BOOK NOOK REVIEW

Organizing from the Inside Out

July 25, 2008 at 10:44 a.m.

By Jill Williams

Why can we never seem to stay organized? We finally get fed up, buy a bunch of containers, clear half a day in our schedule and dig in. Why doesn't it work? Why can't we stay organized? The author has made organization a profession: that's right, people actually pay her to come and help them set up an organization system. It can be for a whole house, an office, or just a sock drawer. You can get the benefit of her knowledge without having to pay a high price. This book, or better yet, the audio book, is all you need to get started on the path to REALLY being organized.

What is the key? First, the author helps you figure out why you are disorganized, and why your attempts to organize are fraught with disaster. The first half of the book is dedicated to really helping you tackle the obstacles you face. If you want to cheat, skip this part and go right to how to get started. You won't be guaranteed success, but with her excellent system, you'll still have greater success than you have in the past. I couldn't really review this book without trying her system, and I admit it was even fun.

Some of the steps involve planning first. If you start digging in before you've even got a plan, you are skipping an essential part of the process. You want to get organized and develop a system that will work easily with your own instincts and personality, so you need to take the time to do this part. Don't jump in blind. The author makes the planning easy. Broken down into small steps, each task isn't too large to be tackled quickly. Something that I never thought of before was that I needed to think about how I already used the space, and what instincts I had (that I would continue even after the organization process) and how to implement them into my new system.

For example, we used this system on just HALF of our living room. We took into account our propensity to dump our keys, receipts, loose change, and cell phones on top of our entertainment center. Following the steps in the book, we determined that we would probably continue this habit despite any new organization system, so the solution included an adorable little wicker basket on top of the entertainment center that was only to hold cell phones, keys, wallet, etc. It worked! We still use our instinct to put our things there, but they are no longer cluttering the space. We always know they're in the basket, and the space looks cleaner and cuter. Success! Instead of trying to change our habit, we incorporated it into our system.

This is just a small example of how we found success using the author's system. It makes sense, and it makes you WANT to organize everything from your medicine cabinet to your garage. I recommend the audiotapes for those who cannot sit and read the book. You can listen to it in your car, then when you need to be reminded how to do the planning, pop the CD's into your computer or home stereo and take charge of your life! It's fun and easy with this system. You'll be glad you did!

Jill does laundry for a 7 year old who thinks he's too old for toys, a 5 year old gymnast, a 5 year old niece who has joined the family, and a 3 year old computer whiz. She also occasionally irons her husband's suits. In between loads, Jill loves to read.