One Thing at a Time: 100 Simple Ways to Live Clutter-Free Every Day 
asked by benzdrives on November 1, 2006 4:58 PM
Those piles of papers, clothes, and other things you thought you'd suc-cess-fully de-cluttered have returned, and this time they brought friends. What's the use of trying to fight the clutter? Is there a better way? This powerful and useful guide delivers solutions that work, no matter how overwhelming life gets. The answer isn't an elaborate new system, or a solemn vow to start tomorrow. Instead, psychotherapist and organizer Cindy Glovinsky shares one hundred simple strategies for tackling the problem the way it grows-one thing at a time. Here's a sampling of the tips explained in the book: -Throw away coupons -Purge deep storage areas first -Store it where you use it -Rethink photo habits -Practice toy population planning -Leave it neater than you found it. Written in short takes and with a supportive tone, this is an essential, refreshing book that helps turn a hopeless struggle into a manageable part of life, one thing at a time.
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Read through in two evenings and began applying certain aspects of the book immediately. It gives you recommendations on how to live clutter free and then you can add to it to customize how you live. I have read a lot of these books on organizing. I liked this because you didn't have to start organizing a room -- you organized the way you do things. Very helpful. Will be reviewing the book several more times to learn to follow the suggestions.
reviewed by theriver on November 4, 2006 2:32 AM
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Good solid advice on how to become more organized and have better control over your life
reviewed by paradiselove on November 17, 2006 10:14 AM
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I'm a professional organizer and I loved this book! It puts in writing much of the advice I give my clients to help them maintain the organizing systems we put in place. Plus I picked up a few new tips! I know a book is good when I take notes from it.
One of my and my client's favorites is to make our own "Container Store". I've found that people who struggle with organizing usually have so many organizing tools we rarely have to shop for more! We just empty everything and put it one place. After purging the unneeded stuff and sorting like with like, we then choose the appropriate container from our "store". This is a new concept for some people. Many people buy the storage first then try to figure out what to do with it. The best way is to know what you are going to store and THEN buy the container...or better yet, get it from your own container store! When we are done organizing, we create a home for all the unused containers in the garage or basement.
There are a few out of the 100 that are kinda odd or not what I would have written, but for the 10$ there are many other great ideas in the book that you can really use. Even if you are fairly well organized, you are likely to find a few tips you can use!
One of my and my client's favorites is to make our own "Container Store". I've found that people who struggle with organizing usually have so many organizing tools we rarely have to shop for more! We just empty everything and put it one place. After purging the unneeded stuff and sorting like with like, we then choose the appropriate container from our "store". This is a new concept for some people. Many people buy the storage first then try to figure out what to do with it. The best way is to know what you are going to store and THEN buy the container...or better yet, get it from your own container store! When we are done organizing, we create a home for all the unused containers in the garage or basement.
There are a few out of the 100 that are kinda odd or not what I would have written, but for the 10$ there are many other great ideas in the book that you can really use. Even if you are fairly well organized, you are likely to find a few tips you can use!
reviewed by runningscared on November 22, 2006 7:26 AM
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Reading this book, I got a picture of a certain kind of person who would love this book. Unfortunately, this
kind of person is not me! I was disappointed. But if you find ideas like these useful you will also like One Thing at a Time:
# 31 Keep a phone log
# 68. Label a cardboard box "office supplies" and put all your office supplies in it so you can find them.
# 24. Sweep and vacuum at least once a week.
# 61. Put things back, even when you're rushed.
# 9. Make your bed every day.
# 72. Put a trash container in every room.
Seems like these "tips" are things most everyone already knows. Don't they?
Other suggestions border on bizarre:
#11. Make a list of mini-tasks like: sort mail, make a phone call, write a check, wipe up something that's spilled,
take out the trash, check a web site, etc. Why make a list when you could just do the work?
# 5. Carry a clip board because "A clipboard puts you squarely in charge of Things in your life." It does?
#43. Create a list of items "almost anyone would throw away or recycle" including: used paper dishes, cups and napkins,
used tissues and toilet paper, empty cans, broken rubber bands, balls of hair, used dental floss, etc.!! Is the author joking?
If a person needs to make this list they also need much more help than this book can give!
I did find a few useful tried-and-true gems:
#1 One thing at a time.
#94 Leave it neater than you found it.
Finally, I recommend www.freecycle.org. Freecycle is an email list where people give away things that they no longer need
for free. Give your stuff to a good home!
kind of person is not me! I was disappointed. But if you find ideas like these useful you will also like One Thing at a Time:
# 31 Keep a phone log
# 68. Label a cardboard box "office supplies" and put all your office supplies in it so you can find them.
# 24. Sweep and vacuum at least once a week.
# 61. Put things back, even when you're rushed.
# 9. Make your bed every day.
# 72. Put a trash container in every room.
Seems like these "tips" are things most everyone already knows. Don't they?
Other suggestions border on bizarre:
#11. Make a list of mini-tasks like: sort mail, make a phone call, write a check, wipe up something that's spilled,
take out the trash, check a web site, etc. Why make a list when you could just do the work?
# 5. Carry a clip board because "A clipboard puts you squarely in charge of Things in your life." It does?
#43. Create a list of items "almost anyone would throw away or recycle" including: used paper dishes, cups and napkins,
used tissues and toilet paper, empty cans, broken rubber bands, balls of hair, used dental floss, etc.!! Is the author joking?
If a person needs to make this list they also need much more help than this book can give!
I did find a few useful tried-and-true gems:
#1 One thing at a time.
#94 Leave it neater than you found it.
Finally, I recommend www.freecycle.org. Freecycle is an email list where people give away things that they no longer need
for free. Give your stuff to a good home!
reviewed by mullers on November 26, 2006 3:26 AM
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This is just an "ok" book. It is a boook of lists although it is better than your typical list book. Many books will give a list of 100 things you can do but they list so many it becomes overwhelming. The positive aspect of this book is that it is not a huge list. It focuses on one idea and tells a little bit about it and how it might help you. If you are someone who has a serious clutter problem then you really need "Sink Reflections" by Marla Cilley aka Flylady. There really isn't going to be anything better than her book if you are suffering from a severe clutter problem. If, however, you are someone who wants some new ideas on decluttering this is a good way to go. I noticed the best ideas she had were already in Flylady's book.
All of the ideas you can find listed on websites. If anything I would check the book out from the library.
All of the ideas you can find listed on websites. If anything I would check the book out from the library.
reviewed by jazzman on November 28, 2006 5:35 AM