The One-Minute Organizer Plain & Simple: 500 Tips for Getting Your Life in Order

by Donna Smallin Kuper

Bring order to your hectic life, quickly and efficiently. Donna Smallin offers innovative ideas and effective solutions to the busy person’s daily battle with both physical and mental clutter. This easy-to-follow guide includes 500 strategies that will help you make your world a more orderly place so that you can spend more time enjoying the things that really matter. Even if you don’t have time for a top-to-bottom organizational makeover, you can still unclutter your life . . . one short minute at a time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Reference, Productivity, How To, Home Economics, Home Improvement

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2004

About the author

I am an organizing strategist, certified House Cleaning Technician and author of a dozen books on how to unclutter, organize, clean up and simplify your life. My latest release is Clear the Clutter, Find Happiness. I invite you to sign up for free organizing tips at www.unclutter.com or join my Unclutter.com Organizing Support Group on Facebook.

Reviews

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Some good tidbits but a lot of things I've already done. Also it kind of bothered me that a book on organization could be so random.

[Ali Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so helpful in getting my house more organized! I love how she talks about how you don’ t have to take a day off work, you don’t have to block off your entire Saturday. You just have to start. This book talks about filing papers, organizing your bills, and categorizing your files. I love her tip about filing papers.This book even talks about organizing coupons! Can I get a “hallelujah,” here?! My coupons are a mess! Another part of this book that I love is the chapter called “Spaces & Things.” This chapter talks about storing things in boxes, bins, and labeling. I love that Donna Smallin Kuper even gives tips for how to store things if you are on a budget.

500 total tips throughout this book and every single one of them are helpful in getting your life more organized! I highly suggest reading this book. Another thing I love about this book is that it is an easy read. There are bold print words for the important information and topics. I can easily scan for a topic that I need.

[Diana Nagy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic little book this was! I am already the expert in organizing and use much of these tips already (or have used them previously) so I knew a lot of them. However, if you are new to organizing and want to have the best organized house, car, and office on the block, start here. This book will give you everything (and more) you could ever need to make life simple for you in every aspect. Its about 5 by 6 inches and thick. Its perfect size to throw in your purse to take to the office or to your vacation home so you can grab the tips out without having to write all them down. In addition, you may find yourself adding a few extra ones that could help there as well. Just don't let a friend borrow it...they won't return it! Buy them their own copy or let them photocopy pages out of it (or just write down the bare bone of the ideas (they are all very short, simple, and easy to follow)

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay book. This book just gives hundreds of little tips of how to organize. I've heard 90% of those tips. And most of the tips weren't things you can do in one minute to start organizing (as I thought the title implies) I want to know how to put it all together and organize different rooms in my house, and change myself into a more organized person. Maybe her other books are better.

[Shimista · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was published in 2004 but seems way older, in terms of the tech described and the mindset towards organizing. I've read too many newer organizing books and I'm into minimalism so this was not the right book for me. I did take some tips from it, but not worth reading/skimming through the whole book.

[iLa · Rating 1 out of 5]

There were good tidbits here and there, but the format was not the best. Especially for an e-book. It was basically random "get organized" ideas. Some ideas were very dated, which I kind of anticipated based on the cover of the book.

You could probably find the same info in a more usable format through an app. If it wasn't so short, I wouldn't have finished it.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for some enlighting ideas on how to get organized, but it was all common sense.

[Sonia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tips in the book were helpful but for book on organizing, the content wasn't very organized.
The format was hard to read because it was like one big checklist.

[Heather Buckley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of good tips. Some are outdated and some are not very eco-friendly. Hopefully newer additions address this.

[HadiDee · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very long list of To Dos, the ‘train your kids/family’ to do X made m laugh

[Trang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok book. It list down many actions for each category kitchen, living room to declutter household and clean up things. Honestly, I find them too many to be encouraged to do any. I would recommend reading Marie Kondo as a start, if you 're in need of a quick read, get a manga version instead. Then you can get one or two more books in terms of sustainable living and cleaning. I think Bea Johnson did well with her Zero Waste House.
Any other books are unnecessary. You just have to stand up and start cleaning. Be disciplined.

[Nancy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book has an older copyright, the hints and tricks within it are every bit as useful today, especially with our lives that seem to get busier all the time. There are a few dates references, but the tips are still useful with today's technology, and in some cases, even more so. This is a book that I will continually re-read to get more help as I go through my de-cluttering journey.

[Elina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Monet neuvot on tänä päivänä kuultu jo muualta - paitsi jos järjestelyn maailma on uusi tuttavuus - itse olen seurannut ammattijärjestäjiä mm. Youtuben kautta. Monet neuvot ovat puolestaan vanhentuneita. Oivalsin, miten monta vuotta 2000-luvun alusta oikeasti on kulunut. Toisaalta tästäkin tarttui muutama käyttökelpoinen ajatus.

[Duchess_Nimue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! There are loads of advices. When you start reading, a lot will be familiar if you ever read anything about tidying up. But loads of advice are about perspective. There are a bunch of advices that require 1 minute or less to accomplish, so you can start and immediately see the results.

[Sarah Shoemaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick little book, a bit out dated now, but love the author's energy and enthusiasm! Main take away: Something in means something out. I will use this mantra in house cleaning from now on, and it has already helped!

[Carter Hemphill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Similar to her book on storage solutions, full of great organization tips. Great to review periodically.

[Melvin Ingram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Organizing Reference

I really enjoyed this common sense approach to organizing. I will use this book as a reference for becoming more organized.

[Kelly Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book had some good ideas, but it is a little dated and there is not a current book.

[Myra Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun easy tiny book to read. I knew most of the things mentioned but that's because I organize people's homes. Its a good reminder of things, quick to read and then get to work!

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although some of the advice is somewhat dated, short simple reminders can be very helpful in getting and staying organized.

[Stephanie Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Helpful tips on where to start and do things.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good tips, but rather outdated.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. Lots of tips and ideas which are practical and easy to follow. The book is arranged into useful sections to assist you to focus on what you want to do now.

[Ola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Practical

This book is so practical and so useful. It’s like a daily handbook you can quickly pick up and find something to do in one minute or less to help you uncluttered.

[Nadine Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gee this was a fun little book. No yadda yadda yadda -- just lots of swell tips on organizing, many of which were downright awesome. Inspiring and helpful.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good ideas and quick reminders to get organized.

[McKenna Higgs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was helpful, some of the stuff is outdated and some of it is still useful. I'm feeling motivated to organize after reading! And it only took me about an hour to read.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a quick read, but I really enjoyed it. Practical, easy, and realistic

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the time of year to put up your Christmas decorations and prepare for Christmas parties and ... clean all those corners and ledges you ignore until it's time to hang wreaths and put up Christmas trees. Smallin, the author of Unclutter Your Mind, Organizing Plain & Simple, The One-Minute Organizer, and Cleaning Plain & Simple, which this book is condensed from, puts in a quick and breezy guide to cleaning your house from top to bottom.

In this tiny little book she succintly tells you how to clean everything from carpet stains to the coils on the back of your refrigerator to leaves and debris in your gutter.

Another, more systematic suggestion is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cleaning, which I would have reviewed if I'd ever had time to finish it. Smallin's book is great, though, because you can easily pick up a few suggestions and start implementing them immediately without feeling like you're ignoring the bulk of a more comprehensive system like the Complete Idiot's Guide.

One thing I appreciate from both books is the move toward greener cleaning options. I never realized that the majority of household messes could be cleaned up with baking soda or white vinegar.

[Caya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a really quick read. I picked it up and read it through in a few hours.

I am a very organized person. I knew I was before I read this book, but I thought maybe this book would have a few tips I didn't know/follow (which it did). However, I picked this book up to help me understand my very unorganized daughter and, to hopefully, find some ways to help her become more organized (it didn't). It did reinforce all of the ideas that I have myself and I did find a couple new ones to possibly implement.