Latest Book on My Resource List – Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin

I have been a follower of Gretchen Rubin since her book “The Happiness Project” came out in 2009. Since then I have gleaned tons of useful ways to look at my own life from Gretchen’s study & writings on human nature & how we interact with our world. 

Gretchen continues to dig deeper into the very topics that get me excited in a style that is fun & non-threatening, yet informative & useful!  I have read her books, listened to her podcast, & taken her online Four Tendencies Quiz.

Her latest book Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter & Organize to Make Room for Happiness was released last month.  It is a small book full of quotes, tips, & insights around the idea of creating outer order. She breaks them down into 5 stages: how to make choices, clear clutter, know yourself & others, cultivate helpful habits, & add beauty.

Gretchen’s study of happiness led her to the conclusion that for most of us, outer order creates inner calm.  She also notes that how we achieve that outer order varies from person to person. She believes there is no one-size-fits-all solution.  We each need to find the strategies to clear & maintain our spaces in a way that fits our personality, situation & desires.

“Gretchen Rubin has found that getting more control of our stuff makes us feel more in control of our lives. By getting rid of things we don’t use, don’t need, or don’t love, as well as things that don’t work, don’t fit, or don’t suit, we free our mind (and our shelves) for what we truly value.”

gretchenrubin.com

This book is a compilation of strategies & tips that you may have heard or read before, but that seems to be the point of the book.  She is offering lots of suggestions in hopes that you will pinpoint the ones that truly resonate with YOU. Read through, tag or highlight the ones that fit your situation & personality, and then give them a try!

Her work has always been easy to digest & implement because she offers great “real-life” examples that can lead to small or big shifts. I often reference her 4 Tendencies when working with clients because it offers great insight into personality & motivation.

This book is now on my resource list because anyone that picks it up is sure to find a new strategy that could shift the way they think about clutter & their spaces. And I am committed to supporting an author that understands that humans are unique & we need to be open to finding solutions that honor & embrace this fact!

Read on!