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)

Enjoyed while walking my Service dog.

I'm finally finishing books by listening instead of reading. Easier on my arthritic hands. thank you audible.

Life changing!

I first read this book 4 years ago and have listened to it many times over. It offers solid guidance for developing a right-sized perspective on how to think about stuff and how to manifest that perspective in real life. The suggestions are practical and if taken with an open mind leads to success in achieving a clutter free and organized home. Andrew Mellon has a great sense of humor and made me want to push myself through the discomfort of letting go so I could enjoy more time with more peace of mind. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for freedom from stuff.

This is better with the book in front of you

What made the experience of listening to Unstuff Your Life the most enjoyable?

I like the book, but I cannot really complete it, since it requires me to read long lists. Not having the book in front me is rather frustrating, since I would like to finish it.

Good book on organizing your life

What did you love best about Unstuff Your Life?

Good ideas that I can implement.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The narrator

Which scene was your favorite?

All.

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

Everything has a home; like with like.

Any additional comments?

Good self-help book.

A MUST-READ for organization and hilarity...,

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

I have recommended this book to several people. There are times when I listen to this book for entertainment value and pure enjoyment. What an entertaining book to share and listen to while organizing and reevaluating why we buy the things we buy or keep the things that do not serve us!!!!

A few chapters are worthwhile

What did you like best about Unstuff Your Life? What did you like least?

I can't imagine any working professional or anyone born after 1980 getting any benefits from the technology oriented chapters. Skip those however and 'one home for everything' and 'like with like' are useful, if not age old, principles.

Finally an in-depth explanation of how to get organized

Wow. I have been decluttering for over 2 years now and I’ve read a lot about how to declutter and organize. I was always left with a question of how to properly store, alphabetize, or label all the stuff that I’ve now identified as valuable to me. This book does that and more. The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up and The Minimalists got me started but Andrew J. Mellon has really helped me complete the process. This book goes in-depth on exactly how and where to store things in your home (or office or wherever you want to be more organized) and makes you really lay the foundation of an organized life. Can’t recommend it enough for the person who just doesn’t get how to be organized. Be warned- it will
be a lot of work- but well worth it! Thanks Andrew!

Common Sense Advice for Success

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

Motivating, Common Sense, Results

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

"How to Win Friends & Influence People." Both books rely on SIMPLE COMMON SENSE approaches to ordinary problems that do (but shouldn't) baffle most people (interacting with other human beings and not becoming overwhelmed by your belongings / organizing them, respectively). There is nothing incredible or revolutionary about this book. It is just a thoughtful, concise summation of things that SHOULD be common sense.

Any additional comments?

This book is GREAT motivation to get over your attachments to "stuff" and keep what is only practical / necessary in your life. This should be required reading for any high school / college grad. I feel like it's helping me become an adult and organize my life so I can actually be productive, instead of wasting hours and hours and hours of time "cleaning." Why didn't I read this ten years ago???

A plan and ideas about our relationship to stuff

What made the experience of listening to Unstuff Your Life the most enjoyable?

In the beginning of the book, I was a little turned off by the "touchy-feely" nature of examining your core values. Once I got passed that point, I found the book not only mapped out a plan for organizing many areas of your life, it also had some eye-opening ideas about our relationship to our stuff (at least for me). This book was well worth my money and time.

This book cleaned by house!

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

This book inspired me to let go of so much clutter that I have been carrying around with me for years. This has been the most life changing book I have listened to because I actually made changes in my life and house. As my house was fairly clean I didn't expect to pick up that many tips. The book inspired me to go from one room to the next. I just listened to Andrew tell his stories. I completely un cluttered a 3 bedroom house with a double garage in 5 days. Read this book it will change your life.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Unstuff Your Life?

Being empowered to throw away unwanted gifts or gifts that didn't add any value in my life.

Which scene was your favorite?

Sentimental land, the place where you put all the objects in your life that serve no value other than to jog your memories and make you smile.

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

Two simple concepts. Like with like and one place for everything. Once I followed these two simple rules across my whole house it was amazing the change that occurred.

Once I followed these rules I discovered 22 tins of tuna. 9 boxes of tissues and 10 tubes of toothpaste.

Any additional comments?

Buy this book. Even if you don't think you need it, still buy this book. I didn't need to make one change in the 'vital' chapter 2 because I already had a system but still I think this is the most worthwhile book I have listened to.