One of the perks of the dumpster fire that is 2020 is that I’ve had a chance to read more, something that had fallen by the wayside in the go-go-go that was our pre-Covid life. I decided to keep track of the books I finish this year (I’m up to 25 so far!) and have been enjoying everything from frilly beach reads (Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner) to celebrity gossip (Open Book by Jessica Simpson - I know, but if you’re an old millennial like me please just trust me on this one) to books about anti-racism and embracing the beautiful notion of doing less and breathing more.

I keep a shelf of organizing and decluttering books above my desk for inspiration or to look to when I’m feeling stuck on a project and thought I’d share some favorites here to add to your own 2020 reading list.

It’s worth noting that these are my personal favorites, so there may be some “industry standard” titles that (gasp) aren’t on the list - no shade, just the view from this professional organizer’s cozy little reading nook.

1. Simply Spaced by Monica Leed

The organizing world has gotten a little tricky lately in that there seems to be a level of unattainability creeping in, like if your cleaning products and cans of seltzer water aren’t all the same brand and arranged in rainbow order you’re doing it wrong. Monica does an amazing job of marrying style with substance, breaking down the process of how to deal with the Stuff first (including checklists and tear-out worksheets - swoon!) and then making it look beautiful in a way that’s both realistic and great motivation to keep up with those newly implemented systems.

2. The Home Decluttering Diet by Jennifer Lifford

This book in particular is one of my very favorites. The first few chapters are dedicated to finding your Why and some basic decluttering and organizing principles, followed by a super simple 30 Day Detox plan that includes specific, easy wins for each area of the home to get your decluttering mojo flowing. From there, the book is broken down into easy to navigate sections by room/area of the home, including tips for keeping a healthy “weight” (amount of stuff) in each space as well as some fun DIY storage projects.

3. Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin

Organizing is definitely not a one-size-fits-all approach, and this book does a great job in offering a lot of realistic “…and if that doesn’t work, try this!” options. There’s also an element of “organized enough” (nobody is giving out gold stars for meticulously arranging your Q-tips in a drawer) along with one of my favorite tips to pass along to clients, The One Minute Rule (if you can finish a task in less than one minute - sorting mail, hanging up coats and bags, tidying the bathroom countertop - just do it!). Not as chirpy and chatty as some of her other books, but I like that she cuts right to the point with simple and realistic To Dos.

4. Hot Mess: A Practical Guide to Getting Organized by Laurie Palau

Full disclosure: I know Laurie personally and consider her one of my business mentors. One of my favorite things about her is her no-BS, tell-it-like-it-is approach and it definitely translates to her book as well, in the best way. Laurie breaks down the different kinds of clutter that can gum up the works (calendar clutter is real, y’all…though maybe less so during a pandemic) and provides simple tips to help create ease while still embracing the fact that even the most organized among us are a little bit of a Hot Mess sometimes.

5. The Real Simple Method to Organizing Every Room: And How To Keep It That Way

If you’re like me and get a little giddy when the new issue of Real Simple shows up in the mailbox every month, you’ll love this one. Just like the magazine, it’s visually gorgeous, but grounded in the way that it breaks down tasks depending on how much time you may be able to allocate (an hour, a weekend, etc.). The “Keep It That Way” part is often the hardest, so I love that there are clear action steps to help with that part of the process.