When Organizing Isn't Enough: SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: treasure guidelines, schedule clutter, habit treasures, Heaving Schedule Attachments, Trust Yourself, Heaving Habit Attachments (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Morgenstern, a professional organizer with clients like Time Warner, shares advice and anecdotal revamp stories for anyone who ever needed to clean out a drawer, closet or personal planner. Her guiding principle in fighting clutter, over-scheduling and bad habits is called SHED: Separate treasures, Heave the rest, Embrace identity from within, and Drive yourself forward. Morgenstern's chatty advice includes ways to let go, develop a "theme" for your future and "heave" successfully (with lists of places to send stuff). Her theory is that, although one may miss certain possessions or habits, freed-up space will inevitably open unseen vistas, allowing the new you to move forward. Morgenstern supplies timelines, entire chapters on living in the moment and breaking the mold, as well as quizzes and work sheets. She also examines, in-depth, typical emotional reactions to shaking free of the old, and encourages small steps toward revolution: "Don't be so quick to reenact the Boston Tea Party." Client case studies pose intriguing challenges, from obsessive email checking to good but unfulfilling jobs to an overabundance of shoes and accessories.
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Review

"Absolutely brilliant!" -- Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

"This book will help you to recognize what you really value in life so you can let go of everything that's keeping you from reaching your true potential." -- Larry King

"I've always been amazed by the way Julie Morgenstern can organize everything -- but until now, I didn't realize that included human minds, hearts, and souls." -- Martha Beck, author of Finding Your Own North Star --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Fireside (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743250893
• ISBN-13: 978-0743250894
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #53,273 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 93 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shedding Stuff and Getting a Life, August 15, 2008

By	Terri J. Rice "ricepaper" (Pasco, WA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Not one to like self-help books, I was VERY skeptical and am here to say this is a fantastic book. Getting ready for a move, I have been trying to clear out junk and it wasn't until I read this book that I could really begin to clean out the house. Morgenstern's point is not to have a sterile, barren home or life but rather to free up your life by getting rid of the irrelevant with some pointed questions:

"How much space or time would you free up if you were to release the obsolete items?"

"How difficult would it be to let go of the obsolete items?"

"Is it invigorating to my life right now?"

"What practical value does this item provide?"

Every time I was hesitant to clear away what I thought might be clutter, I would ask myself the questions that Morgenstern asks in her book. so for example, when I came across my grandmother's antique metal curlers that I had held on to for decades and moved about in the back of the closet, I was able to ask myself, How much space would getting rid of these free up? Not a lot. How difficult would it be to get rid of them? It would be easy to get rid of them. Is it invigorating to my life right now? No way! What practical value does this item provide? None! Done. Out go the curlers and I move to the next item. In fact I become a little embarrassed that it took me so long. Then on to that stack of books, clothing in my closet, the knick knacks that I dust, for what?

Morgenstern contends that we can't move productively into the future unless we SHED the stuff that is weighing us down and keeping us from making changes.
And this really cut to the core: "A perfectly arranged dresser drawer filled with clothes you haven't worn in years is still clutter."

Once Morgenstern finally convinces you, yes, even you, that you have a problem with junk in your life; she takes you step by step through her process of cleaning it out and letting it go. And she stresses this isn't about a one time clean up, it is about changing your thinking and thereby changing your life.
Reading this book can change your life!

73 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clutter Isn't Just Junk!, June 17, 2008

By	Craig Smith (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews

Julie Morgenstern's book is greatly helpful! It intelligently points out that clutter isn't just on your desk or in your closet. The intangible clutter may be what holds back some of us that are already very organized. Most interestingly, thoughts and behaviors that suck up our time and resources and keep us stuck when we need (or have to) move forward to a new phase of life. SHED explains why this is so hard for most of us, and holds our hand through the process of de-cluttering and moving forward to our most happy self. The book uses humor and common experience to guide you through the process, instead of a "tough love", toss it all approach, which many readers in these life transition periods might not be able to handle. I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels stuck or is having trouble managing change in their life.

59 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tons of practical advice, July 11, 2008

By	David J. Singer - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read a lot of personal development books. There is more practical and useful advice in this book than in almost any book I have read. One area of advice I liked a lot is the Perfectionism Habit Breakers, a few of which are (1) Devise three approaches, minimim, moderate, & maximum, before jumping into anything, and opt for minimim or moderate whenever possible. This helps you to recognize there are more than two outcomes (disaster and perfection) (2) Rephrase the question "how much can I do?" to "how little can I do?" You are not cheating, you are preserving yourself for other tasks, likely ones which are more important and/or more enriching. (3) Stop doing other people's jobs. You can better use the time, and it develops them rather than sending the wrong signal. And, you can always provide coaching feedback later.

Very, very good book