Get Organized the Clear & Simple Way

By: Marla Dee

Narrated by: Marla Dee

Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Thousands of professional organizers have been trained by Marla Dee, Founder of Clear & Simple. Now you can bring this seasoned expert's skills into your home for less than the cost of a consultation!

Restore freedom, order, and clarity to your home, your office, and your life. Follow the unique Clear & Simple solution and find that organizing can be fun and easy:

• The art of letting go...leave clutter behind
• See it, Map it, Do it...organizing systems for success
• S.T.A.C.K.S...Guidelines to getting it done
• Paper systems...freedom from the piles
• Reclaim your home...create beauty, order, and serenity
• Stake your claim...create an office that empowers you
• Bring your car in from the cold...organize your garage, attic, and other storage areas
• Freedom from guilt...time strategies that work
• Simplify your life...finding peace amidst the chaos

©2007 Clear & SIMPLE Inc (P)2007 Gildan Media

Some gold among the dross

This is advertised as a coherent approach-- "clear and simple" to organizing. It is anything but. It is a group of lectures about different aspects of organizing. Some of it is repetitive and could have been edited. If you are looking for something really clear and simple, go elsewhere. If you don't mind having a lot of new-age warm fuzzies thrown in and odd moments like the author choking back tears about her dog with a terminal illness and some other personal confessional stuff then this might be for you.

I accept that a lot of clutter stems from emotional baggage. If you are looking for a psychoanalytic approach to thinking about why you are disorganized, go ahead and trudge through this. If you want practical advice on how to organize, listen to David Allen or Julie Morgenstern.

Top of the stack

I have read many organizing/decluttering books and perused others. . .this is really outstanding.
It's motivating, simple, doable and sane. I'm already doing many of the author's suggestions and feeling unpressured and encouraged.

Truly Clear & SIMPLE

I am a Professional Organizer, and love Marla Dee's approach. It truly is clear and simple. I appreciate the practicality of her system and her compassionate approach to working with people, their clutter and their organizing challenges. Her book offers hope that less clutter and greater organization is possible, and provides a clear and comprehensive way to get there. The result is that people are able to participate more joyfully in their lives.

Clear clutter with confidence

I found this audio book at a time when my house and home office needed some serious clean-up. And did it help me!
The book describes an ingenious method developed for clutter-clearing by Marla Dee. For me, its main value lies in the fact that she really guides you and walks you through the procedure in a series of well-defined, easy-to-remember, practical steps, boosting your confidence by, for instance, breaking chores into smaller manageable projects.
I was driving a lot and listened to the CDs in my car at the time, and I couldn't wait to be home to apply those new skills. I have even advised some members of my family about the method, which goes to show how useful it is!

Feel good way to organize

This is a great audiobook for the right brain types who need a little visualization of the calm zen life that organization can offer in order to get started. I had David Allen's Getting Things Done book for several years but never finished it. After listening to Marla Dee's audiobook several times and feeling inspired, I then read David Allen's book and had an ah-hah moment. I'm finally seriously implementing wonderful organizational methods in my life.

DON'T bother

You are better off with the Sidetracked Home Executive book from the 70's.

This system has you handling things two and three times. There is nothing simple about it.

I am so sorry I wasted good money on this. I should have read the reviews first.

Motivating, educational, but not nagging

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

I listened to Marla Dee while I decluttered a major project. I've read a lot of clutter books, and this one is different, because it explains why following the usual declutter advice of "touching things once ..." doesn't always work. I liked the insight, and listened to many sections multiple times. It helped me get past some difficult clutter.

Helpful information, needs to be better organized.

I like the information contained in this book, it was helpful. Marla Dee was personable, if not a little too sweet, but I felt motivated to be more organized and well directed in how to do that.

In my opinion, the audio version should be broken into smaller tracks and each section labeled more clearly. If there was something I missed, I want to hit the back button and go back a few minutes or less. If there was something specific I wanted to search for I want to scroll through the track titles and find it right away. For example, maybe the section on STACKS could make 6 tracks, one for each part of the acronym. Just a suggestion. Maybe it doesn't work that way in the audible format, I don't know.

clarity

this book shows how organization introduces peace in your day

some people might find this book up their alley

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I like a more educational format. With clear goals and steps to achieve them in a concise format. One of the things that particularly bother me is when authors like this use 50 words when 5 will make their point.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I am seriously looking for a good strength training book.

What didn’t you like about Marla Dee’s performance?

Too touchy feely for me. And I kept feeling like she was selling me her product. The idea was good but the delivery and tone of voice left me wanting to smack her. I couldn't even finish the book. The only reason I didn't return it was that I did find some of her suggestions useful and I found her tone a bit condescending. I sure hope she is not reading this review. Because she seems like a very nice person and I don't want to hurt her feelings.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Yes some useful suggestions.

Any additional comments?

I love audible.... it has seriously added an entire dimension to my life.