It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys: The Seven Step Path to Becoming Truly Organized [Hardcover]

Marilyn Paul (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 30, 2002

Has it gone beyond being a little messy, running late now and then? At a specific point, a certain amount of untidiness turns into a swamp of disorder that leaves its victims feeling trapped, convinced that they are betraying their own values by floundering in chaos. Now management consultant and meditation practitioner Marilyn Byfield Paul shows how disorganization is actually a great gift that can launch you on a path to deeper personal discovery-after which you will be able to find your keys in the morning.

In It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys, Paul combines the cutting-edge systems-change theory she employs as a management consultant with a profound spiritual understanding that springs from years of practicing meditation. Habits and belief are strong, she writes, and change requires a new understanding of what motivates you and what you genuinely value. The seven-step path guides readers on the daily journey toward consistently acting on those values and motivations to find peace, satisfaction, and order. She offers highly practical how-tos (dealing with your inbox, for example) alongside exercises that focus on the psychological and spiritual components of creating lasting clarity and deep order.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Paul, an organizational development consultant, offers scattered readers a way out of the "swamp of disorder" in this smart look at the underlying causes of chronic disorganization. Though she offers concrete advice (create a to-do list system, keep transition time between appointments, get rid of things you haven't used in a year), her book goes beyond a step-by-step program to getting organized; her approach targets many of the sources of disorganization (among them: insecurity, emotional attachment, inexperience and fear) while offering meaningful paths to tackling everything from dirty dishes and filing problems to time management and inner spirituality. Hokey phrases like "the whole purpose of getting organized is to reconnect us with our soul's journey" and suggestions such as "bring your loving awareness to washing the lettuce leaves" are a little too common, but Paul artfully weaves the existential with the practical, as she shows how presence of mind can lead to a sense "of a greater Presence." Her advice is simple but important, and her reassuring tone will soothe even the most harried reader.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

...[Marilyn Paul] gives readers a great gift - the freedom to be truly creative and effective. -- Robin J. Ely, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior, Harvard Business School

...a must-read for people seeking to bring more of their true selves to light. -- Marc Gafni, author of Soul Prints: Your Path to Fulfillment

A brilliant, provocative, and profound book. ...innovative and totally convincing. -- Edward Hallowell, M.D., author of Driven to Distraction and The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness

Marilyn Paul's unique ... insights into how to create great team performance will be of value to any organization. -- Ginny Wiley, President, Pegasus Communications, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult (December 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670031941
• ISBN-13: 978-0670031948
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #779,794 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

128 of 130 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life changing...truly, February 7, 2003

By 

"jennyrami" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys: The Seven Step Path to Becoming Truly Organized (Hardcover)

Firstly, let me state that I am an avid reader, and this is the first book I've ever read that has prompted me to write a review.

I can't express how differently I feel about my "chronic" clutter and disorganization after reading this book. I have used organizing methods and "tip" books before...many of them quite good, but the new regimes would only last for a little while. This is the first book that has truly gotten to the "why" of my cluttering tendencies, in a genuine, non-judgmental, humorous, and compassionate way that WORKS.

Simply reading it was helpful. However, I found that "working" the book was MUCH more effective. I actually did the exercises included in the chapters and was astounded at the kind of information about myself that was revealed, so I would REALLY recommend going the extra mile there. Take the time to do the exercises...it does pay off!

The result has been a completely organic shift in my behavior that has been completely effortless. It IS a process...my life hasn't become neat, clean, and fully organized overnight! But the small beginning steps have made a truly dramatic difference. My whole attitude has changed. I see progress every day and am so optimistic now that I know it is only a short matter of time before other areas of my home--and life!--will follow suit.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, and in fact have recommended it to SEVERAL friends and relatives. If you are looking for a basic organizing "tip" book, there are a million out there. But if you've tried them, and they haven't worked, and you're ready to get to the root of the problem and truly see progress...READ THIS BOOK!!

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At Last!, February 2, 2003

By 

Donald Arnoudse (Lexington, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys: The Seven Step Path to Becoming Truly Organized (Hardcover)

At last! This is the "getting organized" book for all those of us who have tried many other books and methods only to eventually fall back into our old disorderly habits. This book goes beyond treating the symptoms and gets to the real heart of the matter. Dr. Paul speaks from personal experience as she helps her readers see clearly how chronic disorganization is ultimately a betrayal of our integrity, dignity and responsibility; how it drains our self-confidence and damages our most important relationships. With humor and compassion, she makes getting organized an exciting journey of self-discovery. This is the first book I've read on the topic that deeply energized and inspired me. I couldn't put it down! For the first time, I really felt understood by an author on this topic. I have already given this book as a gift to friends and colleagues. It's a brilliant one-of-a-kind effort that I keep close by wherever I go.

This book is unique in exposing the deeper "why's" of disorganization. With her seven-step model, Marilyn Paul offers an intensely practical and easy-to-follow roadmap to transforming chaos into order. She offers a means to live powerfully with ease and calm. The first step on the path is to define one's "compelling purpose for organizing" ; the secret to staying motivated while patiently reversing years of disorderly habits. Next, she helps the reader vividly imagine how life would be if you were living that purpose right now. Then "taking stock" not only diagnoses the physical symptoms of disorder but helps the reader uncover the emotional, mental, and spiritual levels that are key to lasting and comprehensive change. The next step on setting up a support system of colleagues, friends and family is a practical method to ensure on-going success. The heart of the book on organizing wisdom includes how to establish a disciplined "rhythm of organizing" as a new normal in one's life. The notion of "getting to ready" is worth the price of the book on its own. The step on "taking effective action" is chock full of specific ideas for mastering space, time and activities. Then, in the last step, Dr. Paul illustrates how combining spiritual practices such as meditation with organizational methods opens a door to deeper awareness and increased personal presence that leave us fully available for whatever life may offer. With all her ideas, Dr. Paul offers specific applications to such venues as home, office, and company or organization.

For those readers who are tempted to just skim the mother lode of tips and techniques in the book, I say "don't"! I recommend taking the time to follow the seven step path she lays out and complete the exercises throughout each step. I found her model to be deeply grounded in wisdom about the essential nature of human beings and her exercises had me in action with new habits that led me to new ways of thinking. This is a book that has had a major impact on my everyday life. Thank you, Marilyn Paul!

55 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Looks like it might work, but don't expect it to be easy, February 2, 2004

By 

swiven (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys: The Seven Step Path to Becoming Truly Organized (Hardcover)

Paul sets out what looks like a good system for slowly organizing your life, one area at a time. However, in reading this book, I discovered that I currently lack enough motivation to get so organized. Paul's system requires that you make organization a major priority in your life, at least for the period of time when you are training yourself to be organized. If you are not ready to devote significant time and effort to becoming organized, I don't think this book will help.