Rachel Hoffman

I'm not usually drawn to self-help books. This doesn't mean that I don't need plenty of help; but books of "simple tips" delivered in a confidently chatty tone by somebody who obviously doesn't feel challenged by things that baffle or overwhelm me just don't do much for me except help me postpone the inevitable: I'm reading about it--isn't that enough for now?

When I saw this title mentioned in another thread, though, the subtitle grabbed me. Yes, I do think I'm better than my mess. So I show more downloaded the Kindle version. And read it. (Giving myself a bonus point for not thinking that downloading was enough of a first step and I could do the rest later.)

This book is a straight-talking, BS-foiling pep talk and practical guide for dealing with household mess and clutter, both ordinary and extraordinary. Its lively, conversational style and I-see-you candor contribute to breaking down resistance.

Getting started is the hard part, so the author puts a lot of emphasis there. She doesn't waste much time arguing why do it (if we're reading this book, we probably don't need much help with the "why" part) but concentrates on what and how. It all involves effort and motivation, and she delivers a kind, forgiving, but firm and matter-of-fact push.

Sure, who doesn't know that the way to tackle a big task is to break it down into small parts? and even give ourselves rewards and rest pauses along the way?

Hoffman is specific about what small parts to break it down into, and how many. No ducking, no excuses: she lays it out. Take five things off that flat surface. Just five.

And still, if you can't do five, you haven't failed. Do four. Do one. She allows you plenty of leeway to shape your plan into something that you can actually achieve. And she stresses that once you've made a little progress, your success will build on and feed itself.

I'm happy to note that I'm not her worst case. I don't have dirty dishes scattered around. I don't have laundry lying on the floor. I don't have groceries stacked around in bags with food going bad. But I do have piles of books and papers and miscellaneous clutter in many areas of the house, with a high concentration in one or two spots, and I do find it hard to dig into them.

Hoffman is like a skilled goalkeeper who anticipates moves and feints and evasions and fends them all off. She sets out a model that a person like me, who always has something she'd rather do, can follow.

And when it comes to white vinegar, behold, she's made a believer of me. That alone was worth the time and price.

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P.S. Yup, I did take five things off that corner table. And yes, it felt good. Now to do it again. show less

A very useful book. I've been using the app, and following Rachel on Twitter, for quite a while; the book allows her to expand on the _why_ of the challenges she gives us, to get and keep things clean. There are several not-quite-explicit references to Marie Kondo, whose book I also read recently; Rachel's resonates with me a lot better. Marie is very much into minimalism, and the vague "spark joy"; Rachel is very much into "have what you need, no more and no less", and judging things by show more their utility - though she does say that if something makes you happy - if _having_ something makes you happy - that makes it useful. So the book presents both the philosophy behind UFYH, and some quite detailed plans for dealing with the mess in real-world situations. Several chapters on the process of getting stuff clean/organized/reduced to a reasonable amount, including specific mention that doing a little bit now and taking a break is a much better idea than doing a marathon clean and wearing yourself out. She also specifically points out that this is a job that's never completely done, so building short stints of cleaning (her recommendation is 20 minutes of work and a 10-minute break) into your life is much more efficient on several levels than letting things pile up until you can't stand it and clean _everything_. She also explicitly mentions that if you can't do a 20/10 - if you're physically or mentally unable to muster up the energy for 20 minutes of work - then do what you can, and take a break. Everyone's different; some people may work better with 45/15s, and some may manage 5 minutes in a day. Every bit done is a step in the right direction. Then there's a long chapter on what to do if Person-of-importance (from mother-in-law, through handyman, to landlord) is coming over, how to get the mess under control in minimum time - what to focus on, what to ignore, and what _not_ to get lost in (like reorganizing your bookcase!).
Kondo's book struck me strongly as based on her experience and situation, and a pattern that wouldn't work for a _lot_ of other people (including most Americans); Rachel's pattern is looser, and therefore fits better (though part of that may be that my experience is probably closer to hers). For me, who is quite familiar with UFYH, the book is a worthwhile addition to the tools. I think it would also be a good introduction to the system, for someone who'd never run across UFYH before. Worth reading and rereading (also quite amusing, in parts!). I got this book from the publisher, through NetGalley. show less

This was a quick read, and since I desperately need to unf*uck my habitat, chosen based solely on the title. I think there is good strategy presented in a real way, unlike some self-help books, this one assumes you’re a real person and works within limitations of life. I like that this book gives permission to be Imperfect and celebrate even the littlest improvements. I have already tried to adopt the 20/10 method, cleaning for 20 min and breaking for 10. I am also repeating the 3-step show more mantra for dishes and laundry: wash, dry, put it away goddammit! There are also downloadable checklists on her website I can use when I return this one to the library. 🤞Crossing my fingers I can actually implement some of these strategies and make my house a little less disaster zone. 4/5 stars show less

This is an interesting take on how to get started cleaning up. I definitely see this as an overview. It would need to dig deeper than it does, be longer, perhaps, to do more. The nice thing is it acknowledges that this isn't the old way of doing things and that everyone is responsible. It also acknowledges that not everyone can do the cleaning magazine style look.

The lighthearted feel of the book, the playful way it's written, makes this an easy read. The narrator does well to stick with show more that light and playful feel as she reads.

I learned quite a bit. And now that I've used the ten minutes on writing book reviews, now back to 20 minutes of cleaning. show less