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Unclutter Your Life in One Week
SIMPLICITY IS REVOLUTIONARY. Organization expert Erin Rooney Doland will show you how to clear the clutter, simplify your surroundings, and create the stress-free life you deserve—in just one week.
Her down-to-earth approach and useful, innovative suggestions for tackling the physical, mental, and systemic distractions in your home and office will help you: •Part with senti...more
Her down-to-earth approach and useful, innovative suggestions for tackling the physical, mental, and systemic distractions in your home and office will help you: •Part with senti...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
December 28th 2010
by Gallery Books
(first published 2009)
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May 16, 2011
Ryan Adair
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
personal-development,
productivity
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
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 bits and...more
Let's talk about a few ironies, such as this book that was supposed to take a week to read actually took six, and that's only because I couldn't renew it anymore from the library. (My guess is that "continually renewing library books because it's easier than taking them back" is not a recommended trait for uncluttered people.) The other irony is that I followed the Unclutterer blog for a while, until it cluttered up my google reader and I decided I needed simplicity.
I had a bit of a roller coas...more
I had a bit of a roller coas...more
Ok, two big weaknesses right up front:
1. This author unequivocally assumes that ALL readers (amen) work a 9 to 5 desk job. Maybe that's her primary audience, sure, but I at least wanted acknowledgement that the WHOLE UNIVERSE is not sitting in an office all day 5 days a week. Teachers? Nurses? Moms? Part-timers? Salespeople? Need I go on?
2. Completely unrealistic. As in, really, I'm going to pull everything out of my clothes closet, sort through, purge, reorganize all of it, and put it back in...more
1. This author unequivocally assumes that ALL readers (amen) work a 9 to 5 desk job. Maybe that's her primary audience, sure, but I at least wanted acknowledgement that the WHOLE UNIVERSE is not sitting in an office all day 5 days a week. Teachers? Nurses? Moms? Part-timers? Salespeople? Need I go on?
2. Completely unrealistic. As in, really, I'm going to pull everything out of my clothes closet, sort through, purge, reorganize all of it, and put it back in...more
I'd give this 2.5. There were a few helpful items in there, but overall this book didn't greatly appeal to me. First, her amount of clutter was not much (she was married, no kids, living in an 850 sq. ft. apt.) when writing this, so her timeline of a week is pretty unrealistic if you live in a larger place, have a larger family, etc.... Also, I think her methodology appeals to the list-making sorts of folks (not necessarily my style); I had a similar complaint about the book "The Happiness Proje...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 the "best case scenario"...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 the "best case scenario"...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
Apr 21, 2010
Jennifer
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
nonfiction,
organization
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-wow-y as Fly...more
Aug 27, 2012
Gwen
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Gwen by:
(Pinterest...)
Shelves:
well-being
I think "uncluttering your life in one week" is a little too ambitious to feasibly be done well, but this book was able to help me work through two major clutter issues I have: books and clothes.
Each day of the week is divided into thirds: morning, work, and evening. I found the "work" sections to be less than convincing (it's a standard collection of "clear off your desk," "prioritize email," etc., that so many other books have done...and done better), but the sections for the home were much b...more
Each day of the week is divided into thirds: morning, work, and evening. I found the "work" sections to be less than convincing (it's a standard collection of "clear off your desk," "prioritize email," etc., that so many other books have done...and done better), but the sections for the home were much b...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. I actually comp...more
Positives: I feel much more organized now than before I read this book. I actually comp...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, The Now Habit...more
May 10, 2012
Jenny
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
2012-challenge
"One week" is a bit of a stretch - unless you have little else to do - but this book is full of good advice all the same. As I read, I recognize a lot of things I already do, but there's no magic solution to the clutter that remains. The book is a quick read, though, and the "unclutterer motto" - a place for everything, and everything in its place - is a useful one to remember.
"You can come up with reasons for why you can't do something until you're blue in the face. Instead of wasting the energ...more
"You can come up with reasons for why you can't do something until you're blue in the face. Instead of wasting the energ...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
Mar 02, 2010
Anne Meyer
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
systems-and-productivity
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 allott...more
Jun 09, 2010
Sue Smith
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-read-in-2010
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 resolved! Hmmmm - may...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 resolved! Hmmmm - may...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 amount of free...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 amount of free...more
NOTE: this is a slightly abridged version from my own site, which focuses on creative and/or gifted adults with ADHD. You can read the full story and other reviews by clicking here.
If you’re looking for a good overview of uncluttering strategies and philosophies, Unclutter Your Life in One Week may be the book for you. Author Erin Doland comes from an organic place, articulating an uncluttering philosophy motivated by a desire to clear the path to our “remarkable life.” Any ancillary distraction...more
If you’re looking for a good overview of uncluttering strategies and philosophies, Unclutter Your Life in One Week may be the book for you. Author Erin Doland comes from an organic place, articulating an uncluttering philosophy motivated by a desire to clear the path to our “remarkable life.” Any ancillary distraction...more
There are some great ideas on organizing in the book, but am I really supposed to be able to do this all in one week? Remove all clothes from all places you store them in the house and sort. Great idea. Then go to work and organize, then return home for the next step in the project? Really. This is each day. I would be exhausted. Clearly, Erin has not seen the amount of clothing I can get into a closet. No way would this be a project I could complete in one day, let alone one morning before work...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, there are a lot of practi...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, there are a lot of practi...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 suggested time...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 suggested time...more
Forget the sales driven title designed for the now generation and you are going to get on with this book a lot better.
So having done away with the schedule follow the advice at your own pace.
It is all pretty obvious stuff but having someone go through various strategies to attain your goal is a great help, it cuts out the "what next and how" type issues which can get between you thinking you will do something about the mess and actually getting on and doing something about the mess.
My two cents:...more
So having done away with the schedule follow the advice at your own pace.
It is all pretty obvious stuff but having someone go through various strategies to attain your goal is a great help, it cuts out the "what next and how" type issues which can get between you thinking you will do something about the mess and actually getting on and doing something about the mess.
My two cents:...more
May 25, 2012
Arielle
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
New professionals
Recommended to Arielle by:
Goodreads
Shelves:
resources
Really great suggestions. The biggest complaint I've seen about this book is the fact that her timeline of becoming completely uncluttered seems unrealistic--esp. for those with children and other obligations. That is definitely true. The timeline was unrealistic, but her concept was rock solid. The idea of breaking you tasks down into manageable chunks was practical, and even though it was a "duh" concept, she organizes and breaks down the tasks for you. She even has a ton of internet resources...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 is...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 sounds like cheating!
Also, she...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 sounds like cheating!
Also, she...more
Sep 13, 2010
Liz DeCoster
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
reference
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't need it...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't need it...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 for a magic solution and that is why I...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 for a magic solution and that is why I...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 those who need...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 work on the...more
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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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4 people liked it
“One of my biggest complaints about adulthood is that it's difficult to simply hang out with friends”
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3 people liked it
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Mar 12, 2013 06:25am