Unstuff Your Life!: Kick the Clutter Habit and Completely Organize Your Life for Good [Paperback]

Andrew J. Mellen (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 3, 2010

A professional organizer and life coach shows readers how to kick the clutter habit with his complete how-to guide to total organization

Arguably the most organized man in America, sought-after coach Andrew J. Mellen has created unique, lasting techniques for streamlined living, bringing order out of chaos for the chronically overwhelmed everywhere. Acknowledging that it's often the "stuff behind the stuff" that holds people back, Mellen offers a surprisingly simple, yet effective solution in his step-by-step guide, guaranteed to help achieve organizational bliss for everyone from perpetual key-misplacers to hard-core hoarders.

From basement to bedroom, kitchen to car, and into every corner of life, Mellen’s system yields lasting results. Discover how to:

• Never lose your keys or wallet again
• Stop mail, magazine, and paper pileups for good
• Feel empowered to tackle bills and budgets
• Reclaim space and time once dominated by clutter

Built on the principle that we must distinguish ourselves from our possessions, Unstuff Your Life! starts with truly achievable goals and works toward the nightmare projects everyone tries hard to avoid. With humor, honesty, tough love, and foolproof advice, Mellen makes it easy to finally let go and embrace the decluttered life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Living in chaos? Professional Organizer Mellen has written the book to help. At 400 pages, it's not for the faint of heart or the semi-committed, but for readers determined to bringing their stuff under control. "There is no magic device, and you don't need to be rescued," Mellen assures, advocating ways of streamlining that don't have to break the bank. He begins by the front door, with creating a place to locate your keys and mail, and then moves through the house from room to room, starting in the kitchen; sentimental doo-dads (the most difficult to abandon) are the last to go. While Mellen at times ventures into Martha Stewart's turf ("Create a paint schedule!"), he's closer in temperament to his mentor, Oprah. For those having trouble letting go of their stuff, he says, "Identify with the willingness to shift your behavior," and move bravely forward. Despite dips into hokum, Mellen is not a sentimentalist, he's a tough life coach, and many readers will have trouble paring down as much as he'd like. But those willing to take even a small sip of Mellen's Kool-Aid may enjoy a more organized, efficient, and well-managed life.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Review

“Whether it’s your home or your head—Andrew Mellen shows how to achieve organizational success!”

—Peter Walsh, author of It’s All Too Much and Enough Already!

“Good sense of humor and considerable amount of compassion… Unstuff Your Life! is an extremely helpful and practical book, always pointing us to the bigger picture.”

—Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Avery Trade (August 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583333894
• ISBN-13: 978-1583333891
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 1 x 5.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #32 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Home Improvement & Design > How-to & Home Improvements > Cleaning, Caretaking & Relocating
  • #53 in Books > Business & Investing > Skills > Time Management

More About the Author

Andrew Mellen, Chief Organizing Expert, is an author, speaker, and professional organizer.

"The Most Organized Man in America" has helped thousands of people across the U.S. to declutter their lives and gain time for the things that are really important ... which often aren't even things at all.

Andrew's been featured widely in the media -- appearing everywhere from The New York Times and TEDx to The Nate Berkus Show; O, The Oprah Magazine; Martha Stewart Living Today; Oprah & Friends; Great Day Houston, ABC, NBC, CBS and CW11 to HGTV; Ladies' Home Journal; Woman's Day; Live Well Network; USA Today; GQ; InStyle; All You; Fine Living; Better TV; DIY Network; and NPR.

In addition to speaking and leading workshops, he maintains a private practice working one-to-one and one-to-many with clients ranging from Fortune 500 CEO's to the U.S. Dept of Education as well as attorneys, psychologists, award-winning filmmakers, artists, and overwhelmed parents everywhere.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 66 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Different Form of Life Therapy September 27, 2010

By Jeanne MacDonald

Format:Paperback

UnStuff Your Life, although focused on providing guidance related to organizing your home is really much more than that. In essence, it's could also be titled, How to Relieve the Stress of an Unorganized Life-- truly a self -help book that I found to be one of the best I've ever read. It provides a manageable process on how to reorganize each room in your home, while also identifying the obstacles in your life that have disrupted your personal journey. It is a must read for any stay-at-home or working mother trying to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously. As a working mother myself, I found the book to be so inspiring that i couldn't put it down. I read it on a long plane ride and found myself drawing diagrams of each of my rooms; indicating where things should be relocated. Andrew Mellen's philosophy of "everything needs a home" and put "like with like" is now something I think about daily.

As a birthday, Mothers Day or Christmas gift, Unstuff Your Life should be at the top of the list.

90 of 94 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A clever and insightful roadmap to clear out the clutter... October 8, 2010

By Velveteen Pug

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Prior to reading Andrew Mellen's book I would have told anyone who asked - unequivocally - that my life is organized, clutter-free and pretty much seamless. I mean, so what if every once in a while I misplace my keys. Or the receipt for that item I intend to return. And doesn't everyone spend five minutes searching a myriad of drawers for a grater to shave some fresh ginger? And that rsvp card for my niece's wedding. It only took me ten minutes to get my hands on it...that's normal, right? Who needs inspiration to save all of five minutes of time and frustration here and there? Well, apparently I do. And in the highly capable hands of one Andrew Mellen, I'm now as unstuffed as a plush bear in a gorilla cage. Andrew approaches the keys to an organized life with a deft hand, with wit and candor and without preaching. Some of the tips and tricks he offers are seemingly obvious (keeping our house/car keys in one place, and one place only)...yet once deployed there's a strange sense of gratification each time I reach to grab the keys on a mad dash out of the house...they're magically in the same place, no hesitation...no foraging among papers and coat pockets. They're now where they are supposed to be. It saves times and alleviates stress. And it's carried one hundred fold throughout every corner of our home, now that I am an unstuffed diva. I'm so giddy with my newfound organization (read: freedom) that I'm tempted to do two shows nightly: "Step right up! Ask the lady of the house where anything is! Anything at all! No object too big, no object too small. She'll have it in her hands in less than one minute flat!" Beyond that, this workshop in a book serves up a genuine soul and psychic cleansing to detach from certain tangible items. And It makes for a lighter load - practically, spiritually and even fiscally. Well done, Mr. Mellen.

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars CHANGED MY LIFE! September 30, 2010

By Tina Marie

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I love this book! It changed my life! I look at all "stuff" in a totally different way now! I don't feel chained to stuff any longer. My house has a lighter feel. The energy of the house flows! Andrew's ideas are great from attic to basement and every room in-between. But it's the rooms in my MIND that really got a good cleaning! Thanks Andrew!!!!