Sidetracked Home Executives: From Pigpen to Paradise

I really like this book and I really like the ideas and the background on how they started, but when I put it into action is when it didn't work for me. Maybe I put way too many tiny chores that I started to feel overwhelmed. If I skipped a day, I would have way too many chores the next day and would never be able to catch up.
This also happened with me with flylady.net which was even more overwhelming because it felt like ALL you did was clean all day.
I'm pretty sure if I chunk smaller chores into one card and have less chores in general it would have worked for me. I will probably try it again.
As of nowhat though, it did not help this sidetracked home executive.

This is a book to help one get and keep organized, particularly in the home. It is based on a system with index cards and a calendar. It takes some time to set up, and I am in the midst of doing so. It is focused on keeping up with daily tasks, weekly tasks, monthly, and even semi-yearly ones, and once these become a habit, the house will stay more organized.

The text of the book is basically the story of how the book came to be, and how it changed the lives and living spaces of the inventors of this system

It has a list of suggested cards at the back of the book, which is one of the book's strengths. I'm reading it on a Kindle, and not quite all columns for these cards fit on the Kindle page, which is one of the weaknesses of its show more translation to the electronic format.

It is not a "decluttering book" - it is system for achieving some order and maintaining it.

I am in the process of "phasing it in" - we'll see how well it works. But the concept is simple, straightforward, and appears eminently doable. show less

I love this book. For years, I've quoted sections to disorganized family and coworkers. It's very funny and very practical even 30+ years later!

I read this every 2 or 3 years, just to crack up and annoy my family by reading huge sections aloud.

I remember reading this book in early 1988. It changed my housekeeping habits. About time to read it again!

I love this book. It helped me get my home organized, taught me to be more disciplined in my house cleaning and made me laugh.

Cute, and entertaining. I'm going to try using their out-dated card system with my computer. Outlook seems to have the ability to do everything the card box would do, but easier and without adding more clutter from the box and index cards.