Clutter Busting: Letting Go of What's Holding You Back

by Brooks Palmer

Piles of junk in garages and closets, overflowing papers on desks, items unused for years, masses of unanswered email, clothing never worn, useless gifts that collect dust -- all these things, says Brooks Palmer, come weighted with shame and guilt and have a suffocating effect on spirit and soul. In this insightful book, Palmer shows how to get rid of the things in our lives that no longer serve us. By tossing out these unneeded items, we are also...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1577316592
• ISBN13: 9781577316596
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: New World Library
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.1" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Terrific Book!

If you are just going to start clutterBusting - this is the first book you should read. If you are clutterbusting challenged, like I found myself, this is the next book you should read. I saw myself in quite a few chapters, and felt as if the author was there with me, talking me through it all. An unexpected gift in reading the book, aside from my personally directed benefits, it helped increase my benevolence toward others that I know are clutterers. This book helped me increase my understanding of myself on many levels. Keep in mind when purchasing - this isn't really about organizing yourself. It's about freeing yourself. Definitely worth reading. You can pass it along when you are done if you are concerned about the clutter!

The Best Clutter Book

I have read a lot of clutter books over the years and this one is clearly the best. The author does not start out with the typical "get 4 boxes for keep, charity, trash, recycle..." He also does not talk about plastic containers, except to promote the concept that once you declutter, you won't need them; plastic containers are just expensive trash cans. Rather he delves into the mental/emotional aspects of clutter. He enables the reader to view clutter as ...well... clutter. I found my perspective change from seeing an item I might need to keep, to seeing an item I realized was clutter and I could easily toss. After reading the first few chapters, I was able to fill an entire roll out container in a couple days. I am eager to do more and work 30-45 minutes each day on decluttering with the goal of filling the roll out container each week. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in decluttering. And to avoid adding more clutter, I got this book at the library.

His Inspiration Works

Brooks Palmer tells the reader more than once his purpose in writing his book is to inspire you to get rid of your clutter. I am writing this review to let the reader know the author's inspiration is not mere self-help inspiration based in some kind of Eastern wisdom but is wholly domestically practical, and the psychological aspects of his approach are pragmatic: it works! I've been a big fan of Don Aslett and in particular his book "Clutter's Last Stand." In Aslett's book, the writing is as clear as a red fire truck and the advice is as strong as the blare of the fire truck's siren. You can readily see what needs to be thrown out and then you just do it. With Palmer's book, the path is more indirect but no less powerful and no less clear. Palmer tells stories about his former clients and their issues with clutter. In one tale,the reader finds him accepting a client based on trading a full body massage for clutter advice; in another, he assists a young lady who works as a [...] model. His stories range from the middle-class yuppie who cannot throw out the expensive electronics he never uses stored in his garage to the weirdly intimate and bizarre clutter of women lost in past romances and previous identities. Through these often astonishing tales, the reader begins to identify hidden and often subconscious areas of clutter, some quite small and others quite embarrassingly obvious. One quickly discovers that no story is completely without some practical and beneficial relation to the reader and his or her clutter, no matter the gender, age or circumstance. Three pieces of insight I found particularly worthwhile are (1) you need to get rid of stuff that you spent a lot of money on and are not using to avoid being continually reminded of how much money you wasted; (2) 75% of the stuff you own is worthless and unnecessary to you for your present happiness and peace of mind; (3) don't hesitate to get rid of your clutter as quickly as possible: garage sales are just a form of procrastination and many things may land back inside your place. I threw out lots of stuff that I didn't need or want as a result of reading this book and gained new courage for tossing out items I'd hesitated over many times. I also learned new techniques in identifying what is really clutter that aren't on the list in Don Aslett's books.

Bust that clutter!

This is another great read I've found and I have to say, I really like this author's tone. It's not harsh or judgemental and he really seems to understand how not getting rid of things can really hinder personal growth. (With that new show, "hoarders", it's easy to see how this could possiblly get out of control.) So, in overview, this book offers clear, concise and to the point ways to get your home organzied so you can relax more. I recommend it. I also recommend The Big Clean: How to Clean and Organize Your Home and Free Your Mind (Revised and Updated).

Life Changing Revelations

I must say I wasn't expecting much out of the book. I knew I had a problem with organization and a tendency to acquire things that I quickly grew tired of. This book has changed the way I view my home, people around me, and life in general. It's premise that if something isn't adding value to your life may mean it's clutter is a critical revelation. The only negative is that you start noticing the clutter-rich behavior of those around you (read: your family) and I find myself asking them to get with the program. In the end, in just two weeks I have rid myself of a truck full of old electronics, computers, and junk in a local e-waste recycler, 10 huge bags of recyclables, and 20 cardboard boxes. I have a lot to go and can't wait to get back to it. I now feel great about the evolution of my home as a peaceful place to spend time with the family. I never knew what agitated me so much in the past, now I do. Finally, I have stopped spending money on things that I now realize have no long-term value and would probably end up junk. The money on the book has paid for itself hundreds of times over already. This book has my highest recommendation!