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The Fast and Furious 5 Step Organizing Solution: No-Fuss Clutter Control from a Top Professional Organizer
Feel like you’re buried in clutter? Are you in desperate need of an organizational overhaul? Having trouble finding your first-born underneath all those toys?
With The Fast and Furious 5 Step Organizing Solution, you can turn your chaotic casa into a peaceful palace by simply applying this simple, time-saving method throughout your Step 1: Plan
Step 2: Weed and Sort
Step 3: Remove
Step 4: Name to Create Boundaries
Step 5: Containerize
Author and professional organizer Susan C. Pinsky will show you the perfect and most maintainable method for every room and space in your home and how to achieve it in the fastest time possible. She’ll also provide you with tactical strategies and simple solutions for something you never thought keeping it that way!
Filled with inspirational and instructional photos—including real-life before and after photos of every room in a typical home—The Fast and Furious Five-Step Organizing Solution will show you what you need to do to achieve the results you only thought possible on television. Your dream home is just five steps away!
With The Fast and Furious 5 Step Organizing Solution, you can turn your chaotic casa into a peaceful palace by simply applying this simple, time-saving method throughout your Step 1: Plan
Step 2: Weed and Sort
Step 3: Remove
Step 4: Name to Create Boundaries
Step 5: Containerize
Author and professional organizer Susan C. Pinsky will show you the perfect and most maintainable method for every room and space in your home and how to achieve it in the fastest time possible. She’ll also provide you with tactical strategies and simple solutions for something you never thought keeping it that way!
Filled with inspirational and instructional photos—including real-life before and after photos of every room in a typical home—The Fast and Furious Five-Step Organizing Solution will show you what you need to do to achieve the results you only thought possible on television. Your dream home is just five steps away!
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
6 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Susan C. Pinsky
6Ìýbooks29ÌýfollowersSusan C. Pinsky is the author of the best-selling Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder. She is a top professional organizer and member of the National Association of Professional Organizers. She lives in Acton, MA with her husband and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 10, 2012
Wow, this book is hardcore. Take no more than ten photos a year. Save no more than three pieces of kids' school work per year, and only pieces that are exactly 8 1/2x11. When grocery shopping, only purchase enough to barely get you to the next shopping trip. Never, ever buy in bulk.
But the result of all this hardcore rigidity is a lot of freedom, and if you look past the rules to her reasoning, the system makes a huge amount of sense. Basically, it all comes down to practicality. If you want to organize your house and keep it organized with minimal effort, then you need to practical about every decision with regard to what you keep (as little as possible) and how you arrange it (efficiency is priority 1).
An example: right now in my bedroom (the catch-all for every other room in the house), I have (among many other things), a very large bag of clothing that I plan to consign, and a very large bag of expensive wooden trains and tracks that I plan to sell on craigslist. Both bags have been sitting in my room for at least a year and I never quite get around to attending to them. And both bags definitely contribute to the chaos and inconvenience of my small bedroom. Pinsky would tell me that if I truly want my house to be organized, I need to give up this idea of selling these items and just get rid of them. And she's right. Just getting rid of them would really free up a lot of space and mental energy and allow for true organization to proceed. Sure, I might miss out on a couple hundred bucks, but is it really worth it to potentially keep my room in chaos for another few years? Am I willing to give up $200 (that I have yet to see!) in exchange for a organized, peaceful bedroom? Of course I am. And those bags are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of crap that fills my room that I'm hanging on to for really no good reason, or at least no reason good enough to justify the mess and chaos.
I read a lot of organizing books (I love them!) and this was the best I've read in a long time, maybe ever. I definitely can't always take the hard line that Pinsky does, but now I feel like I have permission to set a much more effectively baseline. And her ideas about kids, laundry and clothes storage? Genius. The only reason the book gets four instead of five stars is because some of her sample rooms were less than impressive (in terms of necessary organizing work), and all of the houses (or both, really, since I don't think there were more than two) were huge, which doesn't do me, as a small house dweller, much good.
But the result of all this hardcore rigidity is a lot of freedom, and if you look past the rules to her reasoning, the system makes a huge amount of sense. Basically, it all comes down to practicality. If you want to organize your house and keep it organized with minimal effort, then you need to practical about every decision with regard to what you keep (as little as possible) and how you arrange it (efficiency is priority 1).
An example: right now in my bedroom (the catch-all for every other room in the house), I have (among many other things), a very large bag of clothing that I plan to consign, and a very large bag of expensive wooden trains and tracks that I plan to sell on craigslist. Both bags have been sitting in my room for at least a year and I never quite get around to attending to them. And both bags definitely contribute to the chaos and inconvenience of my small bedroom. Pinsky would tell me that if I truly want my house to be organized, I need to give up this idea of selling these items and just get rid of them. And she's right. Just getting rid of them would really free up a lot of space and mental energy and allow for true organization to proceed. Sure, I might miss out on a couple hundred bucks, but is it really worth it to potentially keep my room in chaos for another few years? Am I willing to give up $200 (that I have yet to see!) in exchange for a organized, peaceful bedroom? Of course I am. And those bags are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of crap that fills my room that I'm hanging on to for really no good reason, or at least no reason good enough to justify the mess and chaos.
I read a lot of organizing books (I love them!) and this was the best I've read in a long time, maybe ever. I definitely can't always take the hard line that Pinsky does, but now I feel like I have permission to set a much more effectively baseline. And her ideas about kids, laundry and clothes storage? Genius. The only reason the book gets four instead of five stars is because some of her sample rooms were less than impressive (in terms of necessary organizing work), and all of the houses (or both, really, since I don't think there were more than two) were huge, which doesn't do me, as a small house dweller, much good.
March 8, 2011
I am an organization junkie. Does that mean my house is perfectly organized? Anyone that really knows me would laugh at that question. BUT, that doesn't me I can't strive for that goal! I read a lot of these books and they all tend to say the same thing: Get rid of stuff you don't use. Simple.
This one puts it into 5 "Fast and Furious" steps. Whoopie! The five steps are:
1.) Plan - Set a date (or multiple dates) and have the things you need on hand to organize.
2.) Weed and Sort - Pull out everything and take a good look to see if you really need it or if it logically belongs somewhere else.
3.) Remove - Either put the items where they should go or get it out of the house.
4.) Name - Set boundaries for the items.
5.) Containerize - Divide things up, if necessary.
One things I love that she pointed out is the pitfall many organizers fall into: the need for beauty above all else. We've all seen pictures in a magazine of a darling little set-up with rattan baskets perfectly lined up. But the reality is that if they are not named and labeled, you will grab every basket looking for the one you need! I completely agree with this and have waited a long time for organizers to call out their fellow organizers on this problem.
She says that the biggest pitfalls for weeding are that you will get rid of items that
1.) you may need someday down the road
2.) they are/were expensive
3.) they were gifts
4.) they are mementos
5.) they are beautiful, but are space hogs (ie fance serving plates, etc)
I have a real problem with #1 and #4. She points out that in organizing, you will get rid of things that you will someday probably need or want. Basically, just prepare yourself mentally for that day and don't kick yourself when that day comes. It's okay. You may buy duplicate items over the years. This one is really hard for me, especially since we've lived on so little money for so many years. I tend to keep things "just in case." I'm working on it. ;)
In Step 4, she really does single me out specifically as she discusses memorabilia overload and rubs my nose in my issues. She writes:
"Anything more than one chest of memorabilia becomes a millstone around our present, and to others it can seem just slightly creepily self-absorbed."
Haha! I love that quote! Here's another
"A single album displaying the best of your child's artwork and "journaling" from infant to graduate is charming; four boxes can be pathological for parent and child."
The final, and my favorite quote from this chapter is:
"Even Michelangelo's mother couldn't possibly have kept every random, youthful scrawl of stick figure floating next to a spiky sun." LOVE THAT!
The second half of the book goes through each room and has pictures of REALISTIC organization techniques. The home doesn't look straight-out-of-a-magazine-perfect and that's why I LOVE them. ;) Overall, this book really does go over the same information that other organization books have, but because of the three quotes I listed above, I'm giving it 5 stars. I know those will stick with me for a long time.
This one puts it into 5 "Fast and Furious" steps. Whoopie! The five steps are:
1.) Plan - Set a date (or multiple dates) and have the things you need on hand to organize.
2.) Weed and Sort - Pull out everything and take a good look to see if you really need it or if it logically belongs somewhere else.
3.) Remove - Either put the items where they should go or get it out of the house.
4.) Name - Set boundaries for the items.
5.) Containerize - Divide things up, if necessary.
One things I love that she pointed out is the pitfall many organizers fall into: the need for beauty above all else. We've all seen pictures in a magazine of a darling little set-up with rattan baskets perfectly lined up. But the reality is that if they are not named and labeled, you will grab every basket looking for the one you need! I completely agree with this and have waited a long time for organizers to call out their fellow organizers on this problem.
She says that the biggest pitfalls for weeding are that you will get rid of items that
1.) you may need someday down the road
2.) they are/were expensive
3.) they were gifts
4.) they are mementos
5.) they are beautiful, but are space hogs (ie fance serving plates, etc)
I have a real problem with #1 and #4. She points out that in organizing, you will get rid of things that you will someday probably need or want. Basically, just prepare yourself mentally for that day and don't kick yourself when that day comes. It's okay. You may buy duplicate items over the years. This one is really hard for me, especially since we've lived on so little money for so many years. I tend to keep things "just in case." I'm working on it. ;)
In Step 4, she really does single me out specifically as she discusses memorabilia overload and rubs my nose in my issues. She writes:
"Anything more than one chest of memorabilia becomes a millstone around our present, and to others it can seem just slightly creepily self-absorbed."
Haha! I love that quote! Here's another
"A single album displaying the best of your child's artwork and "journaling" from infant to graduate is charming; four boxes can be pathological for parent and child."
The final, and my favorite quote from this chapter is:
"Even Michelangelo's mother couldn't possibly have kept every random, youthful scrawl of stick figure floating next to a spiky sun." LOVE THAT!
The second half of the book goes through each room and has pictures of REALISTIC organization techniques. The home doesn't look straight-out-of-a-magazine-perfect and that's why I LOVE them. ;) Overall, this book really does go over the same information that other organization books have, but because of the three quotes I listed above, I'm giving it 5 stars. I know those will stick with me for a long time.
February 27, 2012
This book is sticking with me. Pinsky is an organization RADICAL, and while reading it I often just thought about how a little over the edge she is. Like, she thinks keeping more than four days of food or household supplies in your house at any given time is a total throwback to depression-era hoarding. FOUR DAYS, folks. And she means it. Having an extra container of salad dressing in your pantry is apparently totally cluttering up your life. I'm really not on board with the food thing. (What if you get the flu or there is a snowstorm?) But she means it, and because she is so hard core the principles sunk in. I rethought several kitchen cabinets and got rid of stuff that I hadn't used in years and that was making accessing things I use often very inconvenient. It has seriously improved my life. She emphasizes that you really do not need to be prepared for everything - you can be resourceful! If someday I need an angel food cake pan (even though I hate making angel food cake and will avoid making one for the rest of my life if possible), I will somehow get one. I can borrow one! Or buy one! I don't need to keep mine for some obscure, unlikely day. It's a fast, efficient book to read and the pictures are helpful and nice to look at.
July 20, 2013
Reading this book made me realize that I don't have a clutter problem since I moved to my current place, because I got rid of a tonne of stuff before moving, plus I bought a few very specific storage units. But I did think it made a lot of sense! I particularly liked her emphasis on quick and dirty, on using what you can find right now instead of waiting for the perfectly matching, Apartment-Therapy-approved wicker basket. She was weirdly dismissive of adults having any kind of hobbies, though.
June 15, 2022
This book was just what it said. It left out all the cute purchased matching covered containers, and fussy labels and told people that if you simplify and stop collecting and storing, your house will be calmer. And had lots of great real looking pictures. It seems her work with people with ADD led her to study what actually works instead of what looks nice on a social media account. I loved her pantry part where she emphasizes how close the grocery store is for the family, and notes that they go there three times a week anyway.
May 22, 2019
Useful if you're just starting out, but it gets repetitive and doesn't offer many detailed solutions. The "before" pictures look staged, and it's clearly meant for people with lots of (misused) space--not all that helpful for smaller spaces.
December 1, 2017
So many wonderful solutions! I found this book very inspirational.
January 25, 2019
Thisbwoman really gets the ADD persons struggles with organization. I recommend her first book Organization for ADD instead.
February 13, 2019
I love this book.
April 2, 2019
I got some really good ideas out of this. Hoping to keep making these changes to be more clutter-free and organized.
November 11, 2011
This book differs from similar ones I have read in that Susan Pinsky has developed a common-sense system which she a) explains in general terms, b) uses repeatedly in every single room in the house (with specific suggestions), and c) illustrates with full color before and after photos, room by room. if you read the book at all, you can't help but understand and internalize this system.
I am not dumb, but I do not take to decluttering and organizing easily. I need to see before and after, I need to read or hear the process. When I read the initial chapters in which she describes her system, I felt that she was talking down to me. I mean, this was a bit over-simplified, no? But when I went on to read through the rest of the book, I realized that this book was perfect for me. She used the same system, room after room, and applied it to the various situations you would be likely to find in each. No matter what excuse you have, if you read this book, you WILL know exactly what steps to take in every room. You will know what questions to ask, what do, and in what order to do it. Even when I don't rid myself of everything that I think I should, I know what questions to ask. I can imagine Susan over my shoulder asking me "When was the last time you wore that?" "And just how often do you use that?" "Exactly how many of those DO you have?" I understand what kind of containers to put things in, and what my storage should probably look like when I'm done. And even though I know I'm not doing as thorough a job as I would if she were here, I know I am doing a better job, with more confidence, than I would have done without this book. I love this book!
i still have a couple of chapters left to read. I have skimmed them already, but I'm saving the reading until I need more motivation for some more decluttering.
I am not dumb, but I do not take to decluttering and organizing easily. I need to see before and after, I need to read or hear the process. When I read the initial chapters in which she describes her system, I felt that she was talking down to me. I mean, this was a bit over-simplified, no? But when I went on to read through the rest of the book, I realized that this book was perfect for me. She used the same system, room after room, and applied it to the various situations you would be likely to find in each. No matter what excuse you have, if you read this book, you WILL know exactly what steps to take in every room. You will know what questions to ask, what do, and in what order to do it. Even when I don't rid myself of everything that I think I should, I know what questions to ask. I can imagine Susan over my shoulder asking me "When was the last time you wore that?" "And just how often do you use that?" "Exactly how many of those DO you have?" I understand what kind of containers to put things in, and what my storage should probably look like when I'm done. And even though I know I'm not doing as thorough a job as I would if she were here, I know I am doing a better job, with more confidence, than I would have done without this book. I love this book!
i still have a couple of chapters left to read. I have skimmed them already, but I'm saving the reading until I need more motivation for some more decluttering.
July 28, 2013
An organizing book changed my life? Yes! This is not a collection of organizing tips. It is a clear, 5 step system to uncluttering your house & keep it that way. In just over a month I had every room, every closet, every drawer, the attic & garage cleared free of clutter (& I've kept it that way for 2 years). It affects all aspects of your life- you shop better & bring home less junk. You have more time for relaxing because you are not stressing over where lost items are. Bills get paid on time because you are more efficient. Even though she doesn't mention it in her book, my grocery shopping & meal planning are excelling because I have a new, efficient way of thinking. Please read especially if you are a clutter bug & decluttering has never worked for you before.
October 15, 2011
This book really motivated me to get a move on with my household organizing! It simplifies the actions to take to get the job done, very easy to follow steps. Without this book I probably wouldn't have been so successful with cleaning/organizing my home. I'm glad I bought this book, it's good to reference back to (if ever in a organizing rut).
April 28, 2011
OK, this book really delivers. I am not kidding. Lots of great ideas, before and after pics, she tells and shows you exactly what hangers, hooks shelves, containers, etc that she uses. Of course the only problem is implementing all these great ideas.
December 20, 2011
I might need to buy it....
September 16, 2011
It was a different approach at organizing. I feel that combining these methods with other methods will definitely help someone clear clutter and avoid clutter.
February 23, 2015
Great before and after photos and simple step by step instructions for decluttering.
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