How to Be Organized in Spite of Yourself: Time and Space Management That Works With Your Personal Style (Paperback)

by Sunny Schlenger (Author), Roberta Roesch (Author) "Many persons believe that either you were born organized or you weren'tand that if you weren't, you're doomed to a lifetime of mismatched socks and..." (more)
Key Phrases: reward yourself along the way, styles collide, organizational styles, Perfectionist Plus, Nothing Out, Pack Rat (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Get The Guide that helps you get it together!

This is the perfect resource for the modern age of fast-paced business and lifestyles. Recognizing that just one organizational system is not for everyone, the authors have devised solutions that provide ten different systems to match ten basic personality types such as Perfectionist Plus, Hopper, Fence Sitter, Pack Rat, and Total Slob. Whatever a person's style, whatever their habits, this book contains a surefire remedy to keep them organized and coordinated.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Signet; Revised edition (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451197461
• ISBN-13: 978-0451197467
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #56,445 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

143 of 144 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Identifying Your Operational Style has Never Been Easier!, November 15, 1999

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

I find it very refreshing when a book gives me permission to use notes of paper rather than a planner, handle paper more than once when it crosses my desk, and allows me to actually have a desk with things on it. Why, they even let you have a junk drawer, or HandyDrawer for those things I just might need someday (as long as I clean it out once in awhile).

The authors of How to Be Organized in Spite of Yourself have done just that, and help us identify ourselves within the Ten Operational Styles: Hopper, Perfectionist Plus, Allergic to Detail, Fence Sitter, Cliff Hanger, Everything Out, Nothing Out, Right Angler, Pack Rat, or Total Slob. And we don't even have to fit perfectly into any one, so we can adapt our organizing system according to several different styles.

Time logs are not new to a student of organizational techniques, but the authors encourage us to analyze our logs and identify which tasks have the most value, could be delegated, interrupted, etc. Since most of us don't realize where the time actually does go, this tool forces us to document where and how we get things accomplished. Only then can we change our system and create a new workable one.

Full of tips for streamlining your tasks and working with those who have opposing operational styles from our own, this book is very effective in helping us recognize timewasters and helps establish new ways of saving time for the things that actually do matter at work and home.

170 of 181 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Expectation Not Met, May 2, 2004

By	Natalie D Cerasuolo (Ft. Lauderdale, FL United States) - See all my reviews

I purchased this book based on the reviews it received and the comparitively low price. (I had to laugh when I saw that one reviewer was an air traffic controller too!) I am glad that this book has been helpful for some. For me though, I found "Organizing, Plain and Simple" by Donna Smallin, to be much more practical.

As a single mom I'm looking for suggestions and practical tips to becoming more organized across the board. This book seems more geared to organizing your desk and tasks at work. It involves documenting how you spend your time, etc. That was not helpful to me since I would spend the majority of my day documenting instead of doing. The book also uses a tremendous amount of space describing each time/space management style without giving very many tips on how to overcome your particular style.

I am not comfortable being critical of these author's, I mean I couldn't write a book! The fact remains I was disappointed with this particular book since I didn't find much practical advice here.

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Organizational Tool!, February 5, 2003

By	David R. Bess (Charleston, WV) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book is one of the best I have read on its subject. One of the things I liked best is that after reading the opening chapters, I could go to the two chapters that describe the time and space management styles that are unique to me. The tips found there are very helpful!

I recommend this book to all busy administrators who want to get a better handle on their time and space management skills. It's a quick read, and will easily pay for itself through the time and money saved. Great buy!