Common Sense Organizing: A Step-by-Step Program for Taking Control of Your Home and Your Life (Paperback)

~ (Author) "If you are reading this book, you may have found yourself among the ranks of the organizationally challenged..." (more)
Key Phrases: Bright Idea

Editorial Reviews

Review

Williams shows you how to get organized and do it with ease... -- Lillian Vernon, Founder and CEO, Lillian Vernon Corporation

Product Description

It is hard to admit, but many of us have found ourselves among the ranks of the organizationally challenged. We just can’t seem to "get it together," no matter how many calendars we buy or systems we try. Williams shows that we are not alone in our attempts to balance work, kids, family, friends and relationships, while still squeezing in some self-time. More than ever, people feel stretched beyond the limits of their physical and emotional endurance.

In Common Sense Organizing, Williams shares how to customize home and life management to meet our needs, instead of trying to fit ourselves into the latest system. The author shows how a one-size-fits-all organizing mentality can quickly lead to frustration. Instead, she shares her common-sense approach that any reader can adapt, to take control of their home and their life—once and for all!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc. (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932783261
• ISBN-13: 978-1932783261
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,109,182 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Step by step help for the organizationally challenged, March 2, 2005

By	K. Schumann "schu" (Pearland, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Debbie's great humor and joy come through every page in her latest book. It's like having your very own organizational specialist come to your home and hold your hand through every step and every room. And this is a lot cheaper!

Debbie takes you through every aspect of becoming organized. And included are many little tips like how to get wrinkles out of those clothes that have been sitting around unfolded. Has she been sneaking into my house?!

I didn't even know where to begin to organize and de-clutter. It just seemed too overwhelming. I have always been amazed at those people who have perfectly organized homes without clutter. They know where everything is! How do they do it? It is embarrassing to have unexpected guests over when you live in a cluttered world. But how do you go about organizing your life? What is the first step? Where do I begin? Debbie makes it seem so simple! I finally have a plan and vision and practical steps for living a different life: one of no clutter. Let's face it: when your house and your life are in order, there is also peace in your life. There is happiness and joy.

Topics covered in this book are getting it together, common sense organizing, conquering the clutter, the organized parent (yes, it is possible to be an organized parent), office management, time management, cleaning, and many resources listed in the back. Everything you need for a completely clutter-free, organized life!

I love Debbie's style of writing and all of her common sense ideas to help you take control of your life. She has a beautiful attitude and faith that shine through the entire book. You will NOT be disappointed with this. I can't recommend it enough. I only wish I had it a long time ago. Thanks Debbie!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Structure for the Totally Disorganized, March 20, 2005

By	Professor Donald Mitchell "Jesus Makes Me a P... (Boston) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

If you've ever done spring cleaning, you know that the most important step is to get rid of what you don't need. To do that, you have to sort through everything you do need. And then you found that a lot of the stuff you kept . . . you didn't really need . . . the next time you did your spring cleaning.

Having moved offices several times in the last 15 years, I was struck by how much I could toss each time I moved . . . and how much more I should have tossed.

The principles in this helpful book build on that observation and experience, and turn the thought into a process. That's the beauty of the book: Plan; Sort; Organize What's Left; and Maintain the System You've Established. That process works for me!

Although a lot of the book is about getting rid of stuff and condensing what's left into more usable locations and less space, Ms. Williams also looks at organizing your role as a parent and making better use of your time. I thought the latter two subjects needed more depth than Ms. Williams brought to the subjects.

Ms. Williams is at her best when she's diving into a closet, a bathroom or a car . . . and turning it into a more usable location. Much of her book is specialized to the special problems of different living and work environments. How much did I learn? Well, a lot of the tips are ones that I didn't feel inclined to follow. For me, the book was too . . . well . . . organized. There's lots of list making and list checking. I'm more of a free form fellow who likes to plow ahead and just get it done.

If you like making lists and checking them twice, you will be thrilled with this book and be convinced it's the ultimate in five star efforts.

For those who have little experience with organizing space, I'm sure the many boxed "Bright Ideas" will be a high point.

When I write a review of a book I try to think of who the ideal reader is. For this book, it's a young couple who have just moved to a Manhattan apartment on the fifth floor of a walk-up that's half the size they had before in Ann Arbor . . . and who are expecting triplets.

Spring's here. So what are you waiting for?

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for beginning organizers - light for the pros, March 21, 2005

By	Ginger L. "Home Manager" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This book would be a good "first" book to have on the subject of organizing and home management, but it might be a little light if you've read a few and are more than a novice.

Even though I don't like to visualize what this space would be like and other "pie-in-the-sky" planning, I found that when I actually answered those questions and determined what would be ideal, it's easier to get there and maintain it.

I really like organizing and home management books and I've written some reviews and comparisons of these kinds of books on my website: www.momsplaceonline.com

This book is good for the money and it has some good ideas, even if it's not the best on the market. It's all a learning process.

Ginger