contents

Introduction

PART 1: GETTING STARTED

1. Live Your Life in Chapters

Your life is full of different chapters. As you move through these chapters, priorities change, as does your mind-set about your belongings and your schedule and activities. When this shift happens, it’s time to reorganize.

2. Set Organizing Goals

Before you begin a journey, you need to know your destination. This chapter helps you create a vision of your newly reorganized life so you know what you are working toward.

3. Establish and Evaluate Organizing Systems—The Three Ps

Whether you’re new to organizing or have organized in the past, the Three Ps help you create and maintain systems that meet your specific needs.

4. Finding Time and Staying Motivated

What’s holding you back from reaching your organizing goals? This chapter is full of encouragement and ideas to help you get started and stick with your reorganizing efforts.

PART 2: REORGANIZE YOUR SURROUNDINGS

5. Evaluate Your Home and Establish Your Objectives

You’re ready to begin, but where? This chapter takes you through each room of your home and helps you create a plan.

6. Deciding What to Keep and What to Remove

Organizing is all about making decisions—what to let go of and what to keep. This chapter helps you make no-regrets decisions so everything in your home enhances your new chapter in life.

7. Reorganizing What’s Left

What do you do with the items you decided to keep? This chapter offers room-by-room ideas for how to reorganize what’s left, including ideas for changing the function of a room.

PART 3: MANAGE YOUR TIME

8. Organize Your Time During Your Transition

Organization, in times of crisis, can be a lifesaver. Evaluate your time to determine what’s important before and during major life changes.

9. After the Event: What Does Your New Schedule Look Like?

This chapter shows you how to adapt your schedule to the new responsibilities and freedoms in your life.

PART 4: STAYING ORGANIZED

10. Create Systems That Support You

This chapter empowers you to maintain the new organizing systems you worked so hard to create.

APPENDIX

My Goal Definition Worksheet

Clearing the Clouds of Confusion Exercise

Suggested Reading List

Room Tour Questions

Keep Less Questions

Home is Not Home Without Chart

Decluttering Your Calendar

Identify How you Would Like to Spend Your Time

How Long to Keep Records

Resources

Index