Organizing from the Inside Out

Amazon.com 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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. See all Editorial Reviews