Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20712 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

From the Author
Why I wrote this different sort of organizing book
From the day I was born until the birth of my own child, I was a notoriously disorganized person. I lived out of piles, spent half my day searching for things and lost everything imaginable-- little things like keys, gloves and wallets to really big things, like a pair of boots, the jacket from a vintage suit and believe it or not, even a friend's car. I tried to get organized for years-ached for it deeply-but no storage unit, clever organizing basket or even marathon cleaning weekend ever seemed to create lasting results. Within days, my old familiar mess would be back. My daughter's birth gave me the motivation I needed to finally break free of the chaos. One day, after spending over 2 ½ hours getting ready to take her for a walk, I realized that if I didn't get organized, my child would never see the light of day! So, I started with the diaper bag, just so I could be free to take my child on an outing at a moment's notice. (Details of how I succeeded are in my book). With that victory under my belt, I used the same approach to tackle the kitchen cabinets. Then the closets, then my papers, and so on. Before long, I had my entire house under control and was finally able to experience the freedom and empowerment of organized living. There are many excellent organizing books on the market-but the majority focus on a thousand and one clever ways to stretch space and store your belongings. My personal experience and my work organizing clients have taught me that the major obstacle people face in trying to tackle their clutter is not a lack of storage ideas….it is that when they face the mountains of clutter, they are completely overwhelmed. They have no idea where to start and they don't know how to see the project through to the end. They make many classic mistakes which actually lead to creating a worse mess than when they started. And when they search for clever tips and cool looking containers, they have no criteria for deciding which ones will be right for them. With Organizing from the Inside Out, I address the true challenge of getting past the overwhelm to design a system that is right for you. Sharing my 10 years of experience as a professional organizer, I teach you my method for sorting through the piles-for facing the mountain of clutter and knowing exactly where to begin. I provide you with a foolproof 3-step process that works on anything you want to organize-from a closet to a garage, a filing system to a schedule. Organizing from the Inside Out shows you how to design your system based on your unique personality, natural habits and goals so that it is incredibly easy to use and a snap to maintain. Organizing is a simple skill anyone can learn. I hope my book will get you past the roadblocks which have been holding you back, and allow you to experience the joy and power of organized living forever. Please visit my web site and write to me with your success stories!

Customer Reviews

It Works!
I bought this book about two months ago, and decided to wait on giving it a review, to see if the ideas in the book would work for me over time. I had lived in extreme clutter my whole life -- with paper, books, clean clothes, dirty clothes, old pizza boxes, empty soda cans, you name it -- all over the floor, all over the tables, all over the furniture, all the time. It was so messy that I was embarrassed to invite anyone over for quite some time, and I was convinced it was impossible for me to clean everything up, let alone prevent myself from creating further clutter.

But after reading this book, I got the motivation to get organized, and (finally) learned how to get organized in a way that works for me. And two months later, I'm still organized! I don't have to take time to clean up my messes because I simply don't create them anymore. I have more space now than I know what to do with. And I really don't do things much differently than I used to -- that's the most surprising part of all.

I recommend this book about as highly as I've ever recommended anything. It may sound cliche, but if it can work for me, trust me, it can work for ANYONE!

I learned as much about who I am as I did about organizing.
A wonderful book. Unique in style and approach. I learned as much about myself as I did about getting organized. Most books on this subject give you lists, projects, ideas and plans. This one makes you think. And the best part of all, it lets you feel ok about who you really are then helps you find the path to make things work for you. I found it liberating. For the first time in my life I found someone who is wise, and kind and has a workable answer for the clutter. I saw myself in many of the evauations presented. Plus a workable plan that I can live with. I am an artist, crafts woman and clutter bug. Thank you Julie for caring about who is inside. You nailed me when you said: "Do you collect huge amounts of supplies?" I sure do. Now I know how to live with it in harmony.

Well Written and Easy to Implement
As an organization "junkie" I can honestly say that I have read most everything written on the subject. I have become so discouraged at the amount (large) and quality (poor) of the information available on this subject that I have resorted to borrowing books on the subject from my local library. I just finished reading this book (which was also borrowed from my library) and have ALREADY successfully implemented at least 4 ideas as a result!! I am so pleased with the author's approach to organization I am purchasing the book for my personal library. This is the first approach to organization that both my husband and I agree on. BRAVO!!