This book has great ideas. It gives good examples of how to organize certain spaces. You don't have to start organizing on January 1st. You can jump in any day of the year. It's a nice motivating tool.

This is the first book by Regina Leeds for me.
So far, so good!
At first I was worried that I bought it in May and not in January - "oh no!! I'm already behind!!"
But after reading the forward (and you must) my fears were put to rest. You don't have to DO the month IN the month.
What has worked for me so far is this: I did January first because it deals with alot of why, etc. Now I've moved on to managing paper.
I enjoy hearing the personal side from the author. I, too, have a golden retriever. Enough said!
I even emailed her with a question, never expecting a personal or quick response. I got both the former and the latter!!
I say: Enjoy the ride, it is definitely worth the price of admission!

As a home and garden author myself, I love Regina's new book and I've read them all! (It didn't make the New York Times Bestseller List for nothing!) Her friendly tone, combined with her "real world humor" and room by room how-to tips will help the overwhelmed and organizationally challenged person break their challenges down into realistic organizing projects. A great organizing tool!

On page 24, Regina Leeds says just about everything that needs to be said on the subject: "Everything you do needs to be scheduled". This happens to be the same message David Allen delivers much more effectively in his "Getting Things Done".

Of course, saying it is a lot easier than doing it, which is why people like Leeds and Allen can count on their books selling year after year.

Leeds takes the approach of teaching you how to organize your life over the course of a year, with new projects every month. For me, the approach simply doesn't work. Too much territory is covered. For example, I'm not going to be moving into a new home, so that chapter - and the month's project - is wasted on me.

Also, Leeds is a bit too "New Age" for my personal taste. Tidbits like an "affirmation" for the month strike me as treacly. August, for instance, tells you: "I am guided with ease to my new home. I embrace the life waiting for me. I also bless and thank my current home. I release it to the new occupants. I am thankful for all the participants in this transition."

Regina Leeds has quite a following, apparently, but I don't think I'll be joining it.

Jerry

This book has a great premise, breaking down a specific organizational task over the course of a month, and has you writing a journal while you do this. So why only 2 stars?

Too much info about the author. We continually hear about her own experiences, her high-end clients, etc.

Too much focusing on the past in the journal exercises. The more you dwell on the past, the harder it is to make the future better.

She calls herself the Zen Organizer, but there is a lot of New Age content in the book also. Would rather have had more organizational tips.

She has an entire month dealing just with Thanksgiving. Really. If she'd combined it with Christmas and New Year's, as "holiday planning", it would have been plenty.

The chapter on moving was pretty good, but should have been written with lists instead of all the good information being buried in paragraphs (and this was also a problem in other chapters).

Overall, I would rate the book 2.5 stars. Good premise, and several good organizing tips, but it gets bogged down in places. Check it out from your library first--you might prefer her approach to that of FlyLady.

An organized life lends to more time, less aggravation, better health and more - and professional organizer Regina Leeds here provides a set of guidelines to help even the most disorganized reader gain control over time management. These are organized in a series of weekly and monthly plans to streamline everyday life challenges, from making a home space more efficient to organizing travel, business and finances. Consumer collections will find it invaluable.

I read this in during a time of my life that felt most disorganized, chaotic, and out of control. My mom gave me this book, and I thought it would just be about physically organizing my home, but instead, it's actually about organizing yourself mentally and emotionally then physically.

The author takes you on a step by step process of imagining and reflecting on why you are the way you are--why you are always late or why you impulse buy or why you can't seem to find your keys. Through reflection, you are able to organize yourself internally and then begin the challenging but completely doable process of clearing and organizing your living space.

It also has a helpful section about moving, which happens to be a timely project for me (my husband and I are moving cross-country in a few months).

I plan on giving this to all my friends!

Great book, simply written with wit and humor that I did not expect. I have ADD and I have had a lot of problems with having an Organized life. I got this book mostly as a joke and it turned out to be NO joke! I totally agree with the bedroom issue and needing a comfortable and relaxing place - when you get thinking of reasoning like this book offers it creates an interest to do more, live better and be comfortable. Yeah, I am a guy and might not follow this book to the letter or the kitchen issues, but any kind of spark is better than no spark and this book has a lot of SPARK!

I especially like the part about moving. If you are going to be moving in the next year or so, get this book!

My Memoir:

One Boy's Struggle: A Memoir: Surviving Life with Undiagnosed ADD

Bryan

I own over 30 Get Organized books and by far this is the 1 that has made it finally happen for me. The author is witty and straight forward. Organization Tasks are broken down into categories (i.e. kitchen, bedroom, etc.)and are assigned to you to do during a specific month of the year. However, where this book made a difference for me is each month is broken down into weeks, and each week we are given assignments to be completed that are not overwhelming ... just baby steps that are part of the huge overwhelming mess we have created by being unorganized. I highly recommend this book as it holds your hand and never allows you to have to decide "what am I going to do next". It takes the guess work out of organizing, and where my hiccups come in, is trying to decide where to start - well this book removes that by braking everything down for you. Very simple organizing education, it is like having your own personal organizer with you every step of the way, every day.

This book has changed my life already, and I've only been following it for a couple weeks! I know that may sound dramatic, but along with Regina's support and others via teleseminar, email, and Instant Messenger, I can already feel the benefits. A very interesting plan. Extremely well written.

The elimination, organizing, journaling, and dreamboarding is creating a new energy that I have not felt before. As I check off my list, I want to continue to do more. A must have for anyone!!!

I've just started but already this is one of the best, most motivating organizing books I've found. My whole life I have been messy and I have tried many books. I started this plan in December and I am already seeing results! One Year to an Organized Life is really helpful because it explains why you got this way so you don't get stuck again. It's like having your own personal organizer right next to you! There are tons of tips but the book makes it easy breaking things down a week at a time. It takes you through all the rooms of your house from January to December, though you don't have to follow the plan in order. Regina will keep you on track and before you know it, you'll be organized.

Regina Leeds has done it again. She writes in a manner that draws you in right away and gives guidance in a caring, understanding manner. She is an expert story-teller, drawing experiences into play to gently help the dis-organized to become organized -- with no shame or guilt. Not sure what book the other gent read who provided his POV, it wasn't this one. I've read everything Regina has written and can't wait for her next book. Write another book soon Regina!

A couple of creative ideas but mostly I just added to the clutter. SOME day I'll learn. (-: