A review by readsewknit
Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter & Organize to Make More Room for Happiness by Gretchen Rubin

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.