More Resources!

I can’t believe it…I found another cache of de-cluttering/organizing books in another location in the library. There is an assortment of books in the very beginning of the 640s, which is considered, in the antiquated Dewey Decimal Classification System, the Home Economics subdivision of the Technology section (600s). The cookbooks are also in the 640s. The books at the beginning of the section are general books on household management like Hints from Heloise and there I found a newer book called It’s All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff by Peter Walsh (Free Press, 2007), a professional organizer from TLC’s hit series Clean Sweep. There was also the book Simply Organized: How to Simplify Your Complicated Life by Connie Cox and Cris Evatt (Perigee Books, 1986) and the ubiquitous Organizing for Dummies by Eileen Roth, “Renowned Organizing Consultant," (IDG Books Worldwide, 2001). I can’t believe that I didn’t see these books before. There was also another book by Donna Smallin, Organizing Plain and Simple (Storey Books, 2002). And, I found an organizing book in 650, which is the beginning of the Management section. This one is called Conquering Chronic Disorganization by Judith Kohlberg (Squall Press, 2006). This book led me to another class of de-clutter books that are directed at specific groups and the ones that interested me most are the organization books that have been written specifically to help adults with Attention Deficit Disorder! I put several of these books on hold since we do not own any copies here in South Brunswick. When they come in, I will let you know if ADD sufferers are any more prone to clutter and any different in terms of a cure! Anyone else who is has ADD, like I do, might have an excuse, but the end goal is still to get rid of the junk, permanently.

In Judith Kohlberg’s book, she considers the difference between disorganization and chronic disorganization. The dictionary definition of chronic is persistent, constant and enduring. On page 7, Kohlberg says, “Chronic disorganization is disorganization that has a long history.” She recognizes that for some people, no matter how many times they get organized, they will soon fall back into their old patterns. She gives a short checklist to determine if you are chronically disorganized. On page 9, she offers the following three questions: “1. Has getting organized been a challenge most of your adult life? 2. Does being disorganized negatively affect the quality of your life in some way every day? 3. Have you been unable to sustain organization?”

According to all of the other books we have read on the subject, the issue raised in the second question is always given as a reason to make de-cluttering a priority. I suppose the difference here might be the adding of being negatively affected EVERY DAY. Her conclusion to her observations about people who are chronically disorganized is that these are people who think in non-conventional ways and therefore have difficulty conforming to conventional organization methods. According to Kohlberg, her little book offers ways to organize for non-conventional thinkers. I have not had a chance to read through this yet, but it does seem to be the first book I have seen that offers a different approach than all of the other books, so I will let you know.