Customer Reviews

Smart Organizing: Simple Strategies for Bringing Order to Your Home

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

 

 

In the last month since I have been reading "Smart Organizing" my use of time and space have been revolutionized by appling the 20/80 principle that Sandra Felton discusses her book. The principle states that 80% of the results we get in our lives are from focusing our effort on the most important 20%. Each day when I have felt overwhelmed by the list of things to do in my limited time, or things to buy with my limited money, or things to store in my limited space I have asked myself, what is the most important 20% to do today with my time, money or space. It has been wonderful to see the results! I am making steady progress in organizing my space, time and money and feeling so much better about my decisions. This book also focuses on specific areas of the house, plus suggestions for taking care of laundry, meals, and even messy cars. Very helpful in finding motivation to change and suggestions of how to change. Thanks, Sandra.

I would recommend this book to anyone who cringes at the idea of having friends over for dinner and anyone who wants to transform their "house" into a "home".

This book is not just about housekeeping but about how to put the least amount of effort into any project and get the biggest effect. It stresses the difference between being a perfectionistic housekeeper and one who is effective. Perfectionists put off cleaning because they don't have time to do everything perfectly; effective cleaners put 20% effort into a project, and reap 80% benefit for their efforts.

Learning to be an effective organizer is a skill that can be applied to time management, budgets, and just about any other aspect of life. I highly recommend this book.

This book was not what I expected. It is more of a philosophy of organizing rather than actual tips. However, for what it does do, it does great. It will help to change your mindset which I guess can be better than actual tips along the lines of giving a man a fish will feed him today, but teaching him how to fish will feed him for a lifetime.

Let me begin by noting that I've never read any other books on organizing, and so can't compare this one to other books in the field. As my first book on organizing, I found it both useful and entertaining.

Little in this book is shockingly new. You probably won't leap out of your chair and shout, "Aha! So that's what I've been doing wrong!" This is organizing, not rocket science. The book focuses more on motivating you to get in there and get it done--offering advice on tackling small areas at a time, spending 15 minutes each morning straightening up, organizing your belongings for your convenience, and focusing on the most important 20% of tasks.

Inspired by Felton's advice, I challenged myself to put away one of the many piles of clothes which have been overwhelming our bedroom for months before heading to bed last night. I managed to complete almost all of the laundry, and this morning, my kids were delighted by the suddenly cleared-off space to jump on.

I should note that the author does come from a somewhat conservative Christian background, and this is evident in her work. She addresses the book specifically to women, and occasionally mentions god. My husband and I are Atheists who share the housework equally between us, and this didn't bother us any more than a book discussing Feng Shui or the Zen of house keeping. I wasn't reading the book for the author's views on religion, but to try to get my dishes under control. Of course, if you happen to be Christian or conservative (or both) you may enjoy this aspect of the book.

In sum, if you are an advanced organizer, or have read many books on organizing already, you may find this book a little too simplistic or obvious, but if you're new to the subject like me, it'll probably make you feel a lot better about your situation and inspire you to keep better care of your home.

Promptly receieved and appreciated-Did not know about this one until I was searching for another Felton book but very useful.

Rather it is about maintaining unequal relations between men and women. This book disappointed me because it suggests on several occasions a link between a neat house and god's approval. And the scenarios portray a male-dominated household with a woman keeping it neat. Totally retrograde. I'll find other reasons to declutter my house--and with those reasons, other methods and authors. I feel misled because none of the descriptions emphasize the Xtian focus.

Christian readers might well like it, but I just believe the book should really be more forthcoming about its status as a Christian publication.

I would have given it zero stars if I could.

I found this book very informative & helpful. There are a lot of good ideas. It is easy to read & follow. Highly recommend it.

Ellen