The Organizing Sourcebook: Nine Strategies for Simplifying Your Life (Sourcebooks) [Paperback]

Over the more than 20 years that I've been a professional organizer, I've read plenty of books on this subject, since after all, it is my profession. If I can glean a few practical new ideas from every book I read, I consider it a good thing. But my response to Kathy's book is off the charts!

Kathy describes nine clearly-defined strategies that help get you get organized and then stay that way. I think the strategy that has been most helpful for me (so far) is to "Label Everything." I was good about labeling "things" around the house, such as spices in the kitchen and files in my office, but I had really overlooked the technique of mentally labeling areas. Kathy has opened my eyes to an incredibly insightful approach with this strategy. A verbal tag is a strong incentive to put things where they belong, and to help you find them when you need them.

Although our home has plenty of storage space, the fact that my husband (H. Jackson Brown, "Life's Little Instruction Book") is a prolific author and inveterate saver of ANY shred of information, in ANY form, that might EVER give him an idea (including magazines, books, loose papers, and objects large and small!), caused me to succumb to the temptation to stash things in all sorts of places, just to get everything put away. I pretty much knew where to put my hands on what I needed, but I had to maneuver around things many times.

Not any more. The times, they are a'changin'. First, I realized that the walk-in closet in our guest room was NOT being used at all effectively. But I never "saw" that until I read Kathy's book. So I mentally "re-labeled" it as a "reference library." In spite of the fact that we have a abundance of bookshelves in our home, there never seemed to be enough. (Did I mention that authors LOVE to read?) I cleared out, recycled, gave away, and re-located most of the odd assortment of things that had found their way into that closet. Then, with my trusty screwdriver, I dismantled the "Closet Maid" shelving, since we didn't need it for hanging clothes, and it certainly wasn't suitable for books. My next step was a trip to Office Depot, where I found some reasonably-priced shelving (29.95 for a 5-shelf unit, made by Grosfillex). I bought 3 sets to begin with, but quickly went back for 2 more. Each unit, when assembled, is about 11" deep by 26" wide, although the box each unit comes in is lightweight enough for me to carry upstairs by myself. The shelving can be assembled without any tools, and is made of laminated particle board, so it's sturdy. Not too large, and not too small, but just right! (Look, Mom, I can do it all by myself!)

Then I began going through our reference collection, stashed in many rooms, and started rounding up entire categories of books and magazines to re-locate them to our "new reference library." (Unlike many folks, writers really DO have a good excuse for saving certain types of magazines, since they provide timeless reference material, as well as temporary enjoyment.) Now, when I want to put my hands on information about planning kitchens, troubleshooting a Mac, or learning Hebrew, I know exactly where to look. Not all over the house. In ONE place.

But that little exercise just whetted my appetite. Now I was seriously hooked. A couple of days ago, I noticed that one of the closets under the eaves in our "son's bedroom" (another case of faulty labeling, since our son is 32 and lives in Atlanta) was being badly misused. Why? Because it didn't have a proper label, of course! If I'd had to label it honestly, I would have had to refer to it as "Catch-All Zone, One of Many." So I "re-labeled" it "Office Supply Closet." (Both my husband and I have offices in our home, and he also has another one away from home, since our successful almost-34-year marriage is predicated on the motto, "For better or worse, but NOT for lunch.") However, neither of our home offices really had adequate space for storing bulky things like toner cartridges, reams of paper, extra file folders, computer supplies, etc. So I went back to Office Depot for yet 2 more sets of those shelves. (You know a good friend when you find one! ) Organizing that closet will be my new-best-friend project beginning today.

The personal case histories in Kathy's book are so helpful. It's easier to recognize your own mistakes when you see other people making them. I've recommended the book to several friends, and I plan to re-read it myself, because it is so packed with practical advice that I'm sure I couldn't possibly have absorbed it all on the first reading!

If you want to get organized and stay that way, this book is a MUST! Don't put it off another minute. You can't imagine how much better you'll feel, once you get your engines fired up!