (or is that what they all say?!). I LOVE to purge and clean. I can't stand messes and stacks of stuff. The one chapter that I was really interested in was how to get my KIDS to purge their stuff. It's a constant struggle in our house to donate toys that have been outgrown. I liked the ideas presented in the kids chapter. Overall, the book stressed me out for two reasons. One, I have loved ones who can't seem to get rid of the clutter and it drives me NUTS to visit them. This book just reminded me of all the clutter in their homes, and how I cannot approach them about it or all heck breaks loose. Two, as soon as I was done reading the book, I felt like I had to go and clean something ASAP. I did, and I felt better. :)
March 17, 2013
I have read a lot of articles and blogs about decluttering and have spent many years working in offices, so I know all about finding places to put things, filing, using labels, etc. The difference with this book is that he deals with the emotional issues of what we hang onto first & puts it in perspective to help one move on. An ironic side note is that I had bought this book some time ago and it got lost in the shuffle amid all my books and magazines. After doing a little decluttering now and then, I got serious about it a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday as I was pulling out more books (one of my problem areas), this one turned up & I had finished reading it by this morning. My goal is to reach the point that I can stay decluttered and not have to waste time looking for things. This did help to sort out the mental/emotional side of clutter and motivate me to finish the job.
December 3, 2018
I love Peter Walsh and his television decluttering show.
The main concept here was to consider what kind of life you want to live and make your living space match that vision. Room by room, as a family- imagine what you want to in that room and make the room fit that need. You might create stations in the room for different needs. He gives advice for each room, including his own strongly held beliefs about what the room should be for, and what type of things he's seen in various people's homes that is hurting not helping their home vision. Finally, he gives advice on how to get the clutter out both in a big purge and in daily smaller purges, as well as practical yard sale advice.
I think it's a helpful book, but maybe even more to the point, it's inspirational. It gets you up and decluttering.
The main concept here was to consider what kind of life you want to live and make your living space match that vision. Room by room, as a family- imagine what you want to in that room and make the room fit that need. You might create stations in the room for different needs. He gives advice for each room, including his own strongly held beliefs about what the room should be for, and what type of things he's seen in various people's homes that is hurting not helping their home vision. Finally, he gives advice on how to get the clutter out both in a big purge and in daily smaller purges, as well as practical yard sale advice.
I think it's a helpful book, but maybe even more to the point, it's inspirational. It gets you up and decluttering.
March 15, 2011
Media saturation of the natural disasters in Australia (close to home), New Zealand and Japan have had a profound effect on me. Those poor people with nothing left, not even their lives in thousands of cases, and here am I with a house full of 'stuff'. I'm so ashamed. This was an illuminating book to read at this time. My immediate response was to get stuck into the wardrobes and chests of drawers. Four crammed bags are ready to go to Vinnies this afternoon. Also on my to-read list is 'The 100 Thing Challenge' by Dave Bruno. I'm expecting and wishing to be similarly galvanised.
What do you think - when I'm decluttering books, should books be counted as one (as in category) or should I count them individually? Oh,oh,oh.
What do you think - when I'm decluttering books, should books be counted as one (as in category) or should I count them individually? Oh,oh,oh.
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