Win the War on Clutter with These Audiobooks
The New Year brings a familiar feeling: the urge to revamp our lives, break old habits, and forge shiny, new ones. Like many, decluttering and organizing may be high on your list of New Year goals.
I salute you for that intention! And I’d like to equip you with a few new tools. I love using my time for learning. I often listen to podcasts or audiobooks as I drive, work on home projects, or exercise. Here are a few of my top audiobook choices on decluttering.
Unholy Mess: What the Bible Says About Clutter by Angie Hyche
I’m excited that my first book, which I narrated, is now available in audio format! Here’s the book’s Amazon description:
“Do you feel empty even though your life is full?
Have you lost the ability to focus on what really matters because your home, your schedule, and your mind are cluttered with the insignificant? Do you long for a deeper relationship with God that isn't crowded out by the unholy mess you've accumulated? Then this book is exactly what you need. Unholy Mess will:
Open your eyes to the pervasiveness of clutter and its far-reaching effects.
Encourage you to examine how your clutter is holding you back from the peaceful and focused Christian life you desire.
Provide inspiration from Scripture for a healthy relationship with your possessions and a deeper relationship with God.
Share stories of the freedom that comes from letting go.
Give you practical steps to overcome the obstacles, organize your home, and maintain the order.
Reading Unholy Mess will empower you to find the simplicity that lies beneath the clutter, to rekindle your passion for God, and to enjoy a peaceful and ordered life.”
Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White
I love Dana’s work because she is down to earth, funny, and not afraid to expose her mess. Here’s a portion of the book’s Amazon description:
“You don't have to live overwhelmed by stuff - you can get rid of clutter for good! In Decluttering at the Speed of Life, decluttering expert and author Dana White identifies the mindsets and emotional challenges that make it difficult to declutter. In her signature humorous approach, she provides workable solutions to break through these struggles and get clutter out - for good!
Not only does Dana provide strategies, but she dives deep into how to implement them, no matter the listener's clutter level or emotional resistance to decluttering. She helps identify procrasticlutter - the stuff that will get done eventually so it doesn't seem urgent - as well as how to make progress when there's no time to declutter.
As long as we're living and breathing, new clutter will appear. The good news is that by following Dana’s advice, decluttering will get easier, become more natural, and require significantly fewer hours, less emotional bandwidth, and little to no sweat to keep going.”
The More of Less by Joshua Becker
I frequently recommend this thought-provoking book. Here’s a portion of the book’s Amazon description:
“‘Maybe you don’t need to own all this stuff.’ After a casual conversation with his neighbor on Memorial Day 2008, Joshua Becker realized he needed a change. He was spending far too much time organizing possessions, cleaning up messes, and looking for more to buy.
So Joshua and his wife decided to remove the nonessential possessions from their home and life. Eventually, they sold, donated, or discarded over 60 percent of what they owned. In exchange, they found a life of more freedom, more contentment, more generosity, and more opportunity to pursue the things that mattered most.
The More of Less delivers an empowering plan for living more by owning less. With practical suggestions and encouragement to personalize your own minimalist style, Joshua Becker shows you why minimizing possessions is the best way to maximize life.
Are you ready for less cleaning, less anxiety, and less stress in your life? Simplicity isn’t as complicated as you think.”
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson
This book is the basis for the TV series developed by Amy Poehler and Scout Productions. Here’s a portion of the book’s Amazon description:
“A charming, practical, and unsentimental approach to putting a home in order while reflecting on the tiny joys that make up a long life.
In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called death cleaning. This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you.
In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming.
Margareta suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of and which you might want to keep. Digging into her late husband’s tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go.”
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
This classic book not only brought attention to the field of organizing, but also helped me decide to become an organizer. Here’s a portion of the book’s Amazon description:
“Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles? Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you'll never have to do it again.
Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo's clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list). With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house "spark joy" (and which don't), this international bestseller featuring Tokyo's newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home-and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.”
As the confetti settles and our resolutions take shape, remember that decluttering isn't just about purging possessions. It's about making space for what truly matters. I hope you find these resources helpful as you journey towards a clutter-free year!