The Tao of an Uncluttered Life: Lao Tzu's Ten Principles for Organization [Paperback]

Karen Hicks (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1999

Karen Hicks provides ten valuable and common-sense approaches to getting organized in The Tao of an Uncluttered Life. The Tao of an Uncluttered Life is a must read for anyone who has ever felt over-whelmed by all the details and paperwork of living. This organizational wonder will help you be more efficient and assist in making your life more whole.

Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Humanics Ltd Partners (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0893342939
• ISBN-13: 978-0893342937
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,689,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, June 7, 2003

By 

MotherLodeBeth "MotherLodeBeth" (Sierras of California) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: The Tao of an Uncluttered Life: Lao Tzu's Ten Principles for Organization (Paperback)

As most of my friends know I am a simply living practitioner and have a nice collection of books on living simply and uncluttered. So I was so happy when I discovered this book by the sage Lao Tzu and his principles for organization by Karen Hicks.

Nice thing is, there are elements in this book that most simply living declutter books do not addess (aside from Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin) like preparing for death or planning for obstacles. This is where the adage "hope for the best, plan for the worst" becomes a reality lesson. And the "Do a trial run" where Ms Hicks reminds the reader of the big value of laying out the items you need for cooking, putting together toys or furniture etc, and reading ALL the directions as well as visualizing realistically what the finished item or project. And the value of doing good research before jumping into any project. That so many people become discouraged and easily give up when they are not fully informed and prepared.

I also love her suggestion besides lists, of writing life goals, monthly and weekly goals down. I also value keeping a personal journal at the end of the day and reflecting on things done and lessons learned, because weeks, months and even years later they can be an excellent reminder of just how far I have come.

And then there are the many words of wisdom she shares from how to maximize errand time, travel time, and how not to procrastinate. How to know when to ask and accept help from others and the value of laughter and creativeness.

And of course I loved the Lao Tzu's quotes interspersed between the pages.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and Refreshing!, April 21, 2000

By 

D. Williams "Host of By the Book Radio" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Tao of an Uncluttered Life: Lao Tzu's Ten Principles for Organization (Paperback)

This book tackles the challenge of organization with an approach that is inspiring and refreshing. From the very start, we are encouraged to imagine and visualize what a perfect day would be like using the reporter's technique of: who? what? when? where? how? What a great idea! For how can we even begin our quest for organization and a balanced life unless we know where we're headed and what we want when we get there?

Another unique illustration for time management is to step back and reevaluate the task on our to do list. Break it down in steps, writing down step-by-step instructions if need be, as if we were teaching a child how to do it. Using this system helps us see that a big task is really made up of little ones, and that's how we should approach it, one little step at a time. Before we know it, the job is done.

Using common time management tools may seem obvious to some, but they are often overlooked by many - we're just too busy! Streamline repetitive tasks, creating a system or form for mail, communications, grocery lists, and other routine jobs. Rule of thumb: if it's done more than once a week, streamline it! We are surrounded by time-saving tools, so why not use them? Paper shredders, universal remote controls, rubber stamps, paper sorters, and a kitchen timer -- all of these inventions can save valuable time in our lives and free us to do more important things during our day.

Time management and clutter control are not separate issues in our busy lives, but intertwine and overlap. Managing our time, honoring it, unclutters our minds and daily actions and diminishes much of the clutter around us. By reading this book, you'll learn how to manage both, and I think that's a wonderful time-saver!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Original, October 31, 2005

By 

Elfinstone (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Tao of an Uncluttered Life: Lao Tzu's Ten Principles for Organization (Paperback)

I was very disappointed in this book. Other than the "Preparing for Death" chapter, there was nothing new and I've seen organization much better addressed in other books. The author seems to concentrate on office work - well, I've done office work for 40 years and she didn't tell me anything I didn't know. Maybe it would be good for absolute beginners, but anyone who has been around a few years already knows the tricks of opening and sorting mail, filing, etc. I didn't see anything special about her advice, especially with all those glowing references included with the book.