Customer Reviews

Order from Chaos: A Six-Step Plan for Organizing Yourself, Your Office, and Your Life

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In hindsight, the author's advice seems like obvious common sense tips. But that's the way all great ideas work: once discovered, you can't imagine how you didn't think of that before.

I've loaned the book out to several co-workers and friends, but none of them have opened up the book, so their lives remain chaotic. Buy the book. And read it. You'll be glad you did.

Prior to reading this book I had stacks of paper and files scattered around my office, and dozens of to-do items scribbled in three different notebooks and on scraps of paper. I work hard but I never felt productive because I was aware of all of those action items around me that I wasn't finding the time or energy to get to.

After reading the book, my desk is clean, my floor is clear of stacks of "stuff", and there's a set of trays on my desk that gets cleaned out in a methodical manner. When I'm not at work, I'm not thinking of the hundred things I need to get accomplished the next day, because I have a plan in place. All thanks to the book.

The author's cockpit idea is brilliant, and I'm in the process of trying to apply that idea to my garage and my kitchen at home. I'm confident that this books will allow me to bring Order to those chaotic spots just like it did for my office.

One side note: the author spends a few pages towards the back of the book trying to sell you her planners. You might benefit from those planners, but you can adopt most of the author's tips and tricks using standard Franklin or Day-Timer planners instead.

Davenport provides a comprehensive, easy-to-follow strategy for getting one's life in order. In an increasingly complex world, a simple yet effective method of organization is crucial to one's success and sanity. It doesn't matter what kind of job you have -- or whether you have a job at all -- for Davenport's methods can apply to anyone.

One weakness of the book is the rather minimal amount of time spent on e-mail, PDAs and other digital data. At a time when many are cutting back on the use of paper, these media are becoming increasingly important, yet Davenport largely ignores them. She is especially dismissive of PDAs -- something that's become an organizational lifesaver to me and many others -- and those looking for strategies for more effective use of digital media won't find much here. Especially as this is such a recent book, such oversights are surprising; hopefully they will be addressed more thoroughly in future editions.

What a terrific surprise to get "Order from Chaos". I read it in one day because I couldn't put it down. What an important book! A treasure of practical help.

It's just what I needed, especially now. I've already organized my office, garage and storage shed, and gave away and threw out lots of "stuff". I feel more in control and less burdened already. And I love my pending file.

I know I'll keep referring and rereading Liz's book to help me learn to prioritize continually--my biggest weakness.

"Order From Chaos" is about creating a personal organization system to help you take control of your life and reduce your stress level. I had picked up a bunch of these type of books to get a feel for different opinions out there.

Author Liz Davenport gives some good advice on organization by utilizing a 6 step method: Organize your desk, manage your task in 1 system, create a pending file, make decisions immediately, prioritize your tasks, and make them all daily habits. All of the information is solid.

However, I have to compare this book to "Getting Things Done" by David Allen which I feel is a far superior book. "Order From Chaos" is an easy to read book and contains good advice for the extremely disorganized person, but the professional person will need more information such as filing techniques and what lists they should create and how. "Getting Things Done" answers all those questions.

"Order From Chaos" is still a good book however. It offers good solid advice for the disorganized person. 4 out of 5 stars.

I've read several time management and organizing books, and I started this one thinking I'd just get the same thing in a different form. I was pleasantly surprised! We were not talked down to about how our spiritual energy is being drained or how our psychological well being is being damaged, the author views organizing as practical and necessary for good business. There are several little suggestions in this book I had not heard before or had not thought of myself, and they will be very helpful to me. There's so much to gain from such an inexpensive item. Buy it and use it!

One of the best days of my life was finding this book. Liz takes what some have made a very complex subject (can you say flow-charts?) into a simple and extremely workable system. No longer are there little pieces of paper floating around my office. I know where everything is located and my weekly planning time is actually fun. The pending file has changed from "file 13" to a vital part of my life. I buy extra copies of this wonderful little book to give to my Mary Kay team members so they can concentrate on business and not waste time due to disorganazation. I even e-mailed Liz to thank her and she actually took time to say thank you by return mail. Now, that's a class act!!

This book gave me the best piece of advice I've ever received about prioritizing at work. The author suggests that you ask yourself: "What will make me the most money?" and prioritize that way. What a tremendous piece of advice! It seems so simple, but it's so easy to spend time on busy work, and avoid doing the work that will bring in the bucks. This book helps you spend much less time on organizing, filing, etc., and clears the way for you to make more money! What a great, great thing. Buy it.

I'm a pretty organized person who does not hesitate to go paperless, but running a creative business I knew I could be working more efficiently. I'm only about 70 pages into this book and already it's changed my office, as well as my general attitude toward accomplishing tasks of any kind. Refreshing and enlightening! Even if you don't use all the advice in this book, the ones you do use make it worth it.

The practical steps this book details can help anyone - including those who are organized and those that are not. It's easy to read, entertaining even, and everso practical. The principles can be applied to any size business, home management and personal lifestyle. I read many such books for my business and still managed to come away with a stack full of ideas to implement. Kudoos to Liz Davenport for this excellent guide!

I own and have read many organizing books. I'm actually fairly organized and am always looking for tips to be even more organized. This book had the most immediate and lasting impact of any organization book I have read. I read it all in one sitting the night I got it because I found it so helpful. Many items, I thought to myself "yes, I already do that and it works" and many other items, I thought, "wow, that would make a difference." I HIGHLY recommend this book.