Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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!

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.

This book is EASY to read, QUICK to digest and USEFULL beyond your wildest dreams. The 10 principles are so easy to understand, you'll even unclutter your soul ... as well as your household! Karen Hicks is wise and practical. Go buy this book and FEEL the change in your energy.

an admimisttative assistant or office manager. Lists, lists, and more lists of things you should have on hand and things you should to be efficient in a business office setting. Just not what I was looking for at all.

The book was OK, but offered nothing to help me help my ADHD husband.

Of all the self help books currently out there, this masterpiece can eleminate the need to read most of them. Follow this author's 10 step approach and enjoy much rewarding benefits in not only your professional life, but also life in general. If Christ was alive today, he would probably be preaching a gospel more similar to this great book!