Unstuff Your Life!: The Book

Welcome to the webpage for Unstuff Your Life!

Published by Penguin in August, 2010, and now in its sixth printing, Unstuff Your Life! is currently being translated into Russian, and is also available through Audible as an audio book.

There have been inquiries for other foreign language translations -- stay tuned for updates here.

For B2B and other bulk sales, please contact author Andrew Mellen or Tyson Cornell of Rare Bird Lit for more information.

Then find out how, in conjunction with bulk sales, you can have Andrew teach your staff, company or team, for FREE!

In person or online, Andrew will take you and your people through a crash course of the fundamental tools and principles laid out in Unstuff Your Life!, so you can fast track the transformation of your workplace into an even more efficient and productive environment.

Some housekeeping:

As mentioned on page 69, follow this link: KITCHEN or click on the KITCHEN tab in the nav bar for pics and descriptions of my kitchen and its contents.

As mentioned on page 120, and pages 378 - 381, here's a PDF of the Appendix, or what we like to call the "Should I Stay or Should I Go" chart:

SHOULD I STAY or SHOULD I GO

Here's what Publisher's Weekly has to say about Unstuff Your Life!:

Living in chaos? Professional Organizer Mellen has written the book to help. At 400 pages, it's not for the faint of heart or the semi-committed, but for readers determined to bringing their stuff under control.

"There is no magic device, and you don't need to be rescued," Mellen assures, advocating ways of streamlining that don't have to break the bank.

He begins by the front door, with creating a place to locate your keys and mail, and then moves through the house from room to room, starting in the kitchen; sentimental doo-dads (the most difficult to abandon) are the last to go. While Mellen at times ventures into Martha Stewart's turf ("Create a paint schedule!"), he's closer in temperament to his mentor, Oprah.

For those having trouble letting go of their stuff, he says, "Identify with the willingness to shift your behavior," and move bravely forward. Despite dips into hokum, Mellen is not a sentimentalist, he's a tough life coach, and many readers will have trouble paring down as much as he'd like.

But those willing to take even a small sip of Mellen's Kool-Aid may enjoy a more organized, efficient, and well-managed life.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Here's a review by Rasha Madkour of The Associated Press:

Imagine never again having to turn your house upside down searching for keys. Or wondering where you filed your tax bill or a favorite recipe. Or having a closet stuffed with clothes but nothing to wear.

If this mental image makes you sigh with longing, the new book "Unstuff Your Life!" might be your ticket. Professional organizer Andrew J. Mellen methodically, logically and humorously walks the reader through a complete reorganization, promising "you will never again find yourself drowning in stuff."

The bite-sized steps toward this nirvana are anchored in two main principles: "Like with Like" - grouping all similar items together - and "One Home for Everything" - deliberately choosing where an item will live when not in use so you can always find it.

Another key step is simply getting rid of items that aren't used for whatever reason. When tackling the kitchen, for example, Mellen says to throw away or recycle anything that's been broken for more than six months. "Trust me, you don't need it. You haven't used it, and you haven't missed it. Or if you have missed it, you've found some working alternative, so it's still no longer necessary."

With piles of magazines that you haven't gotten around to reading, Mellen advises keeping only three issues prior because "chances are, you'll never be able to get caught up." He unravels the "someday" excuse, "that mythical land where time stands still" and the free time you've been waiting for mysteriously appears. Mellen takes the same approach for projects that have been left unfinished for years - "You don't need to feel bad about it. Just be clear about where your interests and free time line up and intersect with one another."

For those skeptical about whether the time invested in reorganizing is worth the trouble, Mellen has this wise advice: "As with so many other things, either you're going to pay up front or you're going to pay on the back end for being disorganized, and unfortunately, when you pay on the way out it's always more expensive."

From the back cover of the book:

Arguably the most organized man in America, sought-after coach Andrew J. Mellen has created unique, lasting techniques for streamlined living, bringing order out of chaos to overwhelmed people everywhere.

Acknowledging it’s often the ‘stuff behind the stuff’ that holds people back, Mellen offers a surprisingly simple, yet affective solution in his action-based step-by-step plan—guaranteed to help you achieve organizational bliss—whether you’re a chronic key loser or a hardcore hoarder. With humor, honesty, tough love, and foolproof advice, Mellen makes it easy to finally let go and take the steps to change your life forever.

Unstuff Your Life! shows us how we can distinguish ourselves from our possessions. From the basement to the bedroom, the kitchen to the car, and more, with Mellen’s simple system you’ll: