Let Go of Clutter

by Harriet Schechter

Book Overview

Almost everyone struggles with clutter. Overflowing desks at work...overstuffed closets and piles of mail at home...overwhelmed minds all the time.... No wonder so many people say they are "drowning in clutter." In Let Go of Clutter, organizing expert Harriet Schechter presents a fresh approach to overcoming the natural urge to accumulate objects and information. Dispensing equal doses of help, hope, and humor, she provides effective and realistic...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0071351221
• ISBN13: 9780071351225
• Release Date: December 2000
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 193 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Letting go is hard to do....

Conquer your clutter. Stop being a slave to your stuff. Understand why it's so hard to get rid of things.What would your life be like if you could accomplish these three things? How much happier would you be? How much more peaceful would your life be?Author Harriet Schechter gives you a step-by-step solution in her book, Let Go of Clutter.In the first chapter, Why Letting Go is So Hard to Do, Schechter explains why we may be biologically programmed to accumulate, why the fear of regret keeps us from discarding stuff, and how society encourages us to gather more and more.Chapter 4, Purging Paper and Preventing Piles, is another favorite chapter. The author walks us through the method she uses with her clients to quickly sort and purge paper piles. She recommends a File Index, and shows you how to set it up for your household.The last part of the book looks to the future and explains how to keep your home clean once you've decluttered it.This book is filled with lots of fill-in-the-blank forms and step-by-step pathways to take you from clutter-filled to clutter-free.If your clutter is taking over and you've reached the end of your rope with no idea where to start, check out Let Go of Clutter.

Simply the best!

I've read many books on decluttering and organizing, but this one was by far the best. It was the first one that really helped me to get the clutter out of my life. It is well-organized and easy to read, with some excellent motivational tips as well as practical tips. One of the ideas I liked best was to take "before" photos of all your cluttered areas. In my case, I photographed my entire house! The photos really open your eyes to how much clutter you really have, and serve as a wonderful comparison when you've finished with an area. The book has helped me tackle one of my most difficult areas - my office. In a few days, I threw out several boxes of papers and other useless clutter. I never thought I would get this room in order again, and just seeing my progress has given me motivation to tackle other areas.I recommend this book for anyone just embarking on de-cluttering, as well as people who have read other books on the subject without success. Whenever I feel myself backsliding and need inspiration, I just re-read parts of this book. It keeps me on track, and I can't wait till the rest of my house is finished.

Hardcore Packrats Need not Apply

I am very interested in the concept of ridding oneself of clutter, as well as the art of Feng Shui. My 2002 new years resolution is to free myself of one third of the "stuff" in my home. I am truly thankful I have found Ms Schechters book. She explains why we collect, from a sociological viewpoint. She also admits that this book is NOT for packrats (which I think is very big of her) unless of course they are really willing to change and their hoarding habits are causing real pain to them. I didn't realize this was an obsessive compulsive disorder and may really require professional intervention. I love all the helpful hints like..."Use large waste containers that stand up" instead of itty bitty ones or just a floppy large plastic bag. There is real joy in tossing "lotsa" dust collectors away in a sturdy container. All of these gems (and there are many) of info really do add up to a happy successful clutter purging. I also like the fact that she does not go into things like "how to organize your closet" etc. You come to realize that your precious time will be free of "organizing" when you are free of all the overabundance in your life. Since I do clean my own home "decluttering" makes this job much easier. Any surface that has no knicknacks takes just seconds to clean and dust. If Harriets book doesn't motivate you to happily want to "declutter" I dont think that another book out there would. I have read many others, and I feel this one is the best.

Right On The Money!

As a professional organizer for over 20 years, I tend to be tough on the new organizing books that come out. It's easy to call yourself an expert and dispense advice, but for me what counts is the "understanding" behind the advice. And Harriet's approach, along with excellent pointers that are well-organized themselves, manages to combine a real compassion for the reader/client that is missing in so many "how-to-do-it" books that are on the market today. Harriet obviously understands the people she works with and teaches, and presents this understanding in a way that is not at all condescending. By combining her humor-filled observations with very practical step-by-step directions, she demonstrates that people learn best when they're treated with informed intelligence and respect.If your problem is clutter (and that includes most of us!), this is the book you should read.

"Letting Go Has Never Been Easier"

Educational and entertaining. Brimming with insightful information, Harriet Schechter's "Let Go of Clutter" presents facts, checklists, and questions to help even the most severe clutter bug cases determine what and where clutter is and what to do about it. Each page contains useful tips in easy to implement, bite-sized nuggets. You'll actually be eager to begin and follow through on your decluttering projects using this book as a motivational map for success. As a budding professional organizer, I've read dozens of books on organizing, this one is the best yet for clearly presented, useful, and interesting information. I highly recommend it!