When Organizing Isn't Enough

SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life

By: Julie Morgenstern

Narrated by: Karen White

Are you eager to make a change but unsure what's next?

Organizing works when you know where you're going but don't know how to get there. But sometimes organizing isn't enough. When you're eager to make a change in your life but are unsure of your new destination, you need to SHED.

Expert organizer and New York Times best-selling author Julie Morgenstern has developed the four-step SHED plan to help you get unstuck from the defunct, obsolete objects and obligations preventing you from living a richer, more meaningful life. SHED picks up where other organizing processes leave off—helping you purge the physical and behavioral clutter holding you back so you can finally create real change in your life.

But it's not just about throwing things away! The SHED process is more about what comes before and after you heave the clutter so that the changes you make really stick in the long term. The SHED plan involves four key steps:

• Separate the treasures—What is truly worth hanging on to?
• Heave the trash—What's weighing you down?
• Embrace your identity—Who are you without all your stuff?
• Drive yourself forward—Which direction connects to your genuine self?

Whether you're facing a move, a promotion, an empty nest, a marriage, divorce, or retirement, When Organizing Isn't Enough provides a practical, transformative plan for positively managing change in every aspect of your life.

Note: To access the free online SHED test, visit juliemorgenstern.com/shed

©2008 Julie Morgenstren (P)2008 Tantor

Critic reviews

"With natural diction and phrasing that is sensitive to the energy flow of the writing, [Karen White] gives an appealing interpretation of the author's best advice yet on the well-managed life." ( AudioFile)

Just What I Needed!

It was like I was reading my life. After years of saving because I might need it some day, I found myself STIFLED. I have started the process, and looking to continue as I am now listening to the book for the second time and finding things I missed the first. A must read for everyone, just in case.

Good reference book

I liked that it went beyond the normal "organizing”, she addresses paring down our overcommitted schedules and our non-productive habits. However, I think it is too-detailed with too many example of stories and static writing. To me, sometimes the message lost in the execution. She skips around at times, so it can get a bit confusing here and there. Also, at times I thought it was too slow (again with more examples than probably needed). She is also very dramatic when narrating, almost like one of those commercials for medicines that you see on TV haha…it was one thing that just kept bugging me but in a funny way. Overall though, a good reference book, but I would almost recommend reading it because you can refer to tips & journal prompts later if needed. I listened to it though because I spend lots of time in the car. It was very fascinating thinking about different angles to the reasons why we keep stuff (not only material items but activities on our calendars and daily habits), and there were some “example clients” I did relate to.

How to and why to

Brilliant insights and advice.
Morgenstern reads people and their stuff like a book - accurately!
I can't wait to start following her processes and opening up space in my life.

Awesome book! Inspiring!

I think Julie Morganstein's ideas & insights, if applied consistency, could turn even the worst clutterbugs into minimalists! She helps the reader see that it IS possible to change one's own environment, how to do it, and how to learn new thinking patterns along the way & prevent recurrence. She includes examples of people like you and me, how they became successful at decluttering, how they used to think about their possessions, and how they learned to think about the things they owned. She addresses everything from having too many items to care for an organized properly, to bad habits and adjusting 'schedule clutter' that comes from not being able to say "No." If you are having trouble getting inspired or staying inspired to complete the hard work of de-cluttering, this is a book you may want to listen to multiple times!

Great Book but needs supplement

This is a great book. It's practical and easy to apply. However, it would be much better if there were a small PDF or workbook to come with it. A number of the items in the book require you to write something down or follow a list, it's hard to do that along with the audio book.

Not the best candidate for an audio book

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I have found Julie Morgenstern's other books to be very helpful, and I'm sure this title would be helpful as well -- but not so much in audio format. As another reviewer noted, the books really needs supplements. I was annoyed at 25 minutes into the book when I was referred to a code "inside the cover of this audio book case" that was supposed to lead me to a website where I could take a quiz that would help me best utilize the book's advice and instructions. This being an Audible book, there's no case. Thus, no code. I'm listened for another few minutes and decided to return the item. I'll get this one in paper format and use my credit for another, more suitable book.

life after kids grownup or when we are older

when you think of an organizational book it always teaches cleaning and reorganizing.throwing away , keeping and donating.this book teaches confidence and to find the best in our personality. to reunite us south positive feelings about ourselves and others. to organize us personally not just the house, of course the house too. it has great psychology.

LIFE CHANGING!!!

*Not just theory, but step by step procedures that can be applied to so many life transitions.
*A sensible and sensitive approach to understanding myself internal motivations for the items and obligations in my life that are weighing me down and holding me back.
*A valuable tool to help create direction, determine the theme for the next phase of my life, and streamline to create success.

Couldn't get through it.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I consider myself a fairly persistent book enthusiast. Normally I will stick with a book even if it starts out bad. In this case I only managed to get about 3/4's of the way through it. Not that there isn't good information in it, but most of the good information is in the first part of the book. After a while it trundles down this winding path to self enlightenment and identifying your true self or some such etherial nonsense. If self enlightenment is what you want buy a book about it. I'm sure there are better ones out there. If you are more interested in digging yourself out of the piles of clutter that inexplicably seem to multiply faster than tribbles, It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh is a better option.