Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17685 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Veteran "organizational consultant," TV show host and author Walsh (How to Organize (Just About) Everything) has more ideas in his latest book on clutter management than the spare closet has junk, and, even better, it's organized, in-depth and entirely user-friendly. Part One examines the "Clutter Problem": how it happens, how it hampers and how to face it without excuses or discouragement. Part Two presents a step-by-step approach to "Putting Clutter in its Place," which begins with "surface clutter" and developing a household plan before moving on to the bulk of the book, a walkthrough of each room in the home. Also included are ideas for involving other family members, letters Walsh has received from viewers of his TLC show "Clean Sweep," vignettes illustrating how real people deal with common organizational challenges and plenty of charts, checklists and sidebars ("Clutter Quiz," "Yard Sale Planning") for added utility. Walsh is upbeat and funny throughout, treating the task at hand like "a thrilling archeological dig," a "positive and exciting" way to unlock your "ideal home" and "unearth those things that are most important in your life." Entertaining and instructive, this is one guidebook readers should place in their "keep" pile.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"The best organizing advice we've ever heard!" -- Woman's Day

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

Something is afoot. Something that until recently I could not have imagined or predicted. Something that is changing the basic fabric of people's lives and is impacting how all of us relate to the things we have and the things we own. Something that affects us all. We are, as a nation, overwhelmed with too much stuff.

Did the title of this book catch your eye? Maybe you are at a stage in your life where something in your life is too much -- your career, your relationship, or "just everything" is suddenly overwhelming. If so, you are part of a harsh awakening in this country, and across much of the developed world, as we come to realize that happiness and success might not be measured by more material things. That having more possessions may be more suffocating than liberating. That a larger house, better car, and more "stuff" come with no guarantee of greater happiness. That for many of us, the stuff we own ends up owning us. Suddenly you look around at the life you've built and all you've acquired and realize that it's all too much!

I have an unusual job. I help people dig themselves out from under the overwhelming crush of their own possessions. I'm not talking about a messy closet or one too many boxes of holiday decorations in the garage. I work with people who have filled their homes, their offices, sometimes their cars, and always their lives with too much stuff. These are people who have lost the ability to deal reasonably and rationally with what they own. They fill every corner of their homes with clothes, papers, their kids' school projects, wrapping paper, collectibles, scrapbooking materials, garden tools, kitchen products, sporting gear, antiques, dolls, toys, books, car parts, and every imaginable (and unimaginable!) item you could list.

Surprisingly, as I've traveled across the United States helping people declutter and get organized, I have come to see that the problem is one that affects far more families than I could have imagined. Every single person I have met tells me not only about their own clutter problem, but the clutter problems of a family member, or those of a friend. Nobody seems immune. The stories are not dissimilar -- papers and magazines run amok, garages overflow with unopened boxes, kids' toys fill rooms, and closets are so stuffed that it looks like the clothing department of a major retailer is having a fire sale. The epidemic of clutter, the seeming inability to get organized, and the sense that "the stuff" is taking over affects us all.

We are at the center of an orgy of consumption, and many are now seeing that this need to own so much comes with a heavy price: Kids so overstimulated by the sheer volume of stuff in their home that they lose the ability to concentrate and focus. Financial strain caused by misplaced bills or overpurchasing. Constant fighting because neither partner is prepared to let go of their possessions. The embarrassment of living in a house that long ago became more of a storage facility than a home.

This clutter doesn't just come in the form of the physical items that crowd our homes. We are bombarded every day with dire predictions of disaster and face many uncertainties -- some real and many manufactured. Think about the perils that we've been warned about in the last decade alone -- killer bees, Y2K, SARS, anthrax, mad cow disease, avian flu, flesh-eating bacteria . . . the list goes on and on. We are also faced daily with reports of war, an unstable economy, and global terrorism coming very close to home. Surprisingly, this endless barrage (its own kind of clutter) inspires many of the families with whom I work to finally take control of their own clutter. In an unpredictable, dangerous world that is out of their control, they look to their homes for stability -- to get some degree of organization back into their closets, their garages, their home offices, their lives. This quest for organization is a deeply personal response to the feeling that the rest of the world is out of control.

Among the clutter, the frustration, and the yearning for organization, I constantly hear the same refrain: It is all overwhelming. The stuff has taken on a life of its own and families have no idea where to even begin. They are paralyzed by their own stuff. Often the people I work with lament, "It's all too much -- help me!"

If you find yourself at the point of being overwhelmed by your possessions, you have a clear choice: Decide here and now that you no longer want your stuff to overrun your life. Work with me to get balance and harmony back into your family and relationships. It can be done and I know how. None of this frightens me or overwhelms me because I have seen it all. I have never walked away from a cluttered home because it was too much. However, I have walked away from those who value their stuff over their relationships, their things over their dreams, or their possessions over their vision for the life they really want.

If you are one of those for whom it's suddenly all too much and want to let go, come on an exciting journey with me to reclaim your life. Living a richer, fuller, more exciting, and rewarding life is not that far away. Trust me, I've led many there already and you can be next. I promise you, if you do this, there is nothing you can't do!

IT'S ALL TOO MUCH

Let me tell you about one of my average workdays. One sunny June day, Jared and Lisa invited me into their modest house in the suburbs of Maryland. From the tree-lined street their home looked welcoming. The grass was neatly trimmed, the garden in full bloom. A gray sedan was parked in the driveway. I rang the doorbell.

The door opened to an appalling site. The floor was invisible. Every flat surface was stacked high with papers. The walls were lined with wall-to-wall file boxes, some stacked on shelves or tables. Many of the piles reached the top of my head and I'm not a short man. The living room was so crowded that the kitchen had become their little boy Cooper's playroom. A toy train track ran through the legs of the kitchen table, its cars long ago scattered, tripped on, and lost. The family was overrun with what appeared to be scrapbooking materials: glue, notebooks, piles of photos, trim, and all sorts of craft material. In short, the house was a disaster. I glanced at Jared and Lisa. To all appearances they are clean, hardworking, upstanding citizens, no different from you or me. Jared manages a successful airport shuttle business. After taking a few years off to have their first child, Lisa has just gotten her real-estate license. Cooper was three years old and delighted in showing me his firm handshake. A great family. And a successful one, in spite of the clutter. But underneath their sunny exterior was tension. They wanted more from their lives and believed the chaos of their home was taking away from their happiness. There was an obvious question that needed an answer: Why was their house completely out of control?

I asked Lisa what it was like living in this chaos. She said, "It's suffocating. I feel like I can't breathe when I look in the office." Lisa felt buried by her own stuff. She went on, "Something has to change. I don't want to live like this. But I have no idea where to begin."

And then I heard the one refrain that sums it all up, the words of despair that I hear over and over again from everyone I work with: "It's all too much."

That is why I decided to call this book It's All Too Much. It's a response to the hopelessness of that refrain. It's about what to do when you reach the point where you don't know where to start. When you're faced with so much mess that you throw up your hands in despair and give up. When you just want to move into a hotel, or throw it all out, or shove it in the garage, like when you were a kid and stuffed all your dirty clothes under the bed. Amazingly, I have dealt with people who have purchased a second home rather than face the mammoth task of decluttering the home they have lived in for many years! Well, there's no place to hide your mess when you're an adult and, eventually, you have to come home, so you might as well start dealing with the problem now. It's All Too Much is the solution.

It's just stuff

I asked Jared if he felt as overwhelmed as Lisa. He shrugged. "I know our house doesn't belong in Martha Stewart, but we're busy. It's just stuff. I don't see what the big deal is." I walked over to their bookshelf and started scanning the titles. There were diet books. Exercise books. Self-esteem books. Career motivation books. Parenting books. Finance books. Marriage books. Books on how to live better, happier, richer, fuller lives. It was a complete library of self-help books for every issue a family might have. It was time for me to tell him what I tell all of my clients: the truth. It was time to hold a mirror up to their life and their clutter so that they could see what was happening. I sat him and Lisa down and said, "You think the state of this house is no big deal, but look at all these problems you're trying to solve." I gestured toward the stack of self-help books. "Your home is the physical and emotional base for your family. You want to change? To get motivated? Improve your self-image? Lose weight? Start by taking a look at your home.

"You want a life built on a solid foundation, but you can't even see the floor beneath you. You want to lose weight, but your kitchen is overwhelmed with appliances you never use. You want to build your career, but your office literally makes you feel ill. You want change? This is where it starts: your home. Where you live, breathe, rest, love, and create. Forget the self-help books. Get rid of the clutter. Get organized. If you do, I promise that every aspect of your life will change in ways that you never imagined possible."

Jared and Lisa were like so many couples that I deal with -- they had lost sight of the fact that who you are and what you have are intimately linked. The things you buy, the items you value, the possessions you hoard are all a reflection of you, your life,...

Customer Reviews

If you think it's hard to quit smoking;try getting rid of clutter.

I managed to quit smoking about 20 years ago, when I was smoking over 2 packs a day.It was something I had tried to do many times but without success. I tried every trick in the book,but before long I was back smoking as much as ever.Why couldn't I quit? No reason at all,I certainly enjoyed it and the enjoyment obviously exceeded my will power.As a matter of fact,I have not even become an anti-smoker and still enjoy the aroma of smokers;but have decided to let them do it.
However getting rid of stuff,junk,clutter,or whatever you choose to call it has been a whole different matter--at least for me.
The reason clutter collects is different for different people.However; the reason always boils down to one thing,at least for most people.Some people border on being compulsive or have a mental issue;but that is the exception.If you really want to see how bad that can be I suggest you read "Cadillac Jack" by Larry McMurtry;where you will find a guy who completely filled his house with bird nests.However; there are those who just don't want to throw anything away,keep it because it might come in handy,it's still good,someone might want it,etc.
In my case ,I feel it is different.Don't we all.I have always been engrossed in hobbies and interests and along with these interests have come the "stuff".And why do I have it? Sure,I've spent money and time on it over the years;but I like it, and it has been a lot of fun collecting it.To each his own,I suppose.If you have time and money,you might as well enjoy it. Travel,Drinking,Sports,Gardening,Photography,Music,Reading,Shopping,Dining, or whatever you choose to do is fine;but in many cases, a natural result is the accumulation of stuff.
It would be nice to be able to collect anything you wanted and have someplace to put it. Some wealthy people have had the luxury to do this ,but in the end they have to pass on and leave it all behind.And that has given the world its collections and museums.
So,what about this book and the stuff it talks about getting rid of?
Well,even if you are like me,with my personal library of over 7,000 books (and still growing),my collection of music,collection of rocks,minerals and fossils,collection of puzzles,collection of YO-YO's, ;You are going to be like me.We need all the help we can get and this book is filled with the help we need.
By the way,I have been working at this,as much by necessity as desire.I have a few books similar to this one. See my reviews for "Clutter's Last Stand" by Don Aslett on December 29,2005 and "Clutter Control" by by the Editors of FC&A Publishing on February 15,2008;they are both excellent.
So even for collectors,there is a lot of useful help in these books and we need to keep using the ideas ,if for no other reason than to help us keep it under control or to make room for something "new"

I can still remember the wise words of my dear old Grandmother who once said;

"Remember,everything you get,takes looking after"

I guess it's OK if you enjoy your "stuff",but if you don't;

GET RID OF IT!!!!

This book will definitely help you get started.

Help for all the clutter excuses
Peter Walsh, star of TLC's Clean Sweep, is part organizational pro and part psychologist. I have been a fan of Clean Sweep for a long time and enjoy the way Peter works with people to help them clean out the clutter. I have to admit that I have long used the "excuse" of "It's Too Important To Let Go" in my life in order to hold on to things that I believe have sentimental value. In my efforts to control the clutter I have piled up, I fell into the trap of thinking that if I could buy one more storage system, get a bigger house or purchase one more organizational book that I would be able to get it all under control. Peter points out that container companies and storage facilities are doing a booming business because they don't do anything to truly get to the root of our problem with clutter, they just give us another place to put it and soon we need another organizational system or another mini storage unit. This is where I was when I started reading this book. Now, let me be the first to say that I will most likely never get rid of some of my sentimental clutter. However, as Peter points out, if it is that important to you it should not be sitting somewhere stored and covered in dust. If you believe it has sentimental value then display it proudly. If you find you cannot do this then it probably is not all that important to you and it can go. You will learn about other excuses people use to hang on to clutter, discover how bad your clutter problem is by taking a simple quiz and discover strategies for cleaning the clutter from every room of your home. I believe that this book was a true turning point for me in my ongoing battle with clutter. I am slowly going through our house and cleaning out things that are not used, wanted or needed. Since we are in the process of adopting our third child and the room that will be his bedroom at one time looked like a prime candidate for "Clean Sweep" and now is well on its way to being organized I count my journey to de-clutter to be a success so far.

Stop hoarding and Start Living!
The really pleasant thing is that Peter Walsh makes you laugh at yourself for the ridiculous clutter you have clung to. And he has some great little nuggets to remember: "If the family heirloom is gathering dust in the basement, don't tell me it is something important or has personal value."

And concerning that over run basement: "It's not like you come downstairs one day and make a decision that you'd rather fill the basement with old lawn furniture and off-season clothes than have a place where the family can gather for movie night."

He lists every excuse you can make:
1-I might need it one day
2-It's too important to let go
3-I can't get rid of it, it's worth a lot of money
4-My house is too small (You should either move to a larger house now (and I mean NOW) or get rid of some of your stuff.
5-I don't have the time
6-I don't know how it got like this.
7-It isn't mine.
8-It's too overwhelming.
9-It's not a problem my husband/wife etc. just thinks it is.

Walsh takes you through each room in the house and then helps you determine the purpose of that room and if the current things in that room fulfill that purpose with specifics like, don't save catalogs, reduce books to shelf capacity.

He encourages you to let go of things that you don't love anymore. Don't keep them hoping that they will appreciate in value.

The kitchen clean up covers cleaning out and organizing work zones. "And NO. Junk. Drawer. Do I make myself clear?"

The book is packed full of a monthly maintenance calendar once you've cleared the clutter, room by room help, daily chore list, etc.

I really recommend this book if you need to stop hoarding and start living.