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)

Life changing

This book will be part of my daily life for ever. Simple concepts of personal organization that can improve the way we live.

The Most Useful Book on Audible

This book is amazing I purchased it 8 years ago and have referred back to it more times than i can remember. Not only does it help you declutter, it helps you deal with the psychological issues that cause clutter in the first place.

I felt a bond with the author

There was a genuine, sincere desire to help the reader overcome lifelong habits and have a better life which came through the author’s narration and prose. It was as entertaining as it was insightful. I am going to listen to it again.
Thank you, Andrew.

guess I am not that stuffed

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

didn't listen to it completely, didn't find it applicable

Has Unstuff Your Life turned you off from other books in this genre?

no

What didn’t you like about Andrew J. Mellen’s performance?

nothing

Was Unstuff Your Life worth the listening time?

yes

Any additional comments?

good ideas for those who need to organize

Very thorough

Very organized book and presentation. For me ... there was too much detail, but for others I can completely see the need to start with bare-bones basics. Really liked how he transitioned into this type of work ... always keeping open to possibility. Enjoyed it.

excellent motivational tool for tackleing clutter

This book was exactly what I needed to hear throughout our experience of moving as it helped us to pack and plan in a way that will really streamline the efficiency of our daily routine. Highly reccomend this book.

To the point

I am listening to parts over and over again to motivate myself to change my habits

My lightbulb moment

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

Your purse needs a home. Don't let it follow you around the house from room to room like a lost puppy! - this line made me laugh so hard it was like flipping a switch in my brain. I was always looking for important stuff like keys and wallet and late for work because of it. The humorous imagery Mellen uses to point out the absurdism of living in chaos has helped me understand how my beliefs about stuff were keeping me drowning in it, and then he told me exactly how to deal with all my stuff.

Any additional comments?

I have already listened to it 3 times since purchasing a week ago.

Good ideas and tips. Works well as an audiobook.

What did you love best about Unstuff Your Life?

I bought this mostly to try to figure out a better system for my accounts and paperwork. It turned out to be surprisingly useful for other aspects of organising our tiny house. I'm normally quite organised and tidy by nature, but I had let some things (sewing supplies, university papers from a decade ago) get out of control, and getting some hints on how to let go of sentimental items has been really useful. My partner started listening with me, and he's decided to also examine what he's held onto, particularly the reams of design-school and life drawing sketches.
Not everything in it is relevant to us, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it works as an audio book and how good the information is.

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

I definitely think this works better as an audio book than a print book. I think in print I would have given up after the first chapter or so, but as an audio book you have your hands free so you can listen while you do the housework, or doing hobbies.
Andrew J Mellen has a nicely modulated voice that is very easy to listen to, and while some of the anecdotes are maybe unnecessary to the book, when they're read aloud they drop back into a less irritating space.

What insight do you think you’ll apply from Unstuff Your Life?

I have definitely embraced the basic "everything in it's home, and like with like" model, particularly for our arts and crafts cabinet and our accounts. It's made dealing with receipts and invoices a bit more clearly organised. They were previously grouped, but they are now in a very clear filing system that allows me to decant receipts accumulated during the week into a specific box that will then be dealt with first thing on Saturday morning.
I had previously just been getting annoyed with myself for not filing receipts immediately, but now there is a system.

Matter of fact, makes sense, do it and read it.

If you could sum up Unstuff Your Life in three words, what would they be?

practical, take the emotion out of it, advice on what you keep and what you let go.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting aspect is the emotional connections we have to 'THINGS" we may not want, need, or care about but we keep housing, storing, and someday, someday, we will use for this or that, that never really happens.

Which character ??? as performed by Andrew J. Mellen ??? was your favorite?

HIMSELF!

What insight do you think you???ll apply from Unstuff Your Life?

Have applied a lot of it, such as the simple one of having a place for things as soon as you walk in door and going through closets and ridding myself of things I have not used in years. The most difficult thing was donating my mothers hutch that she wanted for so long and was so proud to have gotten. It's OK, I still have all the wonderful memories.

Any additional comments?

Recommended to friend - he likes to fold his towels like that now.