Reading List

Many of my clients comment on how they miss the days of visiting their friends' homes and looking over the books they read to get a fun sense of the person. With that in mind, I thought it might be a fun way for you to know a little more about me. Here is a sample of what I enjoy reading and a bit about why I liked the book. Enjoy! 

Gretchen Rubin, Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter and Organize to Make Room for More Happiness

I've enjoyed Gretchen since The Happiness Project came out in 2009. I loved how in this book she suggests that maybe not every single area of your space has to be super neat and tidy. Ah ha! I immediately let my plastic container shelf go and haven't looked back! It doesn't bother me that they aren’t tidy. They all are on the shelf they should be, and most importantly, the door is closed. 

Margareta Magnusson, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to free yourself and your family from a lifetime of clutter 

“A loved one wishes to inherit nice things from you. Not all the things.” pg 33. I cannot say enough good things about this book and this idea. I thoroughly enjoy the idea of taking care of your own stuff and not leaving it to burden your loved one after you pass.  

Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing

I enjoyed the idea of sorting in order from clothes, books, paper, misc to sentimental though I have found it difficult to maintain that level of detail in the real world. In March 2024 even Marie herself noted that the time needed for this level of tidy is a lot, and living a joyful life is more important than having a perfect house. 

Dawn Noble, How to start a home based  professional organizing business

I was happy to have the guidance of this book so I am able to understand the business side of organizing. 

James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones

Being into self improvement, and living by the motto; Work Smarter, Not harder, this book is awesome. If you are seeking to make changes in your life let James Clear lead the way. 

David Tolin, Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee, Buried in Treasure: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving and Hoarding

This book came recommended by a client who was buried in treasure. It focuses on trying to take down the “bad guys” that lead you down the path of acquiring and teaching you how to reach out to the “good guys” to make better decisions when acquiring. I know for myself personally it is hard to take on any new stuff because I know eventually it will have to be dealt with. A good read with helpful tactics. 

Joseph Nguyen, Don’t believe everything you think: Why your thinking is the beginning and end of suffering

In personal growth, and within the space of organizing, it is important to know that change is constant. Nothing ever stays the same forever. The way we think about things is a direct reflection of our reality. The author believes our natural state of being is joy, love and fulfillment, but that we allow our thoughts to diminish our true nature. Our thoughts become things in our house. It's best to keep them to what we love most and can care for.

Brendon Burchard, The 6th Habits of Growth

What can I say? I love learning about motivation, focus, confidence, energy, purpose and leadership. It helps me live a” lighten up with Jill” kind of life. Brendon is a great storyteller and inspiring. I highly recommend anything by him. 

 Admiral William H. McRaven, Make your bed 

I listened to this audiobook with my teenage son on a road trip. We both decided that the insights within this 2 hour book are worth a listen. And yes, I always make my bed. 

Amee Quirconi, The Fearless Woman's Guide to Starting a Business 

  Amee changed the whole game for me. I was trying to start organizing for people and not getting very far when I listened to this book. After this book I immediately stopped working towards organizing, and started working on my confidence via Transformation Academy Life Coach Certification programs. Before The Fearless Woman's Guide I was not prepared and fearful, after, I had a solid plan and have been happier in organizing and life ever since.  

Robin Sharma, The 5AM Club

Love. Although I find the 5 am hour uninteresting, I learned so much from this book. It's long but it's good. This book taught me it is way more than okay not to do it all yourself. Learning is lifelong, and taking care of yourself is absolutely worth the effort.. High performance skills are taught not known. I really adhere to my Work Smarter, Not Harder motto.  

Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles, Ikigai  

What a fun book! If you haven't you should. Hey guess what my Ikigai is? Organizing and helping people live happier ,fulfilled, calmer, “lighten up with Jill” kind of life. What is your life purpose? Ikigai can help.

Dr BJ Miller and Soshana Berger, The Beginners Guide to the End: A Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death

Holding a Masters degree in Gerontology I am interested in the last period of life. Death is something that we all will do and there are ways to face this with intention, peace of mind, and clarity. There is a lot to know and do as we near the end, it is nice to know there is some sort of guide to help.  

Oonagh Duncan, Healthy as F*ck

A fun self help book that was recommended to me by a friend. I enjoyed the humor and the insight into creating a healthier me. 

Martha Beck, The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self

I really enjoyed this book and the way Martha intertwined The Divine Comedy into a hero's journey for the Self. She encourages us to know ourselves so that we may be free of suffering and live our best lives. 

Brene Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection 

Another book I was given by a dear friend was this gem. I have the propensity to be hard on myself and this book allowed me to see that not everything needs to be perfect to be good. Brene suggests compassion, courage and connection as a path to living our true self.  

Brene Brown, Rising Strong

In Brene I trust. Rising Strong is about learning from failure and being resilient enough to pick yourself up and go try again. Tis a good lesson, and read. 

Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found o the Pacific Crest Trail

An adventurous look at changing and healing. Love this book.

Brendon Bruchard, High performance habits: How Extraordinary People Become that Way  

Okay I am almost done with this one and have already learned so much. In Brendon I trust. He and his team have done the research and honed in on the skills needed to perform at high levels. Clarity, Energy, necessity, productivity, influence and courage. That's it. That's all you need. 

Darin Olien, Super Life 

I love the idea of being super healthy and this was good insight into what it takes to go ALL the way. I admire Darin's ability to take care of himself at such a high level. I will not however be distilling my own water to drink so there is that. 

Frank Herbert, Dune, Dune Messiah

So. Good. But what the heck? If you have read these I would love to discuss what the actual heck at the end of Messiah.