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)

Remarkable Clarity!

The narration, paticularly the author's enunciation, is easy to understand. His practical methodology is clearly organized and relatable. I will probably read several chapters multiple times.

Life Changing, bold and doable

This is probably one of the few books that I have enjoyed the narrative from the author.

But aside from that the information have changed my perspective about things and declutter my life. Between garage sales, donating and growing away, my life have changed for the better, I feel less stress, my life have become a lot simpler and have given the opportunity to follow one of my passions, which is traveling. Thank you Andrew...

The most practical book I have read in years

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

Yes. Whether your home, office, garage and car are a complete mess or generally well kept, this book will give you a practical approach to make them much more functional.

What did you like best about this story?

Great blend of anecdotes, principles and checklists.

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

No, it would be difficult to absorb it all at once. 1-2 chapters per day was a good pace.

Love this book

Wonderful details on how to's as well as overall philosophy of stuff in your life. I would suggest you read it.

Great motivator

Nice book. The email and computer stuff was a bit too basic, but the storytelling and overall motivational aspect of the book was good!

Extremely Useful Info!

I'm a reasonably organized person but this book helped me tremendously. I appreciated that the author gave me permission to get of told bridesmaids dresses, my Grandfather's hat, and other sentimental things that I was just hanging onto.

Andrew J. Mellen Awesome!

This is the time for change. less waste, combining families, smaller spaces and less "stuff". Andrew says it perfectly when he says,"like with like and one home for everything". it's then we realize how our cup and our stuff over-flowith into all other parts of our life. great book, Awesome narration, easy to understand chapters an undeniably the best book to start the new year off with!

Stands Out From Other Organizing Books

What did you love best about Unstuff Your Life?

Ready to get organized in the shortest possible time with a minimum of fuss? This is the book for you. This is no-nonsense advice from an expert who has worked out practical systems that really work. Andrew J. Mellen's two battle-cries, "A home for everything" and "Like with like," echo throughout the book and every organizing challenge. Anecdotes and stories about real people solving clutter problems help round out the more technical details.

Who was your favorite character and why?

A feature that sets this book apart is that it addresses electronic clutter -- e-mail, phone messages, computer files, etc..

What does Andrew J. Mellen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mellen's theater background comes through in his narration, and sets it apart from other author-narrated How-Tos. He brings genuine enthusiasm and an expert tone to his subject.

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

Mellen encourages his listeners to pace themselves through the many stages of organizing their lives. And, he gives helpful support and advice for parting with sentimental items -- a process that often takes time.

Any additional comments?

If you're serious about getting control of your clutter and simplifying your life, this book can really help.

Resolution to Get Organized? Use this book.

As I write this review, I have eight bankers' boxes of Christmas ornaments, decorations and lights sitting near my door. I've labeled each box on all four sides, so I will be able to open tree lights first. The boxes will go to overhead storage in my garage, away from the risk of flooding from a heavy storm, or damage from too-high temperatures. I didn’t run out to Target or Walmart and buy expensive Christmas red and green storage containers and try to jam my treasures into them. I used what worked.

This is the first year that I've been confident that next year, getting decorations will take a few minutes, not a few hours. The year is looking up already.

I actually purchased this Audible book back in July, and I've listened all of it at least once, and to some parts several times. I go back to it so often, it's the only Audible book I haven't removed from my iPhone. Every once and a while, I need motivation or ideas, and so I listen to an especially helpful part.

I've only misplaced my keys twice since I listened to this book, and I haven't done that since I found the right place to keep them. The right place wasn’t a special key fob or an out of the way place the author demanded. It’s a place that I thought of myself, and I use automatically now.

Since the beginning of the school year, my children have known where their school supplies were. It turned out I had so many stashed all over the place, I didn’t have to buy anymore – and we donated some to my daughter’s school.

This isn’t a book for someone with a compulsion that makes them a candidate for A&E’s Hoarders. Mellen purposely avoids delving into pop psychology analysis of organization and messiness, which makes it guilt free. My house gets messy because I’m busy and I didn’t know how to organize, not because I collect swizzle sticks or can’t get rid of old makeup.

Definitely a good start to the New Year – or even mid-year, like I did.

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UNEVEN, BUT GOOD IN WHAT IT DOES COVER

Lots of energy and very fast talk in this book which seems to be for yuppies with more money than sense. If you have a home office, you need this. If your photos and computer stuff are taking over, you need this. If you have a garage and stuff in it that you dread confronting, you need this. If the inside of your car is a run-down neighborhood, read the car chapter. If you get lost in your kitchen and haven't a clue how to set it up, get this book. Indeed, there is virtue and clarity in simply cleaning out. There are many helpful check lists and guidelines on the author's website. He begins with a list of words that represent what we believe in most. I did not find "beauty" there. And if he had continued from that beginning, the book would be much longer. Instead, it falls off to several hard-hitting chapters which did not entirely address my concerns and one of which felt like gratuitous abuse!.

That said, I do think any two or three of the chapters, especially the one on filing systems, is worth the credit or price of the book. This listener lives in HUD housing where the kitchen question is "What can I reach?" Better said, What can I bring down from on high on a step-stool without great tragedy? Answer: salad spinner, plastic boxes, mugs on a turntable. I have china, glass, sterling, valuable travel souvenirs, two doll collections, dozens of boxes of my parents' bleeping slide carousels showing various watery horizons taken on cruises, etc. etc. Slide carousels are ON eBay, but not a one has sold for any amount of money! As I drove mine to the dump, I thought some artist somewhere should gather a whole bunch of them and assemble an impressive tower and paint it turquoise! Not me, tho! Not everything I would like to sell is easy to sell in the current climate. I have important hobbies -- sewing, knitting, embroidery -- which are only lightly addressed. I sew my clothes and knit gifts and items I sell. I have to store my "stash" efficiently. And yes, I do have a storage locker, if only to store the snow tires.

Mr. Mellen spends a whole chapter advising against compulsively shopping for fun and not even trying on or putting away all the excess! Well, that chapter might be for someone who can afford Mr. Mellen. I have exactly $8.42 until next Wednesday when my Social Security comes in. I do wish I could splurge at K-Mart or the thrift shops or get myself some blueberries or cherries! I know which of my figurines are Hummel or Lalique and which are just sentimental. It isn't hard to offload something someone gave me when I was a kid and I didn't like even then! Very little was said about changing decor from season to season and how to store the extra pillows, slip-covers, vases, bedspreads, etc. Much is said about putting away the Christmas lawn figures! And I have to say that any number of other books about clearing clutter are more helpful in deciding just to let it go -- for whatever reason! Making the decisions is extremely tiring. This expert will gain knowledge and some mileage and maybe add another chapter about directing possessions toward people after you die. What if your relatives don't care or don't even send cards? What if you have a little nice stuff and would like these meagre assets to go to some good cause? Is there anyone in this country as in England who can look around and tell you what might sell at auction? Those are my thoughts lately. Pretty good book!