After following the author’s directions, I skipped directly to Chapter 6, which resonates beautifully with my life…too much to do in always too little time.  The simple “umbrella” technique gives me the illusion or reality of having so much more time in my day, simply by eliminating interruptions.

Chapter 7 was my next challenge and what was most amazing was the fact that these techniques are the ones that I used in the past to manifest in my life.  Somehow though, as we get more busy or more successful, we forget the very techniques that helped us to get to that place of success in the first place.  What a beautiful reminder.

After this one I decided to look for new or forgotten items in the earlier chapters.  And, I have to say that although many of the tips I already practice (some say obsessively), there are plenty of other simple changes that I was able to make which have even more enhanced the flow of my life.  As an entrepreneur, financial adviser, single mom, and real estate investor, I have to say that every improvement helps, and the added time just leaves more for myself and my daughter.

Thank you, thank you, Kathi Burns for writing such a life changing masterpiece!

Sincerely,
C. Ren Kolar  (Ashland, Oregon)

Ideal for anyone who has too much going on in their life
A little organization can go a very long way. “How to Master Your Muck: Get Organized, Add Space to Your Life, Live Your Purpose” is a guide to clearing the unnecessary aspects out of one’s life to allow the necessary ones to be more joyful and fulfilling. Covering schedule management, choosing what really matters, and stopping bad habits, “How to Master Your Muck” is ideal for anyone who has too much going on in their life.

By Midwest Book Review  August 8, 2009

My “muck demons” are papers and clothes
Kathi’s book is a very simple to use guide to creating a muck-free life. I have read other books on clearing clutter, only to feel overwhelmed with the thought of implementing complicated systems. The 3 questions at the start of each chapter allow the reader to quickly select the chapters of most import for them. Once the reader isolates their problem areas they can begin “mastering their muck”.

My “muck demons” are papers and clothes. I was able to zero in on Chapter 1 – Master your Papers, and Chapter 8 – Create a Masterful Image. My piles of papers and bursting closet are energy vampires I have been trying to tackle. I can begin working on those two areas first and then move on to other chapters to deal with less pressing issues.

I am going to take Kathi’s advice and “simplify my life by releasing clutter and old patterns.” Thanks for writing the book Kathi. Now I have to go muck out some closets.

Shelly Hogan
Colonial Life

Don’t Pass This Book Up!!!
“I am a single business professional with three children and an insane schedule.  While I am successful in my field, I have always considered myself rather “Organizationally Challenged.”  Fortunately, I didn’t have to finish Kathi’s entire book before beginning to implement it’s fast, easy fixes.  This has truly been a journey not only into the discarding of unnecessary stacks of paper in my life, but discarding much of the thought processes that went right along with creating them!  Ladies!  Prepare to drop some pounds (of paper that is)!!!

Natalie L. Stillman, Financial Services Professional, CLTC August 4, 2009
NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY

Inventive Ideas for Immediate Results
“How to Master Your Muck” is essential reading for anyone who owns a business or who works from home and has an office that needs organizing. As someone who cleans and organizes for a living I gained a new understanding of what it takes to organize an office much more effectively. I am always on the lookout for books that give me new ideas that will impress my clients.

This book also helped me immediately with some small things I should have been paying attention to in my own home. Like I had the hard drive tower on top of my desk because it was easier to turn it on that way. Since my husband and I share the same office and he works on the computer daily removing the hard drive tower freed up some needed desk space and he was able to work more efficiently than before.

Kathi Burns is a professional organizer who has worked with thousands of clients. She not only organizes offices she can also help you select clothes for your wardrobe. She believes that outward actions like organizing and buying a new wardrobe can lead to increased confidence and therefore more money. There is also a section on how to stay on top of your schedule and keep business cards organized so you keep bringing in new business by staying in contact with the people that matter.

There is some information on how to handle email that will free up a lot of your time. For me the simple advice to make up a draft copy of a letter I seem to keep retyping in various ways freed up some of my time. Each time an author writes me about a review I seem to always be retyping the address for where they should send the books. I guess I’ve always thought it was important to write an original letter to each author.

The only thing missing from this book is a few sketches of the organizing equipment mentioned in each chapter. Fortunately Kathi Burns does give URLs at the end of the book so you can look things up online.

By Rebecca Johnson “SeasonedwithLove.com” (Washington State) August 16, 2009

1. Learn how to make small changes in your life. Add space anywhere you can. You will find that clearing your external environment inevitably helps you clear your mental space. Having a clear mind helps you create the life you really want and deserve.





2. Get rid of the piles of paper that are jamming your desktop. Piles of paper represent indecision, procrastination and avoidance. Learn new skills and strategies to take control of your papers to make the space for renewed creativity and effectiveness.
   





3. Locate, consolidate and organize your office supplies. Americans waste more than nine million hours looking for lost and misplaced articles. Take inventory and avoid wasting the time and money spent when buying duplicate supplies.





4. Master your home office environment. Treat your business like a business and spend the time and resources to set it up properly. There is nothing worse for productivity than file cabinets that do not function. Invest in business caliber materials to have a successful and effective business!





5. Take control of your business contacts. If you have piles of business cards lying around your office, get them scanned or input into your contact management program. Piles of cards are useless information. Harness your contacts into viable business contacts and resources. Buy a scanner or pay an intern to input your piles of cards into your database.





6. Become the master of your inbox. Don’t get sucked into email oblivion. Decide when and how much time you will spend each day checking and responding to emails. Do not check your emails first thing in the morning or you might get sidetracked and off -purpose for the rest of the day.





7. Master your schedule by taking the time to determine what you need to do each week to be successful at your job. Analyze where you spend your time right now and if doing those activities helps you move forward with your goals. Delegate or delete any activities that do not move you forward to your goals. You can only accomplish this activity if you take the time to analyze your activities first. Don’t get caught up in ‘busyness’, instead get down to business!





8. Spend time creating well thought-out goals. Once you decide what your goals are, create a 4 color panoramic movie of what your goals will look like as they manifest. Tell all of your friends about your goals and act as if they are happening right now. Thought, word, deed can become a major contributor to your success!





9. Create a masterful image. What you wear tells a little story about yourself to everyone you meet. Do you appear confidant, professional and put-together or do you appear hectic, anxious and out of control? It’s your choice. You choose how you appear every day even when you think you don’t! A little attention to detail goes a long way to making a great first impression.





10. Don’t be afraid to hire others to help you. Masters hire masters. There is no doubt that the most successful businesses in the world hire other successful businesses to help them in areas that they either don’t know about or don’t want to know about. Spend your time doing what you love and are good at. Don’t waste your most valuable resource, YOU- doing things that you dislike or are not skilled at. We cant all be good at everything. Hiring other masters pays off in spades!