Customer Reviews

Clutter Proof Your Business: Turn Your Mess Into Success

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
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2 star:		(1)
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I would like to share with others how much I appreciate this book. I thought Mr. Nelson's "Stop Clutter From Stealing Your Life" was good and was looking forward to this latest book, but this one has been phenomenal for me. I have been able to instantly apply many of the ideas presented. The book has helped me to learn so much about myself. I could only read one chapter a night because I would get so revved up reading the stuff I would have difficulty falling asleep! I am really impressed with the research and quoting of other peoples work. Mike Nelson's work is a shining light helping many people free themselves from clutter.

These days, it is easier than ever to accumulate "stuff". In my case, that "stuff" is in various forms of information, both electronic and in print. Everyone collects a certain amount of stuff over the years. What most of us don't realize is how much our stuff takes away from our productivity. Stuff slows us down more than we realize. Why have stuff? Because we think it makes life easier; it provides a comfort zone. But filing, organizing, storing, moving, and searching through stuff is actually enslaving! If it is piled up on your desk, as in my case, then it is even more burdening. Ugh!

Every single item that you own takes a certain amount of maintenance. It has to be stored, occassionally reviewed, periodically relocated, and rarely, if ever, it gets used. Because of "stuff", you need a better filing system, more shelves, larger hard disks, and so on. Stuff makes life more complicated, more stressful. Take a moment and think about it. Does your "stuff" really make life better? Or is it simply providng a comfort zone for you? The irony is, your comfort is diminished by this so called "comfort zone" created from all this "stuff". It is time to get your act together, isn't it? Cerainly it is for me! Get un-cluttered!

Mike is an expert on the subject of clutter. He explains the importance of minimizing and he explains why less is more. Let Mike show you how to clean up that clutter and keep it that way.

In this information age, where everyone collects every bit of data on every subject known to man, it is more important than ever to find peace in efficiency. Don't let stuff rule your business and your life. Control the clutter, minimize the stuff, and you will be more efficient and effective in your business and personal life.

Unlike most books that tell you how to organize your filing systems, this one gives you options to personalize your own system. Mr. Nelson understands that traditional organizing tips are like Chinese food. A week after trying them, you are hungry for real, lasting help.

Nelson is obvioulsy someone who has been there (been disorganized) and overcome it. His writing is straighforward, humorous (without being cute, or talking down to the reader) and not preachy. He gets you to understand that fear of making decisions, of making a mistake or low self-esteem keep us from getting and staying organized. He applies a combination of psychology, Neuro Linguistic Programming, memory enhancement techniques, visualizations and special tools for those with AD/HD (Attention Deficit Disorder).

His unique filing sytems tailored for your own personal learning style and the aids to improving your memory are worth the price of the book by themselves. Throw in the decision-making matrix and you have a real bargain. He gives us tools to change our lives, not just band-aids to neaten up piles of papers.

This is not like any other business organizing book you've ever read. It is better. And I have read them all.

This book examines the root causes of clutter and offers tips to prevent clutter from infecting one's office and reducing productivity. It offers suggestions from several professionals and business coaches in the attempt to create a method with long term results.

This book was definately not for me. I found it very wordy, repetitious, and boring. Mike, who is not a psychologist, tries to deal with clutter in terms of a person's mental condition. This is understandable, given his background and is probably interesting to many. He states "the 'why to' is more important then the 'how to'." I was looking for a "how to" book. This book is not filled with clever little tips and new ideas

I agree that clutter comes from procrastination, which (frequently) comes from depression. But depression often has it's roots in fear. My personal solution to procrastination is (1) take things in small, manageable bites (i.e. make small, manageable goals) and (2) either do the one thing that you have been putting off the longest or the one thing you are avoiding or afraid to do FIRST. After that everything is easier.

I was very dissapointed in the chapter on fung shui. It was basiclaly a chapter on what Feng Shui is, not how to use it. There were also way too many personal stories for my taste. A few are fine, but not on every page.

If you are looking for an excuse to put off picking up your stuff for a bit longer, spend your time reading this book. It might make you feel better and will certainly let you know you are not alone. If you want to just get to it,
pick another book.