Scan barcode
readsewknit's review against another edition
4.0
A couple of my sisters have recommended various Gretchen Rubin books over the years; my first read of hers was THE FOUR TENDENCIES, which I find myself thinking of often and bringing up with friends, and winter felt the right time to listen to OUTER ORDER, INNER CALM.
Rubin takes a more relaxed approach than Marie Kondo as she suggests our demeanor is influenced by our surroundings. She offers helpful tips without judgment, reinforcing how what works and what is important is what matters to the individual. It's not about minimalism, unless that is of value to you; outer order is about wanting what we have.
The audiobook was a quick listen and I have no doubt I'd pick up a physical copy were I to spot one at a book sale, as it could be valuable to revisit and flip through. I realized I'd heard of her one-minute rule before and had employed it (but had mistakenly internalized it as the two-minute rule, not that it was detrimental in any way to do so). I jotted down her top ten tips for creating outer order; I don't know if I'm ready to incorporate them all (honestly, this is the intensely busy time of year at work, which might be another reason why I was drawn to reflecting on establishing more inner calm), but I see myself revisiting them at different times of the year.
Rubin takes a more relaxed approach than Marie Kondo as she suggests our demeanor is influenced by our surroundings. She offers helpful tips without judgment, reinforcing how what works and what is important is what matters to the individual. It's not about minimalism, unless that is of value to you; outer order is about wanting what we have.
The audiobook was a quick listen and I have no doubt I'd pick up a physical copy were I to spot one at a book sale, as it could be valuable to revisit and flip through. I realized I'd heard of her one-minute rule before and had employed it (but had mistakenly internalized it as the two-minute rule, not that it was detrimental in any way to do so). I jotted down her top ten tips for creating outer order; I don't know if I'm ready to incorporate them all (honestly, this is the intensely busy time of year at work, which might be another reason why I was drawn to reflecting on establishing more inner calm), but I see myself revisiting them at different times of the year.
meg444's review against another edition
3.0
Would make a good coffee table read. Somewhat sporadically organized??
wanderingmole's review against another edition
4.0
This little book is comprised almost entirely of different tips and suggestions for ways to clear clutter. My favourites were those that require us to confront our possessions and reasons we hold on to them honestly (eg asking whether we keep things for a fantasy future self, or a past self who we have outgrown). It is also intensely practical, full of thought experiments and ways of approaching clutter differently (eg create distance by taking a photo of a room, imagine you’re moving house, ask Do I need it? Do I love it? Do I use it?)
alexschmidt34's review against another edition
3.0
Nothing life changing in here, but I did think the author was engaging and I generally like the spirit of decluttering being a way to bring in space for more happiness in your life. I did find Marie Kondo to be more inspiring and to give clearer guidance, so if you are searching for a decluttering inspiration guide - I’d start there. But I’m intrigued by some of the author’s other titles and so may try out Better than Before next.
kasiepardi's review against another edition
3.0
This one was quick. Like, an hour long read at most. I found the info to be fairly well organized, and the writing was good, but it lacked a lot of depth.
What you’ll find here is (almost) a long blog post style list of questions and activities you can do (if you want) to help you clear clutter out of your life.
The advice ranges from elementary (don’t buy things if you don’t want the clutter), to slightly less elementary (take a photo of an area to look with fresh eyes and see the clutter). TBH most of the most profound pieces of advice I read were actually ideas from other writers (creating a secret space - Christopher Alexander).
It’s a quick read, and written well enough - so if you need some help starting to get organized (and you haven’t read any blog posts on the topic), grab this read from your local library.
What you’ll find here is (almost) a long blog post style list of questions and activities you can do (if you want) to help you clear clutter out of your life.
The advice ranges from elementary (don’t buy things if you don’t want the clutter), to slightly less elementary (take a photo of an area to look with fresh eyes and see the clutter). TBH most of the most profound pieces of advice I read were actually ideas from other writers (creating a secret space - Christopher Alexander).
It’s a quick read, and written well enough - so if you need some help starting to get organized (and you haven’t read any blog posts on the topic), grab this read from your local library.
holly_keimig's review against another edition
4.0
A nice quick read about organizing your house (and your inner life) by one of my favorite authors on self-help. I read this whole book in one sitting and took away several good ideas. A couple of my favorite topics she covered were: Move clutter out of context, Most Decisions Don't Require Extensive Research (ouch!), Beware of Clutter Magnets, Don't Wait to Start Creating Order, Assign Each Day It's Own Task, and Choose the Bigger Life. The book is full of good ideas that will appeal to anyone, no matter what their cleaning style. As she says in the book, "Nothing is more exhausting than the task that's never started".
Another fun quote I liked from the book: "It is by studying little things that we attain the great art of having as little misery and as much happiness as possible." -Samuel Johnson
Another fun quote I liked from the book: "It is by studying little things that we attain the great art of having as little misery and as much happiness as possible." -Samuel Johnson
kirstyncjohnson's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.5
Short and sweet, good audio to clean house to.