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The Clutter Connection Lib/E: How Your Personality Type Determines Why You Organize the Way You Do

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You’re not messy—you just organize differently. Learn to make your natural habits work for you with this bestseller by the host of HGTV’s Hot Mess House! Organizing isn’t one size fits all. By discovering your unique Organizing Personality Type, you can find the most effective strategies for a more productive and clutter-free life. The Clutter Connection examines and explains how different brain types directly relate to organization and clutter. Cassandra Aarssen smashes the stereotype that some people are “naturally messy” and offers insight and real-life solutions based on your unique personal organizing style. The Clutter Connection will help you get organized, be more productive and finally understand the why behind your clutter. Find out what type of Clutterbug you are and ·       The four different organizing styles and how they relate to each other ·       How motivation and happiness can be directly affected by our space ·       The “3P’s”─Productivity, procrastination, and perfectionism, and how they’re connected to your unique organizing style ·       How you can finally become clutter-free simply by knowing yourself better

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First published January 1, 2019

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Cassandra Aarssen

10 books222 followers

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5 stars
928 (38%)
4 stars
972 (40%)
3 stars
402 (16%)
2 stars
78 (3%)
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22 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
Profile Image for Susan.
125 reviews
September 5, 2019
I've always been told that I was messy & lazy. I get teased about it constantly by family & co-workers. And after hearing it so much, you pretty much believe it & try to act like you don't care, even though you're totally ashamed & can't figure out why you can't get your stuff together.

I've tried so many things to "fix" my messiness. None have ever worked, which made me feel even worse than before. It But this book, that absolutely wonderful book, finally showed me that I just think differently than most people. When Cassandra started listing the characteristics of a butterfly, I came to tears, because every characteristic was me, to an absolute T.

I just want to say thank you Cassandra! I'm going to basket, bin & label the hell out of my house & work space & finally be able to feel like people can visit me at work & home without feeling ashamed.

Profile Image for Stacia.
1,004 reviews130 followers
May 20, 2019
Overall some good concepts & ideas for organizing. But, it's repetitive & rambles a bit. I think the book would have been better served to delete the repetitive parts & digressions &, instead, present some additional, concrete organizing ideas.

Or, just make it a shorter book overall. I feel like the crux of the info could be presented in a short booklet.
Profile Image for Charity.
Author 32 books125 followers
August 9, 2020
This was ah-mazing.

Unlike other declutter queens who simply tell you where to put your stuff, Cass shares her insights into four different kinds of people and the challenges they face in terms of being messy -- and tells you the best style recommended to help you learn how to keep your space clean. Don't believe me?

I grew up with a Cricket -- the super organized person whose garden shed is organized so neatly, there's an itemized spreadsheet hanging on the wall to inform you of which labeled drawer something is in. You need never search for anything again. In the home office, if you borrow a pair of scissors, she wants you to put them back in their spot on the labeled shelf. Her favorite gift one Christmas was a label machine.

My brother, however, is a Blutterfly. If he cannot see what he has, he forgets he has it, so he leaves everything out where he can find it -- in piles. She has for years been pulling out her hair trying to figure out how to teach him to keep his little apartment clean. Now, she knows. Cass suggests clear plastic bins with the lids off, left where he can just toss something into one instead of having a super organized space for it. I have a friend with the same "clutter bug" habit. I suspect now that she's a Butterfly and can't wait to introduce her to the concept, because it will change her life.

Just reading the intro, I suspected I might be either a Cricket or a Ladybug. Reading through the Cricket, I kept thinking about the stuff that winds up on my kitchen counter and how often, I have to phone mom for ideas in decluttering. Then I started into the Ladybug chapter and... Cass gets me. She is a fellow Ladybug. The accumulation of clutter, followed by annoyance at it, followed by attempts to keep every visible surface clean, followed by chaos in the closet. Ladybugs don't want to see their stuff, so they need pretty containers. But they aren't as organized as Crickets (which I found out a couple of weeks back when putting all my media discs into plastic sleeves for storage in beautiful bins -- when it got to the alphabetizing, I called it quits; it's just enough that I don't have a wall of movies cluttering up my space and impacting my brain). A messy room drives me nuts.

The last one is the Bee, and they are super detail-oriented, busy keeping their house decluttered, but often they gt caught up in trying to be perfect and so they accumulate little honey piles all over the house of things that don't have an "away" space yet.

Since this is an introductory book, it's more about helping you figure out the process that works for you and think about you space than it is telling you exactly what to do -- which means I need to figure out what winds up being left out in the open and why. But that's kinda fun, because I'm a de-cluttering bug who maybe after reading this book will have the kitchen cabinets she wants. I suspect some plastic containers are in my future...
Profile Image for Chris.
306 reviews8 followers
February 25, 2019
The idea that everyone can be sorted into one (and only one) Hogwarts house personality type is a bit reductive, as these things usually are, but the axes of her personality matrix (visual organisation vs hidden, sorting things into micro vs macro categories) are a genuine insight that I've found really valuable. (IMO there's a third axis which largely but not entirely maps on to micro vs macro categories: speed/ease of putting stuff away vs speed/ease of getting it out.)
Profile Image for Elissa B.
36 reviews1 follower
January 21, 2019
Cas does a brilliant job breaking down various organizational mentalities so that everyone can be organized. Her insight really opened my eyes and inspired me to take a fresh look at my home. Her fun and insightful book doesn't tell you how to organize anything but rather, empowers you to find the best solution for your life.
94 reviews18 followers
January 15, 2019
I think if you are aware of Cas's Clutterbug philosophy and have seen her videos describing this, then the book doesn't really give you anything new. I really only read the start and the chapters related to my organising style (bee) and the chapters on how to deal with someone who is a different bug than you. And while this is interesting, it isn't extensive.

I think her other book - Real Life Organising - is better if you are looking for a book on organising.

Although I like her approach to organising and I think that it's pretty spot on, I would probably only recommend this book to people who aren't as exposed to the Clutterbug theory. I would recommend watching her videos on youtube though! Cas has a great personality and humour that isn't as effective in the book unless you know her style.
Profile Image for Anastasia.
73 reviews3 followers
July 10, 2019
If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would! 'The Clutter Connection' is right on point in explaining why people organize the way they do and why 'one size fits all' organizing doesn't work for everyone. The author goes through four different styles of organizing and helps you figure out which 'clutterbug' you are, how to get the most out of each organizing style and work with and live with people of varying organizing styles.

It's quite simple, really. You're either a ladybug: someone who craves visual simplicity in the form of not having a lot of stuff out on display and organizing style that's simple and non-complex. Crickets crave visual simplicity but would like more organizational abundance in life. Bees like to see their stuff out in the open and are extremely organized. Butterflies love the visual abundance but prefer to keep their organizing simple.

It's a fairly quick read, filled with lots of great examples and images to illustrate each ClutterBug organizing style perfectly. There's also plenty of easy breakdown lists to refer to easily after you've read the book. There's a short quiz to find out your ClutterBug organizing style (it's also available on the ClutterBug website).
Profile Image for Crystal.
Author 3 books2 followers
August 31, 2019
This has helped me so much, and subsequently my family, who have very different ideas of organization. I was overwhelmed and frustrated by the countless hours I would spend organizing only to very shortly have that area looking even worse by my family. If something isn't working, I study it to figure out ways to improve. This showed me my husband and I have completely different ideas of what organization is and we were both frustrated with each other, which can harbor underlying resentment and drive a wedge in any relationship. By utilizing this resource we were able to clearly identify our contrasting styles and brainstorm for how to appease us both. I think this is not only a superb resource for any homemaker, but for anyone living together, whether families or roommates, to learn each others organizational styles and better create harmony within the home.
Profile Image for Rida &#x1f349;.
47 reviews24 followers
December 6, 2021
2.5 stars

A decent read which detailed some interesting psychological concepts around how our brain processes mess/clutter.

Overall a bit too reductionist for my taste and repetitive. I also found it ironic that the author’s premise was trying to tell us there’s nothing wrong with us if we’re messy, we just have organisational ADHD… whatever the heck that means. She has ADHD herself but it felt like a really weird, baseless comparison especially when she doesn’t even explain what she means by that. I don’t think it was a waste of time but the book left a lot to desire too.
Profile Image for Meghan Carpenter.
45 reviews
January 3, 2023
I tend to read a lot of organization books because I’m always on a mission to make my house more minimal/functional. What I did really appreciate about this is the emphasis on how different people organize spaces so differently and how important it is to adjust your systems if you live with others so that it creates the most harmonious home and what that looks like in practice. I also felt that her description of the need for visual and organizational abundance/simplicity was very insightful, and I am glad I read this if not for any other reason than being more mindful of the differences in nature when teaching my children how to tidy and organizing their things. I think it would be really easy to miss that, push cleaning/tidying the way I like to do it, and fail to equip them to create strong systems for success in adulthood.

That being said, the book wasn’t really that well written. It was unnecessarily long, and the author’s self proclaimed “distract-ability” due to ADHD was abundantly clear and kind of hard to deal with. This should have been heavily edited and/or reduced to an article. It didn’t have enough value to be a book, and dragging it on and on with filler stories made it a chore to read.

Two stars for 2 very original ideas (simplicity/abundance and categorizing the most common types of people and what works for them) and zero stars for execution.
Profile Image for Misty DeRosier.
133 reviews1 follower
September 14, 2021
There was some interesting ideas about different clutter personalities and a few good tips, but it was a bit too first world for me. Clearly this is for seriously privileged people who can afford to pay personal organizers and buy expensive organizational supplies. I couldn’t help thinking how the vast majority of us simply aren’t at this level.
Profile Image for Ana Gutierrez.
746 reviews6 followers
January 22, 2025
An interesting and eaily flowing read. Its definitly given me things to think about and stratagies to try. I liked the four categories of Clutterbugs, I'm apparently a Bee! Although Butterfly and Ladybug were close seconds based off the questionare. 😄🐝🦋🐞
Profile Image for Kit.
23 reviews
August 24, 2023
Wow. This book has me completely shook, even days after finishing it!

All my life, I've been called - and called myself - messy. Lazy. I can't count the amount of times I heard that "(my) bedroom looks like a cyclone went through it" growing up. Even now, my mum will say that you can always tell when I'm visiting home because her dining room table is covered in purses, sweaters, and bags!

I've tried and tried again with neat, tidy micro-organized systems; they never worked, and I was always left feeling like a failure and a slob. It's going to take time to undo all of that toxic thinking, but now I finally have something I can point to and tell myself that I was wrong.

Of course those systems never worked for me! I'm a Butterfly with Bee tendancies! I'm a visual person, and I NEED to see my stuff! Setting up the perfect bins is great... until I realise that I'm never going to keep the contents neatly organized inside of it - especially if it has a lid! It really is true that if it takes more than 10 seconds to put away, my brain has moved on. I can't believe I never stopped to consider that hooks instead of hangers would make the "jacket and purse dumping ground" right inside the front door history; coat closets are evil, time-consuming hanger spaces, right? WRONG. They don't have to be. Who knew?

This book found me at the perfect time. I'm going to be embarking on an international move in a few months, and this has been the perfect motivation to actually tackle my clutter ahead of the packing and be hopeful that merging my household with that of my new wife doesn't have to spell disaster. I have already gushed all about this book to her, and I can't wait for her to do the quiz and read the book, too (I suspect she's also a Bee or a Butterfly) so we can start making a plan.

Thank you, Cass. For once, I have hope that I really can have a tidy, organized home one day.
Profile Image for Hlyan .
187 reviews
December 27, 2022
Unlike other books of its kind, this book doesn't give you a one-size-fits-all organizing method. It gives you one according to your personal organisational style.

I took the quiz on the author's website. It was easy and more fun than doing it through the book. I didn't have much expectation, honestly. But to my amazement, I found that the result perfectly described my organisational style.

I skipped all the chapters on other styles and jumped directly into the chapter on my style.

"Yes, this is it! It's exactly the organizing system what I've been needing." I was so excited that I applied the system straight away. I immediately knew this is the best system that will actually work for me in the long run because it fits with my style perfectly. It's so simple but why haven't I found that out by myself?

You don't need to read the whole book to be benefited from it. Read the first few chapters where the author explained about her philosophy. Take the quiz to find out about your organisational style or, in the author's words, which clutterbug you are. (I recommend the interactive online quiz on her website.) Then read the chapter on your style.

You can also read it standalone but I'd recommend reading the books by The Minimalists and Marie Kondo first. That'll be the perfect combination.
Profile Image for Michelle Beginandendwithbooks.
574 reviews19 followers
June 7, 2020
The first 40 pages can be skimmed. My quiz answers did not give me a clear answer to my Clutterbug type, but I enjoyed reading the chapters on each bug to learn more. I was tied between Ladybug and Cricket based on the quiz, but after reading the rest of the book, I feel confident that I am a Ladybug. (Now I need to sneak questions to my husband to try to diagnose his bug. This book can be a great took for a family if everyone is willing to read it.) I am already pretty organized due to a recent remodel and Marie Kondoing my house a few years ago, but this book is great to show people how they should be attacking and organizing—considering visual preference and macro vs micro organizing. I could recognize that some of the more macro and out-of-sight ideas from Kondo method have been working really well for me.
Profile Image for Shawna Peryea.
387 reviews110 followers
April 28, 2021
I think of myself as a pretty organized person, but sometimes it's almost overwhelming. This was a fun way to find out your cleaning style. She uses bugs...clutterbugs...to depict the different cleaning styles. Throughout the whole BEE chapter, I thought, "Holy crap, this is me."

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Then I got to the cricket chapter and wow! I organize my clothes, books, etc by color. Small office supplies such as paperclips are all in their own designated small drawers. Need a AA battery? They won't be in the same drawer as the AAA batteries that's for sure! It's really interesting to see how I am. I am def a mix of the two, but looking around at the mini piles around the house, probably more a cricket!

Fun, spring cleaning type of read that will start getting prepped to declutter, organize (or organize even more while minimizing in my case) or just clean in general.

P.S I definitely related to the cricket example as I too am a former teacher with mountains of stuff!
Profile Image for Yaasha Moriah.
Author 12 books12 followers
April 6, 2022
I "met" Cas first through her YouTube channel, took her quiz (I'm a Ladybug!), then started listening to her podcast, and finally read this book. I'm totally hooked. I've spent my life feeling messy and out-of-control, especially in comparison to the Crickets in my life. I felt lazy next to them. Now I know WHY I do what I do, and that it's not wrong! I also know how to use those strengths, and I've seen strides in both my habits and my home since encountering Clutterbug. I'm trying to get all my mom friends to take the quiz; I know it will help them transform their homes and stop feeling like failures!
Profile Image for Barbara Schulze.
52 reviews1 follower
October 25, 2021
The Clutterbug Test and Tips is a game changer.

I like her writing style and her explainations about the four different organizing styles. Thanks to this book, her website, podcasts and her YouTube channel (which is actually how I found out about her) I finally understand why I failed at organizing so often, I always thought I was just a super messy person. Of course I now know that it is because I was using the wrong method. I have now begun implementing additional organizing methods ( I started putting up hooks because I was tired of just leaving my purse and work stuff anywhere and everywhere before I read her book)that actually work for me.
67 reviews2 followers
February 21, 2022
This book helps you find out your style of organizing out of four types based on combinations of visual (simplicity or abundance) and organizational (macro or micro)preferences. You can also type those you live with based on the quiz (daughters loved taking it!) or your observation. Then you find out more about your type and what kind of organizing solutions are likely to work and stick for you and those you live with. You also find out what the best compromises are for differing types based on the needs of each one. Loved this and have begun implementing.
Profile Image for katie T.
48 reviews
December 2, 2023
Turns out, I am a butterfly, and I live with a .bee. Who knew.?
When it comes to organizing, there is always a little conflict in a home, and as a real estate professional, I see it frequently. Even the most harmonious homes appear cluttered sometimes Everyone has a slightly different style and when in conflicts, it creates clutter. This is a great little book to share with my clients on how to live Clutter, free, at least for the open houses, and showings. This is especially true when there's multiple styles of organizing. Just like personalities, organizing, comes in many shades. I appreciated the quick overview and easy implemented strategy system for different people.
339 reviews3 followers
December 30, 2019
I learned a lot. The authoress and the narrator are both very, very affirming, so much so that it can feel like a kindergarten class sometimes. But no complaints. If there is one lesson to be learned from this book, it is that few of us are messy and lazy--our brains simply organize in different ways. This is especially a good lesson for children to understand. I hope she writes more books on organization. Of course, my super-organized wife introduced me to this book.
Profile Image for Leah.
764 reviews37 followers
January 21, 2022
This book was incredibly helpful for me to read and gave me a whole new perspective on how I organize things the way I do, why it works for me, and systems I can use that are functional and will work for the long term. I redid my filing cabinet and got rid of a massive stack of papers and redid all my categories so things are easier to find. As someone who always struggles with surface clutter and feeling like everything is a mess, this gave me some really practical ways to look at putting things away, or organizing them better out in the open so I find things.
Profile Image for Liv.
771 reviews18 followers
April 9, 2025
Cassandra is my favorite professional organizer. This book is the perfect place to start for someone that can’t keep organized or stay on top of systems they’ve put in place previously. Years ago, she was instrumental in helping my household discover why why things weren’t working well: my spouse and I have completely opposite organizational styles. I need everything hidden away in micro-categories; he is a pile-er who needs everything visible and accessible in only a few large categories.
Profile Image for Karen Yee.
34 reviews1 follower
January 25, 2022
Very good book. Really got a lot out of it and will be using the ideas put forth in it. At first I had a hard time with the sort of silly titles given for the 4 organizing types but finally just decided not to worry about it and just use the good advice. I'm hoping to get my partner to take the test so that we can work together to organize our home.
2 reviews
October 6, 2022
LIFE CHANGING!!! I have tried and read soooo many books on decluttering and organizing. They always required me to be something I wasn’t and I would be endlessly frustrated on why I couldn’t “get it together” Understanding now that I am a Ladybug married to a Butterfly I have a clear path to organizing that will work for both my husband and I and we can be who we are as that happens. 🙌
Profile Image for Samantha Nelson.
122 reviews1 follower
December 31, 2022
Big fan of the clutter bug organizational tips and insight! It really helps to understand your tendencies and style (and your family’s organizational habits too) to establish and maintain a tidy home. I would recommend taking her clutter bug test to everyone (free online at www.clutterbug.me). Honestly, her website and quiz are free and provide good information without the book but I did enjoy reading about how to marry different personalities. If you’re like me and love organization and need some extra motivation, this book was lovely enough.
56 reviews2 followers
July 29, 2020
This is a very fun read. It's helpful if you've already decluttered and want guidance for how to actually organize your things in a way that will stay organized. I also enjoyed that she gives advice on how to live with various organizational personality types in one household.
Profile Image for Sue King.
450 reviews6 followers
May 23, 2021
Good insights into why you might struggle with organization systems that work for everyone else. Thoughts on what might work better. Tips for living or working with someone who doesn’t share your style. Lots of photos which is fun. I read this to help my mom with her abundance of stuff and lack of organizing it and I got some tips that hopefully will help.
Profile Image for Furrawn.
649 reviews55 followers
March 23, 2023
I would have loved this book if the kindle app hadn’t frozen on every single page. Sorry. Sometimes I got to read TWO pages. I’ve literally spent an hour trying to read 17 pages of this book. No exaggeration.

I think it’s a super cool idea and could be very helpful for organizing. Sadly, I guess I’ll never know.

Buy the book. Just don’t buy the kindle version.
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