Organization and Time Management

            Start now to streamline your life and accomplish more with the help of these current publications.

            Clearing Clutter: Physical, Mental, and Spiritual is written by Alexandra Chauran, a professional psychic intuitive who has been interviewed on National Public Radio. Her focus is not only on clearing physical clutter but on mental and spiritual clutter; she uses feng shui interior decorating, meditation exercises, and psychic guidance to accomplish this.

            The Smart Guide to Winning Back Your Time is written by Jeffrey P. Davidson, an authority on time management and work-life balance issues. Here he presents tips and techniques for better managing and restructuring daily life’s activities to gain back control of free time and time spent with loved ones.

            Driven to Distraction at Work: How to Focus and Be More Productive is written by Edward M. Hallowell, an authority on attention deficit disorder. He pinpoints why we often lose our focus at work, explaining the underlying psychological and emotional dynamics behind each example, and advises on how to train our attention.

            L’Art de la Simplicite = How to Live More with Less is written by Dominique Loreau, a French essayist who has written other books on living the simple life. She provides a step-by-step guide to decluttering one’s home, mind, and body, offering such suggestions as removing unwanted possessions, spending money on experiences, and rejecting negative relationships.

            Decluttering Your Home: Tips, Techniques & Trade Secrets is written by Geralin Thomas, an instructor to professional organizers who also appeared on the Arts & Entertainment network show Hoarders for six seasons. Get started on decluttering using her tips, techniques, and trade secrets.

            Mess: One Man’s Struggle to Clean up His House and His Act is written by Barry Yourgrau, also the author of the memoir Wearing Dad’s Head. He embarks on this project after his girlfriend issues an ultimatum. The book draws on his experiences as both a hoarder and an investigator to profile subjects ranging from professional decluttering services and anti-hoarding therapy to the medical causes of hoarding and the psychological ramifications of clutter on relationships.  

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

            Already a bestseller in Japan and England, this book also is on the Newsday bestseller list here. It is written by Marie Kondo, a young Japanese woman and cleaning expert who has had a strong passion for decluttering and organizing since childhood. During her career, she has developed the KonMari Method which requires that you “concentrate your efforts on eliminating clutter thoroughly and completely within a short span of time”.

            How to decide what to throw away and what to keep? You must take each item you own, hold it and observe whether it sparks a feeling of joy within you. If it does, keep the item; if it does not, you should feel free to discard it or give it away. What types of items should you evaluate?  Clothing, books, papers, and komono (miscellaneous items).

            Kondo approaches the art of decluttering and organizing spiritually. For example, she says that if you are getting rid of something because it has outlived its use, or never served a purpose, be sure to thank the item for its service. Also, each day when you put away the things that you wore or used, say something like “Thanks for all you did for me today”.

            Finally, Kondo believes that once you have completed your “tidying up” project, you may experience other positive changes in your life. You may gain confidence in your decision-making capacity, gain confidence in life, reduce anxiety, find your mission in life, and more.

            This is a little book that can make a great impact.