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Unclutter Your Life in One Week
by
Erin Doland (Goodreads Author),
David Allen
Organization expert Erin Rooney Doland, Editor-in-Chief of Unclutterer.com, will show you how to clear the clutter, simplify your surroundings, and create the remarkable life you deserve -- in just one week.
Simple living isn't about depriving; it's about enriching. But while scribbling "Be more organized" on a list of New Year's resolutions doesn't take much eff
...moreHardcover, 256 pages
Published
November 3rd 2009
by Simon Spotlight Entertainment
(first published 2009)
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I was sitting on the fence between giving this 2 or 3 stars. It was a quick read -- but her premise that her process would take one week -- yeah, right. Not that I expected that from a book. I read it (and have several similar titles on the nightstand as well) out of a desire to seize a sense pf control in one of three arenas with which I typically struggle. A significant birthday this month might have had something to do with that, but that's another story. Anyway... there were useful bit...more
I am constantly (or so it seems) trying to declutter a house that almost immediately refills itself (or un-organizes itself) as a result of the other 4 occupants. We have different priorities and different ideas of what constitutes "clutter".
The book really is a one-week guide - and, if you spend the week doing those tasks, you'd likely come fairly close to getting it all in order. There are some sections that the author admits may take longer to get through; one week is th...more
The book really is a one-week guide - and, if you spend the week doing those tasks, you'd likely come fairly close to getting it all in order. There are some sections that the author admits may take longer to get through; one week is th...more
I just finished reading Unclutter Your Life in One Week! By Erin Rooney Doland. It was a very insightful, easy, and informative read. The practical insights she gives in her book are encouragement to a clutterer’s bones. However, implementing the methodology she gives to actually unclutter your life in the one-week timeframe would take every single moment of that week to achieve; but the way she organizes the book helps the reader see that it is much easier to unclutter their life if they do it ...more
Let's get one thing straight: if you find your life cluttered enough that you need to read a book about how to remedy the situation, one five-day week (!) is not a realistic time frame from you to clear your life. Particularly, you cannot empty your closet, go through your wardrobe from top to bottom and clear it out on Monday morning before work. I nearly took the book back to the library in the first chapter when I realized that was what she was suggesting. The book also assumes you are doing ...more
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This book goes in the category of worth checking out from the library and skimming, but not really worth buying. I really liked her use of project management methodologies for organizing one's personal life, as well as one's work life. And I really did appreciate her conception of the "week" of uncluttering as involving both your time at work, and your time at home. But fundamentally, there was not a lot of content here that wasn't a retread of basic knowledge. It isn't as girly-pow-wo...more
So I have been following the blog Unclutterer for about six months now, and last month in a fit of desperation, I bought Erin's book. This book mainly goes from a Monday to Friday, with a morning home task, an at work task, and an evening home task. It also includes handy home management lists for Fall and Spring Cleaning. This book is motivational, but really focuses on Getting Things Done and How to Do Them.
Positives: I feel much more organized now than before I read this book....more
Positives: I feel much more organized now than before I read this book....more
I bought this book on the strength of the Unclutterer.com website, and it was worth the money. Only giving it a 4 for now because I haven't yet tried any of the tips in the book, but at least on an initial read-through it seems fairly intuitive and helpful. It's definitely an easy read, and has some good heuristics for reducing "stuff" to "things I need" and ditching the stuff that's not on that list, which I definitely need help with. Combined with things like Getting Things Done...more
I found this book as good reference for improvement on organizing your life. Mainly your things. There were some things that I did not know that could be applied. It helped to realize that clutter is very stressful and doesn't help a person to move on when holding on to THINGS. It mentions that when getting rid of your clutter you are opening the door to more social contact with others. I would definitely use this again to refer to it. In a materialistic society, THINGS aren't necessarily going ...more
This book contains useful information, some commonplace, some fairly original. I like the big picture approach - organizing and creating systems to make you more effective and for specific outcomes, rather than for organizing's sake. The idea laid out in the intro is that a beginner can do what took the author months to do in a week by having a more systematic plan which the book is supposed to be. The systematic plan is useful, but there is prep that needs to take place outside the times al...more
Erin Doland has some good ideas, but - honestly - I think there's too many presumptions that you won't have any issues doing ANY of what she suggests. And to get it all together in a week is - well - good luck with that!!
That being said, I did glean some ideas to try to help curb some of my issues. So, if anything, this book was good for that. It's always nice to have a new angle to try. Now ..... I just have to get rid of my kids and I'll have a lot of my 'clutter' issues res...more
That being said, I did glean some ideas to try to help curb some of my issues. So, if anything, this book was good for that. It's always nice to have a new angle to try. Now ..... I just have to get rid of my kids and I'll have a lot of my 'clutter' issues res...more
So, I grabbed this book at the recommendation of somebody, but I don't remember who or why. It's a fairly typical step-by-step guide to organizing your life.
I didn't find anything in there to be completely new and unique ideas. The "one week" claim in the title, is mostly because the book is broken into chapters, one for each day of the week and focuses on certain areas each day to slowly make your way through your house. It'll take more then a week unless you have a significant...more
I didn't find anything in there to be completely new and unique ideas. The "one week" claim in the title, is mostly because the book is broken into chapters, one for each day of the week and focuses on certain areas each day to slowly make your way through your house. It'll take more then a week unless you have a significant...more
A fast read, and great launchpoint for working on some organizational projects.
I was a bit put off by the organization around a week, as it was hard to see the connection between some of the topics (eg why wouldn't you address your home office on the same day you address your work office, since the principles are similar?) I also think the uncluttering of work content (email, meetings, etc) seemed out of place when mixed in with uncluttering of physical spaces.
However, t...more
I was a bit put off by the organization around a week, as it was hard to see the connection between some of the topics (eg why wouldn't you address your home office on the same day you address your work office, since the principles are similar?) I also think the uncluttering of work content (email, meetings, etc) seemed out of place when mixed in with uncluttering of physical spaces.
However, t...more
Loads of practical and doable advice from someone who's been there and has come out the other side a neater and more organized person.
I suggest, however, that unless you are already fairly well decluttered and organized you not try to take everything on all in one week, especially if it's also a work week. There's no way I could declutter my closet in the time between rising and going to work -- that's a full-day project to pull everything out and process it. But if you take the sug...more
I suggest, however, that unless you are already fairly well decluttered and organized you not try to take everything on all in one week, especially if it's also a work week. There's no way I could declutter my closet in the time between rising and going to work -- that's a full-day project to pull everything out and process it. But if you take the sug...more
Saw this on Remodelista...can't resist another organization book!
I think it might be possible to complete all the projects in this book in one week...if you don't have kids, and can keep your schedule fairly free for that one week. For me, I’m sure it will take quite some time to get through it all. But there is great value in this book even if you can't accomplish everything in it all at once.
For one thing, the ordering of the projects makes sense; they build on one anothe...more
I think it might be possible to complete all the projects in this book in one week...if you don't have kids, and can keep your schedule fairly free for that one week. For me, I’m sure it will take quite some time to get through it all. But there is great value in this book even if you can't accomplish everything in it all at once.
For one thing, the ordering of the projects makes sense; they build on one anothe...more
It's a little gimmicky that you can do everything mentioned in this book in just one week, but it is an excellent crash course in organizing your life. Although not all of it was pertinent to me, it had a lot of really interesting ideas and small details that I plan to implement. I wish someone had handed me this book when I first graduated from college and needed to start implementing a grown up life. It does concentrate equally on home and work organization, so if you don't work some if it ...more
Unclutter Your Life in One Week by Erin Doland is a fantastic book. It's more than just a simple organization book with tips like put things into bucket. She goes step by step through each room in your house and at your office on how declutter each space and make it more efficient in order to achieve a better, more peaceful life. She also tackles how to unclutter your schedule and even how to handle the holidays. I loved this book. I found her criteria for what to keep and what to re-evaluate tr...more
Not bad info, but it really should have been broken down into smaller tasks and called "Unclutter Your Life in One Month."
I was skeptical when I read, on page 13, "before you START YOUR WEEK OF UNCLUTTERING [my emphasis:], I want you to remove the sentimental clutter from your life. your basement, attic, off-site storage space, and/or closets are likely filled with these things." Um, so I have to unclutter the most cluttered areas before I start uncluttering? That...more
I was skeptical when I read, on page 13, "before you START YOUR WEEK OF UNCLUTTERING [my emphasis:], I want you to remove the sentimental clutter from your life. your basement, attic, off-site storage space, and/or closets are likely filled with these things." Um, so I have to unclutter the most cluttered areas before I start uncluttering? That...more
A very good step-by-step guide to streamlining and de-cluttering your life. Many of the topics addressed in the book are beyond my reach, given my current living situation, but I can forsee how they will be useful when I'm again in charge of my own surroundings, or have to retrieve items from my parent's house. Other topics, such as project management, meeting efficiency and meal/menu planning, are relevant to my life as it is now. I appreciated the provision of specific examples and time lines,...more
Much of this book is common sense...but if you are organizationally-challenged like I am, it's a good kick in the butt to get started. I have been following the author's blog, unclutterer.com for some time. This book is a compilation of essays written for the blog, with some additional checklists.
I come from a family of pack rats, so I initially found her minimalist philosophy a bit harsh. However, she has a point that if something is sitting in your basement unused...you probably don...more
I come from a family of pack rats, so I initially found her minimalist philosophy a bit harsh. However, she has a point that if something is sitting in your basement unused...you probably don...more
There are two reasons this book didn't do much for me.
1. The author doesn't have children.
2. I do.
I did write down about 5 tips that I am interested in trying, but a lot of it seemed pretty self-explanatory. (Pull out all your stuff, organize it into piles, then store it in an organized way. Use Google Calendar to organize your schedule. Genius stuff like that.) I think her point is there is no getting around the elbow grease of doing it. Maybe I was hoping f...more
1. The author doesn't have children.
2. I do.
I did write down about 5 tips that I am interested in trying, but a lot of it seemed pretty self-explanatory. (Pull out all your stuff, organize it into piles, then store it in an organized way. Use Google Calendar to organize your schedule. Genius stuff like that.) I think her point is there is no getting around the elbow grease of doing it. Maybe I was hoping f...more
I enjoy reading Unclutterer (unclutterer.com) and decided to check this book out from the library. I found it to be a surprisingly quick, fun read, with useful tips. Not everything in the book is applicable to me or my home and work situations, but I definitely learned some useful strategies for tackling "clutter." One could argue that the book doesn't teach you anything that you don't already know (or that you can't figure out on your own), but it could serve as a gentle push for thos...more
Wooooo! I'm gettin' my spring cleaning done before the weather turns nice. We've got a plan for redoing the front closet, I got rid of a bunch of clothes that needed to go, and threw out a bunch of paper that I won't ever miss from some files. I tied all the crazy cords together with twist-ties and threw out old make-up. ALL BECAUSE OF THIS BOOK! :) It did not happen in one week, though. Not even close. In fact, I'll be lucky to get what this book suggests in one year. So....back to wor...more
Truthfully, this is a 3 star book. But I am a big fan of the Unclutterer website, for which Erin Doland is the primary writer, so I have upped the book to 4 stars if only because it might introduce you to the website.
The "one week" premise is shaky. It should be more like "Unclutter Your Life in Seven Days." The book presumes that you will undertake *massive* projects each day...before work. Like: take all the clothes out of your closet, determine what still ...more
The "one week" premise is shaky. It should be more like "Unclutter Your Life in Seven Days." The book presumes that you will undertake *massive* projects each day...before work. Like: take all the clothes out of your closet, determine what still ...more
Even though this book says "Unclutter Your Life in One Week", this isn't happening with me. It's another declutter your life book with some great tips and some tips you already know but probably not applying if you need to read this book in the first place.
I do like the test toward the beginning about how to tell which type of clutter person you are so you know how to organize your closet depending on whether you're a visual, auditory, or kinethetic/tactile processor. Sort...more
I do like the test toward the beginning about how to tell which type of clutter person you are so you know how to organize your closet depending on whether you're a visual, auditory, or kinethetic/tactile processor. Sort...more
Jayne
rated it
Recommends it for:
anyone motivated to live a more uncluttered life
Recommended to Jayne by:
unclutterer.com
as a big fan of the organization blog unclutterer.com, i initially bought this book to support the site. however, i found the advice and structure to be practical and helpful to anyone (even an over-organized person like me) who is looking to minimize clutter in their life.
i'm not sure getting everything done in one week is practical for folks looking to execute the author's steps, but it is certainly an extremely well laid out guideline.
i'm not sure getting everything done in one week is practical for folks looking to execute the author's steps, but it is certainly an extremely well laid out guideline.
This book offers a lot of helpful and motivating ideas, but there's really no way any person could do everything in this book in one week. I would consider maybe, maybe, two weeks to be realistic, but likely no less than that if an individual is working outside the home as well. I also will admit I skipped the "at work" sections because I'm a substitute teacher and therefore have no "at work" clutter to contend with right now.
This book was the inspiration for my partner and I to take a week off from work to unclutter our house. We used this book as a rough guide. We took what worked and left the rest. It was a good launching-off point. There are a lot of useful tips in this book. It helped me to be honest with myself about my stuff--what I really need, and what I don't. Take a look at this book if you are feeling overwhelmed by your stuff.
I think I have become addicted to organizing and uncluttering books. Odd, since I am quite organized and definitely not cluttered. I think part of it is when it comes to my quilting enough is never enough and I want to stop buying and enjoy the projects I have. So much for the deep thinking. This author had some great questions to ask yourself when making a purhcase whether it be groceries, clothes, furniture or a new house. The only reason I gave it three stars is there was so little in it...more
Sometimes I need a little motivation to refocus my organization efforts. Honestly, this book didn't tell me anything I didn't already know - but it helped me organize my thoughts around what I want my home and my office to be able to do for me. I am energized again. I may even buy a copy in order to keep the seasonal cleaning checklists - I thought those looked super useful. Perhaps more useful when I own a house and have more maintenance to do myself...
Alison
added it
This book offers a neat plan for tackling home and office and schedule and decluttering them in one week, breaking down one section for morning, day (at the office usually since it assumes you work outside the home), and evening each day. I love the idea of the plan although doing it in a week wouldn't work for me because of the way my schedule is set up. Still, there were good tips in the book.
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Author of the book UNCLUTTER YOUR LIFE IN ONE WEEK. Editor-in-chief of Unclutterer.com and SimpliFried.com, and a columnist for RealSimple.com.
I am also dreadful at listing and reviewing books I've read on Goodreads within a timely manner. I remember to update my list of read books in fits and waves.
More about Erin Doland...
I am also dreadful at listing and reviewing books I've read on Goodreads within a timely manner. I remember to update my list of read books in fits and waves.
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“Research shows that if you start your week off with good routines (things like going to the gym), you're more likely to keep up the positive behavior throughout the whole week. If you wait to start a habit until Wednesday, you'll talk yourself out of the good behavior completely with promises that you'll start next week.”
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