“Ready, Set, Organize! A Workbook for Organizationally Challenged” by Pipi Campbell Peterson with Mary Campbell is just what it claims to be – a book of helpful, entertaining, and quick tips for work and home.

If you are not organized, you do not want to read a long text about what to do. After all, you are most likely running out of time – that’s part of the problem! One thing I really liked about “Ready, Set, Organize!” is that it was a quick read. Being disorganized is a waste of time. This book takes no time at all to get tips that you can put into practice now.

If you like lists, you will especially like “Ready, set, organized!” The book contains numerous lists and charts to help you with your planning and organization. While you could just fill them out, I would recommend photocopying the pages and saving the book where you can make additional copies as needed. Or you may want to use the forms and text lists as guides for creating them on the computer so that you can print them out when needed, or even keep your planning on the computer entirely.

The book is organized with nine chapters divided into three parts. Each chapter is simple, direct, and relevant so you get organized right away. The first part focuses on taking the time to find time. It is planning before organization. This is a very important step. If you are someone who already writes down your priorities, your mission, and your goals, this part might not be as beneficial. There are more complete texts on these topics. However, if you have never completed exercises like these, please do so. This is a great little manual to get you started. Chapter one gets you thinking about what your priorities are, how you use your time, and determining what your goals and objectives are. Chapter two then goes on to determine what you want to accomplish with the yearly, monthly, and daily agendas. This leads to the third chapter, which focuses on using a planner to organize your days.

The second part focuses on your things. Chapter four lets you see what kind of belongings you have and what places you have to store them. And like the rest of the book, there are lists and ideas to help you. Chapter five covers a problem that many people seem to have with their clothing. There is no space to store them all! If your clothes are not organized, this chapter will help you! Chapter six deals with one of the messiest areas for almost everyone. The paper chase. Short chapter on creating files from stacks. There are entire books on this topic, so if you need more help, it is available. But this chapter will get you off to a good start and may be all you need.

The third part focuses on organizing your home. Chapter Seven will help you organize your home office for both personal and business activities. Chapter eight contains tips and ideas on how to organize children’s things and how you can get them to help you with organization. If you have children, here are some good tips. Chapter Nine is the last chapter and teaches you how to organize personal and family records, personal property, financial information, and your final wishes. Most of this chapter are forms and worksheets to help you get organized. Photocopy them or use them as guides and you can put your things in order.

Read this book and get organized today. It’s a quick read with lots of practical tips. It contains numerous lists and worksheets to help you. If you really want to succeed in life and make the most of your time, being organized is a must. This book will help you get started and, more importantly, keep you on track.