The Clutter Connection by Cassandra Aarssen

My review

4/5 stars

I've recently become pretty obsessed with Cassandra Aarssen and her Clutterbug philosophy. The idea is that there are four main types of organising, and knowing which one you are makes it easier for you to implement systems in your home that you'll actually maintain. I became familiar with the author's work on YouTube, now follow her on social media, and discovered that she has written a handful of books to support her ideas.

This one is a deep-dive into her Clutterbug idea, where she describes each of the four styles (Ladybug, Butterfly, Bee and Cricket) in detail and suggests ways to get started on organising your home in a way that makes sense to you. She even gives details on how two different "bugs" living under one roof (i.e. most couples) can compromise to find something that works for everyone.

The content in the book is all available on her other channels (I'd come across a lot of what she discussed in her YouTube videos) but it's nicely packaged in this short and digestible book. I listened to the audiobook and found the narrator (not the author, sadly) very easy to listen to, which helped with making everything feel very accessible. It's easy for a topic like organising your home to feel overwhelming, but the narrator had a nice tone in her voice that smoothed everything out.

Also helping things to feel less daunting is the way that the author has written about her theory. She's shown personal vulnerability by being honest about her struggles, both at the beginning of her journey and now, as she continues to help others. She doesn't shy away from the fact that her and her partner still disagree about how things should be done, or that she still has to pick up after her kids; she manages expectations about this being an ongoing process that has to be maintained rather than a one-off project.

There are lots of practical tips given throughout the book, but the author is very clear that she won't be telling anyone how to organise their homes because it's a very personal thing and everyone will want to do it differently regardless of their Clutterbug style (e.g. just because she's a Ladybug doesn't mean her systems will work for every Ladybug out there).

My personal favourite part of the book were the case studies she used to illustrate her points. They help to add context and make everything seem more relatable. I particularly enjoyed the story of the Cricket teacher who spent two months micro-organising all her materials.

A great introduction to anyone who is new to Cass's philosophy, and also a well-packaged reminder for anyone who wants to revisit the content in a different way.

Book blurb

An organization book for diverse habits. “You’re not messy, you just organize differently”. The Clutter Connection examines and explains the correlation between brain types and how they directly relate to organization and clutter. Cassandra Aarssen smashes the stereo–type that some people are “naturally messy” and offers readers insight and real-life solutions based on their unique personal organizing style. The Clutter Connection will help you get organized, be more productive and finally understand the why behind your clutter.

Individualized real life organizing. Organizing isn’t one size fits all. Let go of the preconceived and conventional notions of what organization looks like and finally discover what type Clutterbug you are. With self-awareness comes happiness, personal growth and lasting change.

The Clutter Connection examines:

The four different organizing styles and how they relate to each other
How motivation and happiness can be directly affected by our space
The “3P’s”─Productivity, procrastination and perfectionism and how they are connected to your unique organizing style
How you can finally become clutter-free simply by knowing yourself better

More...

You can buy the book here now. It was published by Mango.

For more on the author, you can head to her website, follow her on Instagram, or check out her Goodreads page.