Book Review: Outer Order Inner Calm

Outer Order/Inner Calm: Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness
by Gretchen Rubin

            This is my favorite book on organizing, and I’ve read many. It’s short. It’s practical. And it’s motivational. Small in size, 5 by 7 ¼ inches, some pages include only a paragraph with a bit of art. But they pack a punch!

            Author Gretchen Rubin offers practical suggestions, such as unless you use a book every day, don’t keep it on your desk. She offers checklists and helps you look at yourself before picking a single direction to follow. Are you a marathoner or a sprinter? Are you an overbuyer or an underbuyer? You’ll “clutter” differently according to your personal makeup. And you’ll also attack clutter differently.

            As I read, I listed how I want to apply her points. So I wrote statements like “Be a tourist in your home” to observe with fresh eyes clutter you may have overlooked. I may take her suggestions to focus on a “flavor of the month” by picking books, clothes or some area to tackle for a month.

            The book has five parts: Make Choices, Create Order, Know Yourself—and Others, Cultivate Helpful Habits and Add Beauty. There’s subtle humor, such as: “Nothing is more exhausting than the task that’s never started.”

            The back of the book includes “Top Ten Tips for Creating Outer Order.” The premise of her book is that by creating outer order, you achieve inner calm. And I find that’s true. If you’re serious about gaining control over your belongings or even downsizing, you can’t beat the content of this book!