Organizing for Your Brain Type: Finding Your Own Solution to Managing Time, Paper, and Stuff (Paperback)

~ (Author), Arlene Taylor (Foreword) "I have created customized organizing systems for thousands of clients, ranging from individuals overwhelmed by clutter in their home to large-scale corporate offices needing streamlined..." (more)
Key Phrases: other brain types, innovating style, managing your environment, Maintaining Style, Harmonizing Style, Prioritizing Style (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Get---and stay---organized!

Let your natural inclinations guide you toward gaining control of your environment and learn to live life on your own terms. Drawing on the science of brain function and her experience as a professional organizer, Lanna Nakone offers tailored and specific advice that will actually work to help you tame your desk, unclutter your closet, manage your time, and save your sanity.

Take the Brain Style quiz to determine which of the four parts of the brain you rely on the most to process information, and which organizing style complements your brain function. If you rely on the

*Posterior left section of your brain, you're a Maintaining Style. You develop and follow routines well and adhere to traditional organizing methods.

*Frontal right section of your brain, you're an Innovating Style. Artistically creative, you have a unique stacking system that no one else understands.

*Posterior right section of your brain, you're a Harmonizing Style. Valuing interconnectedness with your family or coworkers, you need to be organized enough to keep your environment peaceful.

*Frontal left section of your brain, you're a Prioritizing Style. Adept at analyzing data, you prefer to delegate organizing.

Chapters specific to each type offer practical tips and strategies for implementing an organizing system, maintaining your system, and coexisting with different brain styles.

Insightful and understanding, Organizing for Your Brain Type turns the task of managing your life into an enjoyable experience.

About the Author

Lanna Nakone is a professional organizer and consultant. Her business, Organized World, boasts clients from corporations and busy executives to homemakers. A member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), she runs workshops and does extensive lecturing for The Executive Committee Worldwide (T.E.C.). She lives in St. Helena, California.

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Product Details Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (April 14, 2005) Language: English ISBN-10: 0312339771 ISBN-13: 978-0312339777 Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #131,960 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in this category: (What's this?) #37 in  Books > Health, Mind & Body > Self-Help > Time Management

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
I have created customized organizing systems for thousands of clients, ranging from individuals overwhelmed by clutter in their home to large-scale corporate offices needing streamlined systems. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
other brain types, innovating style, managing your environment, brain preference, kinesthetic preference, brain style, sensory preference, organizing style, auditory preference, label maker, strategies that can help, hanging files

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Maintaining Style, Harmonizing Style, Prioritizing Style, Feng Shui, Arlene Taylor, Closets Closets, Getting Started, Household Paper Clutter, Mind Waves, Paper Incoming Mail, Time Calendar, Organization of Space, Salvation Army

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 34 books:

• Affirmations for Artists by Eric Maisel on page 79, page 83, and Back Matter
• Time Management from the Inside Out, second edition: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule--and Your Life by Julie Morgenstern on page 94, and Back Matter
• The High Price of Materialism by Tim Kasser on page 2, and Back Matter
• Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui by Karen Kingston on page 75, and Back Matter
• Sacred Space by Denise Linn on page 56, and Back Matter

See all 34 books this book cites

 

1 book cites this book:

• Learn to Manage Your Time by Lucy MacDonald in Back Matter

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Organizing for the Creative Person by Dorothy Lehmkuhl

Discusses:

• brain preference
• brain style
• organizing style

Snap Out of It by Ilene Segalove

Discusses:

• kinesthetic preference
• sensory preference
• auditory preference

Organizing for the Creative Person by Dorothy Lehmkuhl Discusses: brain preference brain style organizing style Snap Out of It by Ilene Segalove Discusses: kinesthetic preference sensory preference auditory preference Loading...

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	80% buy the item featured on this page: Organizing for Your Brain Type: Finding Your Own Solution to Managing Time, Paper, and Stuff 4.0 out of 5 stars (6) $10.17
	8% buy Organizing from the Right Side of the Brain: A Creative Approach to Getting Organized 4.7 out of 5 stars (27) $10.87
	6% buy Organizing for the Creative Person: Right-Brain Styles for Conquering Clutter, Mastering Time, and Reaching Your Goals 4.0 out of 5 stars (25) $10.17
	3% buy Time Management for the Creative Person: Right-Brain Strategies for Stopping Procrastination, Getting Control of the Clock and Calendar, and Freeing Up Your Time and Your Life 4.1 out of 5 stars (26) $10.17

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:  (3) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:  (1) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.0 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 29 of 30 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful information, December 4, 2005 By  RK (Mpls, MN) - See all my reviews As the reviews say the book consists of looking at how we organize our life using 4 brains types. There is the Prioritizing type, the Maintaining type, the Innovating type, and Harmonizing type. Overall I found the book well written and enjoyed how the author looked at how each brain type functions overall. She talks about ways each brain type can: use a calendar more effectively, use storage space, deal with paperwork, organize your home and office space, and organize your environment. Also, at the end of each brain type chapter, she gives a nice bullet point summary of key points so that you don't have to go back and re-read in detail. My only problem with the book was the testing method in helping to find your brain type. The test was 50 questions (too long) and many of the questions where things I had problems relating to. For example some questions asked: You are reminded about going to the opera when: 1. Check your planner a day in advance 2. Notice post-its over the house 3. Friends shows up at door step 4. Your Palm Pilot's alarm goes off 15 before you are to leave While Typing, you notice your dog is looking at you with those huge hungry eyes you: 1. Tell him you feed him at the same time 2. Your dog never looks hungry there food on the floor all the times 3. Throw him your half-eaten doughnut form breakfast this morning 4. Tell him to lie down and wait until you are done You normally try to avoid conversations that: 1. Involve the future 2. That go into great detail 3. That deal with figures 4. That is too touch-feely For me these questions (and some others) depend on situations. I may talk touch-feely at one time, and depending on the day or my mood, I might feed the dog now or wait. The test would have been more effective had it dealt with typical situations. My guess is she was trying to offer something different than the other books out there on organization that gives tests using every day situations, but her test did not work for me. Also, by her own admission, she says some of the test questions "seemed a little over the top" and what I found was because some of the questions were over the top, I scored in a different brain type category (Prioritizing style) when after reading the other brain types, I am clearly a Maintaining type. My only suggestion would be is to take the test, but make sure you read the other types to see if they don't fit you better. The the book is arranged in a way that you can scan the other brain types easily. Overall the book is very good and offers good tips and info. 6 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Useful and Practical Information, Fun to Read, February 20, 2007 By  B. Jones (Sonoma, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I am very busy, so I do not have a lot of spare time to read. I liked how this book was concise and practical, and yet still fun to read. It is organized well so that I could quickly get the information I needed to help get myself organized, and then go back later and read about other types. I especially liked the section which showed how people with other brain types viewed people with my type; it was uncanny! I liked it enough to order two more copies for friends. 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars The only place to start, August 5, 2007 By  Jeanne Maher "craftymom" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Like so many people, I have read plenty of organizing books. I try to implement the recommended systems, but, if I even get the system in place, I can't sustain an uncluttered environment. In Lanna Nakone's book, I learned that traditional systems of organizing only work for people who are already natural organizers. Only by understanding the way your own brain works, can you begin to implement organizational systems that will last for you. Read this book first, then you can sift through other organizers' advice and select what will ultimately work for you. Raleigh area residents can find free support using Ms. Nakone's system at http://declutter.meetup.com/107.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful It helped me think a bit "outside the box" in regards to organizing with my spouse in mind. I had many "Aha!" moments. Published 13 months ago by gobbledygook 4.0 out of 5 stars Organizing for your brain type One of the best organizing books for a chronically messy person! Actually, I'm not messy...I just do things differently. Easy to understand, easy to follow. Published on February 19, 2007 by Ghost Writer 2.0 out of 5 stars Different slant on the Organizing problem comes up short I found the ideas in the beginning of this book to be interesting -- and obvious. Of course everyone is not the same and needs different organizing techniques. Read more Published on February 8, 2007 by Reading Mom Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (April 14, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312339771
• ISBN-13: 978-0312339777
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #131,960 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #37 in

  Books > Health, Mind & Body > Self-Help > Time Management

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful information, December 4, 2005

By	RK (Mpls, MN) - See all my reviews

As the reviews say the book consists of looking at how we organize our life using 4 brains types. There is the Prioritizing type, the Maintaining type, the Innovating type, and Harmonizing type. Overall I found the book well written and enjoyed how the author looked at how each brain type functions overall. She talks about ways each brain type can: use a calendar more effectively, use storage space, deal with paperwork, organize your home and office space, and organize your environment. Also, at the end of each brain type chapter, she gives a nice bullet point summary of key points so that you don't have to go back and re-read in detail.

My only problem with the book was the testing method in helping to find your brain type. The test was 50 questions (too long) and many of the questions where things I had problems relating to. For example some questions asked:

You are reminded about going to the opera when:
1. Check your planner a day in advance
2. Notice post-its over the house
3. Friends shows up at door step
4. Your Palm Pilot's alarm goes off 15 before you are to leave

While Typing, you notice your dog is looking at you with those huge hungry eyes you:
1. Tell him you feed him at the same time
2. Your dog never looks hungry there food on the floor all the times
3. Throw him your half-eaten doughnut form breakfast this morning
4. Tell him to lie down and wait until you are done

You normally try to avoid conversations that:
1. Involve the future
2. That go into great detail
3. That deal with figures
4. That is too touch-feely


For me these questions (and some others) depend on situations. I may talk touch-feely at one time, and depending on the day or my mood, I might feed the dog now or wait. The test would have been more effective had it dealt with typical situations. My guess is she was trying to offer something different than the other books out there on organization that gives tests using every day situations, but her test did not work for me. Also, by her own admission, she says some of the test questions "seemed a little over the top" and what I found was because some of the questions were over the top, I scored in a different brain type category (Prioritizing style) when after reading the other brain types, I am clearly a Maintaining type.

My only suggestion would be is to take the test, but make sure you read the other types to see if they don't fit you better. The the book is arranged in a way that you can scan the other brain types easily. Overall the book is very good and offers good tips and info.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful and Practical Information, Fun to Read, February 20, 2007

By	B. Jones (Sonoma, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am very busy, so I do not have a lot of spare time to read. I liked how this book was concise and practical, and yet still fun to read. It is organized well so that I could quickly get the information I needed to help get myself organized, and then go back later and read about other types.

I especially liked the section which showed how people with other brain types viewed people with my type; it was uncanny!

I liked it enough to order two more copies for friends.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only place to start, August 5, 2007

By	Jeanne Maher "craftymom" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Like so many people, I have read plenty of organizing books. I try to implement the recommended systems, but, if I even get the system in place, I can't sustain an uncluttered environment.

In Lanna Nakone's book, I learned that traditional systems of organizing only work for people who are already natural organizers. Only by understanding the way your own brain works, can you begin to implement organizational systems that will last for you. Read this book first, then you can sift through other organizers' advice and select what will ultimately work for you.

Raleigh area residents can find free support using Ms. Nakone's system at http://declutter.meetup.com/107.