Product Description

A completely revised and expanded edition of the New York Times bestselling guide to putting things in order

Getting organized is a skill that anyone can learn, and there's no better teacher than America's organizing queen, Julie Morgenstern, as hundreds of thousands of readers have learned. Drawing on her years of experience as a professional organizer, Morgenstern outlines a simple organizing plan that starts with understanding your individual goals, natural habits, and psychological needs, so that you can work with your priorities and personality rather than against them. The basic steps-Analyze, Strategize, Attack-can be applied to any space or situation.

In this thoroughly revised edition, Morgenstern has incorporated new information in response to feedback from her clients and audiences. These changes include
- new chapters on living or working with someone who is disorganized
- new chapters on organizing photographs, handbags, briefcases, and travel bags
- an expanded program for organizing your kitchen
- a new guide to getting started
- a fully updated resource guide

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3896 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-01
• Released on: 2004-08-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Amazon.com Review
It's about time! Julie Morgenstern has written an organizing book that covers a new way of looking at the task of organizing effectively without labeling or blaming the person behind the lack of organization. Rather, she says, people who don't organize just never learned how to organize, through no fault of their own--after all, it's not a skill that's taught in school. That said, she gets down to work helping you figure out an organizing system that will really work for you, not a system based on cookie-cutter filing concepts or special storage units.

Morgenstern's "from the inside out" system begins by laying out the possible reasons for a failure of organization: technical errors (like having a complex organizing system that breaks down), external realities (like not enough space for your belongings), and psychological obstacles (like fear of failure--or success). Then, her Analyze and Strategize steps help create a plan of action based on your needs and goals, and the brief chapter called "Attack: Getting the Job Done" offers basic ideas for making space. The largest section of the book, "Applying What You've Learned," addresses the specifics of organizing workspaces, home offices, living spaces, and storage areas. Each section has a "How Long Will It Take?" box that gives a realistic time estimate, and Morgenstern's "Julie's No-Brainer Toss List" for each area gives the permission and encouragement that most of us have been waiting for to get rid of things we'll never use again. The section at the end, "Tackling Time and Technology," is worth its weight in DayTimers and PalmPilots. Whatever your organizing issues are, you're not a hopeless case, and you don't need special equipment--just a little understanding of the problem and a willingness to plan before diving in.

From Publishers Weekly
Anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by clutter and chaos will welcome this clear, easy-to-follow guide to organizing a room, home or officeAa companion to Morgenstern's bestselling paperback (Owl, 1998). Professional organizer Morgenstern warmly reassures listeners that organizing is a skill that can be learned and that any mess can be tamed. Most people make the mistake of simply diving in, which Morgenstern compares to driving cross-country without a map. Her strategy: first figure out your goals and how your space can best help you achieve them; determine what obstacles are holding you back (e.g., a subconscious psychological need to hang on to clutter); divide the space into "zones" of activity (a kitchen contains a cooking zone, a dish-washing zone, etc.); and organize the space so that all the supplies for each activity are stored in the appropriate zone. The tape offers quizzes to help listeners define their obstacles, and, as one would expect, the quizzes are well organized and audio friendly. Even better, listeners can grasp the author's solutions immediatelyAwithout having to refer back and forth to different parts of the tape or use a pencil and paper (problems often encountered with audio self-help books). Morgenstern's sense of humor and colorful examples of real-life client case studies make this tape as entertaining as it is helpful. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
As the creator of Task Masters, a full-service organizing company, Morgenstern has helped hundreds of clients overcome their failed attempts at managing their lives. She gives ways to overcome psychological obstacles that prevent us from maintaining an organization system and explains a plan called SPACE (sort, purge, assign a home, containerize, equalize). Covering the workplace and each room of the home, she provides sample time lines of how long the process will take and offers tips on what to toss and what storage products to use. A list of product catalogs is provided, as well as a section on how to organize time. A good book for public libraries.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

This Book Really Works ONLY if You are Ready
If you aren't really fed up with the clutter in your house, or aren't really tired of buying things over and over again because you've lost the item 2 or 3 times in your own house, or don't mind being late to everything. Then don't buy this book. I got fed up. And the book worked a life changing miracle for me. However, I was so pleased with the changes, I told my mom to read it. Because, I just knew it would just make her life so much better. But organizing her home isn't a priority for her. So therefore she read it and it didn't appeal to her one bit. So if you say, "I want an organized home, but I want it to take 15 minutes." Then this book is no good for you. And you must go on with the way things are. If you say, "I have had it, I am ready to light a match to my house and just start over." Then quick read this book. I actually enjoyed the process of organizing my home. And now when I go into ANY room or closet, I just want to sit and stare at all the neatly deliberatly placed items. Everything has a home. Picking up in the evenings takes no time at all and with absolutely no effort. Before I read this book, I never wanted to go in my bedroom. It was impossible to rest in that room, because the piles of clutter was so overwhelming. Now I can finally use the bedroom for what it was intended: rest and relaxation.

Gave me back my life!
I bought this book in desperation & have been using it over the past 2 months, going slowly room by room (started with my garage, which took me 5 days!). It is such a joy to open a cupboard or a drawer and find exactly what I need exactly where it should be. And I'm a star at Goodwill now that the closets are cleared out- boxes & boxes of "stuff" is gone and it feels wonderful! This approach works so much better than the myriad other "systems" I've used in the past to get organized. I now have time for myself and my life without frustrating searches for anything.

This Book WILL Help You Get Organized !
This currently popular 262 page softbound volume really can help ANYONE become better organized for a better life. This was recommended to me by a friend, but I was doubtful that it could help. The other books I read on this subject didn't do the job for me. I was pleasantly surprised that by followingMs. Morgenstern's recommendations I really am able to put some organization into the clutter that I've learned to live with. She explains systems to use, without the need for all of the store bought gadgets I've tried in the past. By following her simple steps you really CAN get your stuff in order and become more productive with better use of your time. Her Three Step System is useful at home or work, and can be used by anyone, regardless of their level of clutter. The time frames that she presents helps you get started and motivated to carry the tips on to completion. You'll learn why you feel disorganized and why now is the time to act to aleviate it once and for all. It's probably not your fault that you've always been disorganized. All you really need is the expert advice offered in this book to get you onto a better more organized work and home life. Her simple philosophy is SPACE. Mainly sort, purge, assign a home, containerize, equalize. No magic or gimicks, just sound, tried and tested advice. Well worth reading.