Life is short. What’s that got to do with getting organized? Everything. I believe that the whole point of getting organized is to create more time, space, and energy in your life for the people and things that matter most to you.

You can spend precious minutes and hours every day looking for things you know are “around here somewhere,” or you can find a place for everything so you know exactly where to look. You can go through life in “catch up” mode, with high levels of frustration and stress, or you can learn how to simplify daily living with organizational systems and tools described in this book.

When I tell people that I have written several books about uncluttering and organizing one’s home and life, they invariably ask whether I am super-organized. Well, I may be super-organized by some standards, but I like to think of myself as simply organized. By that I mean that I am as organized as I need to be. I could spend all day organizing, but instead I choose to spend only as much time as necessary to keep my life running smoothly.

Here’s my secret: Don’t make organizing difficult; keep it plain and simple. Find simple strategies, systems, and tools that work for you, and then use them regularly.

This may come as surprise, but there is no one right way to get organized. That why, in this book, I have presented many different solutions to the most common organizational challenges, so you can choose the one that appeals most to you; you might even try a variation of an idea. If a technique works for you, it’s the perfect solution. If it doesn’t work for you, try something different.

One of the aspects I find most rewarding about the process of organizing is that it helps you figure out what’s most important to you. And knowing this can help to simplify your life. Organizing also brings with it a certain freedom. With less clutter to weigh you down, you have more time to pursue the things that bring you the greatest happiness and satisfaction. I wish you well!

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