Unstuff Your Life

Kick the Clutter Habit and Completely Organize Your Life for Good

By: Andrew J. Mellen

Narrated by: Andrew J. Mellen

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the country's most sought-after professional organizers here makes his foolproof rescue plan available for everyone.

Arguably the most organized man in America, Andrew J. Mellen has created unique, lasting techniques for streamlined living, bringing order out of chaos for a client list that includes attorneys, filmmakers, and even psychologists. With Unstuff Your Life! he puts his powerful program in the hands of his widest audience yet. Acknowledging that it's often the "stuff behind the stuff" that holds people back, Mellen offers an action-based plan to redirect clutterers from dwelling on their feelings. This simple shift yields immediate results that will help everyone achieve organizational bliss. Mellen's mix of humor, honesty, tough love, and foolproof strategies will motivates listeners to work through their feelings and make real behavior changes that will have long-lasting effects.

Written in Mellen's signature no-nonsense yet hilarious tone, Unstuff Your Life! brims with personality, along with approaches not found in other organizing books. Built on the principle that we must distinguish ourselves from our possessions, Unstuff Your Life! starts with truly achievable goals and works toward the nightmare projects everyone tries hard to avoid. From the basement to the bedroom, the kitchen to the car, and more, listeners will learn:

• Where to find a permanent home for your keys and wallet
• How to sort the mail in a manageable and time-effective way
• What it means to group "like with like"
• How to tackle bills and budget
• How to problem-solve with your new skills, and more

The result is absolute freedom from the burden of clutter - and more free time than you ever imagined possible.

Please note: Lists and worksheets mentioned in the audio can be downloaded from andrewmellen.com/uyl-downloads/.

©2012 Andrew J. Mellen (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Living in chaos? Professional Organizer Mellen has written the book to help.... [T]hose willing to take even a small sip of Mellon's Kool-Aid may enjoy a more organized, efficient, and well-managed life." ( Publishers Weekly)

Great motivation

What did you love best about Unstuff Your Life?

This book gave me motivation to do a major organization of my house. When I first listened to the book, I thought I already used most of the principle in it. But once I started actually looking around my house, I realized that I have a long way to go. I set a personal goal to "Unstuff my Life" by the end of this year (3 months away) and so far it has been going well. Bedroom, desk, garage, kitchen are "pretty much" done. I plan to listen to about half of the chapters a second or even third time to keep the motivation up

This one works!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes - lots of my friends gave clutter

Which scene was your favorite?

The kitchen

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The ending

Any additional comments?

This method works - finally I was able to part with things that I have been dragging with me for years.

A Program of Organization

This is a great outline of a true Program
to replace defective habits that contribute
To being disorganized.
The book effectively teaches us how to do
things with consistency.
The 3 legs of the organizational triangle are the
key for me

different ways to work through your stuff

liked the steps given for each area and how to approach in small time increments

I started unstuffing after chapter 2!

Where does Unstuff Your Life rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was one of the best audio books I've listened to.

What did you like best about this story?

Andrew J Mellen causes you to analyze what your problem organizational areas are and gives strategies to prevent you from falling back into old habits. Each chapter takes you into a living space in your home and helps you organize (after getting rid of the stuff) in a way that makes it easy to keep it that way.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Mellen's advice is to read a chapter, and tackle that space before going on to the next chapter. It's exactly what I did and it works.

Any additional comments?

If you've read a lot of books on organization, I think you'll find this one to be one of the most valuable in your library.

Great organizing and an entertaining listen

Would you listen to Unstuff Your Life again? Why?

Yes, because Andrew describes new ways to make the things you own useful and available. Following his advice makes your home and office more enjoyable, functional places to be without having to spend any money.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The author is the only character and he is quite good. A surprising aspect of the book is the impact it has had on my thoughts about acquiring new things.

What did you learn from Unstuff Your Life that you would use in your daily life?

Everything has a home, one home and following this principal means you never spend time looking for anything.

Make your life easier and simple

Where does Unstuff Your Life rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It ranks high.

What other book might you compare Unstuff Your Life to and why?

There are books about how to organize, but this book deals with the person's fundamental human nature, habits and character. The author tries to change them and he changed me, honest.

What about Andrew J. Mellen’s performance did you like?

He is loving and caring for those who want to change to be organized people.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It takes time to follow and organize according to instructions.

Any additional comments?

It really changed me. I am a procrastinator. My desk was cluttered with papers, letters and other stuff. I am no more a procrastinator. I answered all my letters. I organized the file. Now the desk is clean and I have a good feeling which I never had before. Unnecessary things disappeared from the kitchen countertop. The kitchen drawers were organized. I inherited the spirit of the author. From now on I hope to have a minimal, simple and organized life. Thank you Andrew Mellen! I read the book twice.

condescending!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

perhaps i am not the target audience as i can already find my keys in the morning. i was hoping for some creative ideas on dealing with storage challenges in the house but this is very basic.. put things in their place and file your paperwork. that is good advice but i found his delivery condescending.

An Easy To-Do List, If You Can Let Go

For those willing to do the work, this book is a blessing. No more overthinking about how to overcome yourself. Everything is step-by-step, simple and clear-cut, complete with the perspective shift needed to get over yourself and make it happen... but only if you're willing and ready for the change. The chapters are broken down by room, so you can reference it quickly as each need arises. I haven't yet put this into practice, but after one read-through, I'm ready to tackle some of the small scale work and try it on for size. If that works, I'll likely go through this again and hit the bigger problem.

Brilliant for those that need a bit of organising.

brilliant and practical hints and tips to organise your life.. and to unclutter the clutter.

I listen in stages between other books and you can also visit the website for more tips..
Most helpful!!