It’s All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff by Peter Walsh
A few years back I went to a home show for one and one reason only: Peter Walsh. He was the guy they were marketing to get people in the door and boy, did he get me in the door. At that time I had already read his book It’s All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff and knew that he was one smart cookie. I loved his philosophy about the relationship that we have with our stuff. His short seminar that he gave that day was worth every penny. He was hilarious! I simply loved everything about him.
Earlier this year, I got the bug to get rid of stuff! And one when gets that urging, it should under no circumstances be ignored. Take advantage of it while you can. So I pulled out It’s All Too Much and read it again. And I loved it again. Peter Walsh just makes so much sense.
This isn’t a book about how to organize your sock drawer (although it might be mentioned) but rather it’s a book about our relationship with our stuff. And that by changing our relationship with our stuff then the process of decluttering and organizing our possessions comes much easier. We can take control of our stuff rather then the stuff controlling us.
When we have emotions tied to objects then it makes getting rid of those objects hard. But is it about the object itself or is it about the memory associated with that object? Which is more important? And if something is so important to us why are we treating it with such disrespect shoved and broken in the back of a closet or in a moldy basement? He says that one of the most common errors when attempting to organize and declutter is to start with “the stuff.” Clearing the clutter isn’t about “the stuff.”
Peter Walsh asks us what type of life do we want to live?
Imagine the life you want to live. I cannot think of a sentence that has had more impact on the lives of the people I have worked with. I’ll repeat it again: Imagine the life you want to live. Life is never perfect, but we all have unique visions of the lives we wish were ours. When clutter fills your home, not only does it block your space, but it also blocks your vision. . . . It’s a deceptively simple question and one that we seldom ask: “What is the life you want? “
And what I love about this book is that it is not overwhelming. Imagine trying to tackle decluttering our entire house at the same time. It makes me want to go back to bed. It makes me want to go watch an episode of Hoarders so I’ll feel good about my housekeeping abilities. But Peter Walsh has everything set up step by step so that we start out with small victories and then take on larger tasks.
Once you decide what kind of vision you want for you and your family, then it’s time to start tackling the surface clutter. He gives specific ways on how to do this and then moves through the house room by room: master bedroom, kids’ rooms, family and living rooms, home office, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, garage, basement and other storerooms. He then addresses how to stay on top of the clutter, daily, monthly and yearly maintenance and what happens if you relapse.
But what I love so much about this book is that I just didn’t read it, tell myself well, that sounds like good stuff and then just go on with life. I actually did change the way I viewed my house and the stuff in it. I actually started to apply the advice that he gave. And seriously, what a difference! I hardly give a second thought to throwing away or giving away stuff that simply doesn’t matter. I feel freer having less stuff to deal with.
But I’ll also be completely honest. I’m by no means perfect. I have a really hard time with the daily clutter. Keeping up with my dishes, the laundry, and picking up the toys. Do I get stressed when somebody knocks on my door? Sadly, I do. My house is often not clean enough to feel comfortable inviting somebody in. Always something to work on right?
I haven’t read any of Peter Walsh’s other books but I’m thinking that as I like his style, I definitely should. If you need an easy to read, step by step book to help you you tackle the clutter and live a richer life with less stuff, than It’s All Too Much is the book that will help you get there.
What about you? How do you deal with the clutter? Any other Peter Walsh fans out there?
Links of interest: Peter Walsh website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Non-Fiction, Organizational Self-Help
Publisher: Free Press. December 12, 2006
Hardcover, 240 pages. ISBN 0743292642
It’s All Too Much is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.
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Tags: I-L Title, male author, Non-Fiction, published 2006, Publisher: Free Press, self-help, U-Z Author
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I go through fits of de-cluttering. But it is so much work, and I’m already beyond busy. And what is up with the attic? Stuff breeds up there at night, I swear. I keep thinking that by the time my kids leave for college and I downsize (still 10 years away, but it never hurts to look forward!) I want to be able to just throw some stuff in some boxes and move to my beach condo. That is the goal. Must start working on this now…
on October 14th, 2010 at 6:55 amThis does sound wonderful. The older I get, the less “stuff” means to me. That’s not to say that I don’t have too much of it, but I do find it a little bit easier to let go of a lot of it. Another thing I’ve learned is not to stress when someone knocks on my door. If they’ve come to inspect my house, they’re not a true friend.
on October 14th, 2010 at 9:04 amSounds like something I need to read, even if I don’t want to
on October 14th, 2010 at 3:14 pmI already had this on my to-read list, but I think I ought to read it now! We had some re-modeling done on our house this summer, and the spaces that I was forced to deal with then feel so much better than the spaces that have been accumulating clutter for sixteen years. I seriously want to do some de-cluttering!
on October 14th, 2010 at 3:34 pmI have the bug to declutter right now. I have already been through the refrigator and several kitchen cabinets. The rest of the house better watch out. The only bad thing is the house is full of my mom and sister’s stuff too and I can’t really touch it and a lot of it needs to go. lol
on October 14th, 2010 at 4:35 pmI’m a fan of Peter Walsh, too. I loved his book, “Does this Clutter Make my Butt Look Fat?”
You feel a little self-conscious when people see you reading a book with “butt” and “fat” written hugely on the cover, but he has a lot of simply fascinating insights in it. It’s very readable, fun, and motivating.
on October 14th, 2010 at 8:38 pmI love Peter Walsh! I don’t have this book but I have one of his others and I am a big organizer of all things
on October 14th, 2010 at 10:32 pmI read the edition of this book that he did for teens this spring, and I loved it! It’s about time for another clean-up, though. My room’s a mess again.
on October 16th, 2010 at 10:08 pmThis book sounds like something I would really enjoy. I have parted with a great deal in the past couple of years, and it wasn’t easy. But I need to let go of still more–there is a wonderful sense of freedom in paring down to what is really essential.
on October 20th, 2010 at 6:36 pm