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Red Letter Day is
pleased to present the following resources as a service to our visitors. Links
for books will take you to the publication's listing on Amazon.com.
FIND A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER
National
Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO):
www.napo.net
NAPO, The Organizing Authority, is the premier member association for
professional organizers. The site features an automated referral request system
for those seeking an organizer.
NAPO-Southeast Michigan Chapter (NAPO-SE-MI):
www.napomichigan.com
The Michigan chapter of NAPO.
This website lists all chapter members and features a calendar of events.
Professional Organizers in Canada (POC):
www.organizersincanada.com
The Canadian equivalent of NAPO.
National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD):
www.nsgcd.org
An association for organizers
specializing in CD. The site includes some resources for clients, including a
referral system.
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
(AD/HD or ADD)
National
Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA):
www.add.org
ADDA is the most comprehensive source for information on AD/HD in adults.
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CHADD):
www.chadd.org
CHADD offers support groups
around the country for AD/HD adults as well as AD/HD kids and their parents.
ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life,
by Judith Kolberg and
Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D.
Two pioneers—the founder of the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization
and a ground-breaking ADD researcher—teamed up to produce this innovative guide
to organizing for ADDers.
Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder
from Childhood through Adulthood,
by Edward Hallowell and John J. Ratey
This book is an excellent study of attention deficit disorder, written by two doctors who have ADD themselves. It offers insight into the struggles that ADDers go through, as well as the clinical causes of the disorder and treatments for it.
Two follow-up titles,
Answers to Distraction
and
Delivered from Distraction, are also available.
Finding a Career That Works for You: A Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing a Career ,
by Wilma Fellman
Fellman is a nationally noted expert on matching a client's skills and interests
with a viable, engaging career—often something the client has never thought of
as a job option. Also click
here for an article by Fellman, "10 Job Success Tips
for the Unfocused," from Monster.com.
Women with Attention Deficit Disorder,
by Sari Solden
For a refreshing perspective on how ADD affects girls and women throughout their lives, this book is excellent. Many clients report that reading it was an incredible relief—for the first time in their lives, they realized that what is "wrong" with them is not their fault. Solden emphasizes accepting ADD's place in your life and learning to work with it.
A follow-up title,
Journeys through ADDulthood,is also available.
You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid, or Crazy?! A Self-Help Book
for Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder, by Kate Kelly and Peggy Ramundo
This big, thick, comprehensive book on ADD is very popular among our clients. The title says it all: You're not lazy, stupid, or crazy, so stop beating yourself up and begin learning to work with your ADD!
CHRONIC DISORGANIZATION
Jump to:
Understanding
Chronic Disorganization
Conquering Chronic Disorganization, by Judith Kolberg
This is the best book there is for chronically disorganized people, written by the founder of the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization. Kolberg's style is motivating and witty, and the book is easy to digest.
Making Peace with the Things in Your Life,
by Cindy Glovinsky
This is the first book to consider the problem of disorganization from a psychological perspective. The author's unique vantage point as a therapist who is also an organizer provides valuable insights for other organizers, yet is presented in a way that is accessible to anyone wishing to get a grip on clutter. Some people have success molding their lives around a generic how-to system, but many need to know why they are the way they are before they can embrace the change required to get organized. If you need a deeper explanation combined with an empathetic, humorous approach to clearing out your clutter, or if you are an organizer looking for new ways to help clients understand disorganization, we strongly recommend this book.
Messie No More: Understanding and Overcoming the
Roadblocks to Being Organized,
by
Sandra Felton
Felton is the founder of
Messies Anonymous, a self-help organization that has shown innumerable "messies"
how to gain control over clutter. Felton is the author of many other books as
well. Visit Messies Anonymous at
www.messies.com.
Sink Reflections,
by Marla Cilley (The FlyLady)
The FlyLady is a great self-help
resource. Visit her website at
www.flylady.net.
DECORATING
Christopher Lowell's Seven Layers of Design,
by Christopher Lowell
Once we get our clients organized, they often want to celebrate by redecorating. If you're not confident in your ability to
choose and coordinate paint, floor coverings, furniture, and window treatments, this is the book for you. Lowell makes it easy to predict what will work and what won't, while still allowing you to express your own style. Some of the examples in the book are
quite bold, but the concepts can be applied more conservatively as well. Other
titles by Lowell include
Christopher Lowell's You Can Do It!: Small Spaces
and
Christopher Lowell's If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It!: Dream Decor on a Budget.
FENG SHUI
Feng shui, the Chinese
art of placement, is important to organizing because it points out the negative effects of excess clutter and inefficient furniture placement.
Catherine Hilker, Feng Shui &
Space Clearing Practitioner:
www.catherinehilker.com
Catherine brings serenity and
harmony to her clients through the application of feng shui techniques. She
exudes a calming presence and offers insightful observations that help clients
to work through the areas of their lives that have become stagnant and
unrewarding.
Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui,
by Karen Kingston
Many of our clients have trouble letting go of things. This title offers a unique perspective on the causes of cluttering and ways to reduce it.
FICTION
Patience and the Porsche, by Valentina
Sgro
A novel
featuring professional organizer Patience Oaktree on a quest to help
a client win $100,000 from her snobby sister!
We hope this is just the first of many future adventures for Patience.
FINANCIAL ORGANIZING
Organize Your Personal Finances in No Time,
by Debbie Stanley
Want to pay bills on time,
manage the daily mail, create a budget, and become a savvy shopper? First
you've got to get organized!
Organize Your Personal Finances in No Time
teaches you how to get bills, receipts, and paperwork off the kitchen
counter, out from under the car seats, and into an organized system!
The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
Money management is a form of organizing, and our clients often ask for a good book on the subject. If you're like most
readers, this book will forever change how you look at money. It offers a completely new perspective on wealth, money management, and budgeting, and it will give you insight into your attitude toward money as well as that of your parents, your siblings, your spouse, and your friends.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and HOARDING
Madison Institute of Medicine:
www.miminc.org
OCD can be a cause of chronic disorganization. The Madison Institute of Medicine offers an extremely comprehensive packet of information on OCD
at a nominal charge (generally the cost of copying and postage). Other packets
are also available, including one specifically on hoarding.
Overcoming
Compulsive Hoarding,
by
Fugen Neziroglu, Jerome Bubrick, and Jose A. Yaryura-Tobias
Written by clinicians who treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. This
book is written for hoarders who want to help themselves and
includes a wealth of information about hoarding and how it can be
treated.
SPACE ORGANIZING
Organize Your Home in No Time,
by Debbie Stanley
If you've ever thought there
must be some big secret to finally getting organized, this book is for you.
Based on a foundation of solid organizational theories,
Organize Your Home in No Time
helps you to identify your organizational roadblocks and put systems in
place to combat them. Far from a collection of room-by-room tips, this book
teaches you how to find the right organizing methods for you, and how to
change them as life changes!
Organize Your Garage in No Time,
by Barry Izsak
How long has it been
since you actually parked in your garage? Reclaim that space for your
vehicle and plenty of other stuff with help from Barry Izsak, president
of the National Association of Professional Organizers.
Organize Your Office in No Time,
by Monica Ricci
For many people,
the office is the final frontier of organizing. Conquer it with this
title from professional organizer Monica Ricci.
TIME MANAGEMENT
Organize Your Family's Schedule in No Time,
by Val Sgro
It's hard enough to manage your own time, so how can you possibly
coordinate an entire household full of people? It's possible, and professional
organizer Val Sgro can show you how.
Organize Your Work Day in No Time,
by K. J. McCorry
Are you as efficient
and productive as you'd like to be at work? Make some process
improvements with help from professional organizer K. J. McCorry.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
This book was a big best-seller, and its principles are still valid today. Like Hyrum Smith, Covey emphasizes the importance of "balanced self-renewal." Covey partnered with Smith to form the Franklin Covey company several years after this book was published.
The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and
Life Management,
by Hyrum W. Smith
The popular Franklin Planner is based on the principles of this book by the Franklin Quest company's CEO. We agree with Smith's assertion that in order for time management efforts to be effective and create happiness, they must include attention to your personal priorities, not just the work-related ones.
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI)
Over My Head: A Doctor's Own Story of Head Injury from the
Inside Looking Out,
by Dr. Claudia L. Osborn
Brain injuries, from a
simple bump on the head to a catastrophic accident, often result in chronic
disorganization. In this autobiographical account, the author relates her
experiences since sustaining a serious brain injury and the ways in which she
learned to apply new systems and regain much of her independence. More
information is available at
www.claudiaosborn.com.
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