Where's My Stuff?: The Ultimate Teen Organizing Guide

Upon looking at this book, the first impression it gives is “this is the offspring of a For Dummies book and a textbook.” The colours are very bright and reminiscent of a Microsoft Word template, the layout a little bit like a textbook that's trying to be hip and trendy. I can't say I like that much, but I also can't say I hate it: I just think maybe it's trying a little too hard to appeal to teens and in the process appealing a little more to preteens who want to feel like teens. I mean, the book even starts off talking about “the s word” – by which it actually means “stuff” and not the thing most of us assume.

That said, however, this book is quite useful in spite of its borderline-kitschy appearance (there's a lime green page with primary red writing and another with the exact inverse) and possibly trying a little too hard to be appealing (one section drones on about how kids these days have it so much worse than their parents because they have to keep track of digital files and not just physical notebooks). When you get past the subpar quiz, for which there are such limited and somewhat stereotypical answers that I often found myself unable to answer with complete honesty, this book provides tips on how to combat some of the most common issues which stand between teens (and in some cases people in general) and getting organized. In fact, one tip for using a repurposed tackle box to organize writing materials is one I used back in the mid-2000s when I was a teen! It felt nice to see something that I found super helpful get suggested for use in a organizational guide.

In addition to the methods of organization, this book offers a few tips on dealing with the overwhelming nature of having too much on one's mind, having a busy schedule, etc. I found these tips especially useful, even as an adult. That said, however, I imagine I'll never find the time to actually act on these tips... and I highly doubt most active youth will, either. It's one thing to suggest writing down and organizing all your thoughts and things you consider doing; it's another to actually have the time or energy for following through. But planners? Oh, yes, I plan (ha!) to make great use of the tips in that section. I've never understood how to make planners WORK, and with explanations and guides provided here I finally think I might understand a bit better. I sincerely think this will help me get my plethora of abandoned projects and last-minute appointments back in order. Hopefully. (Never know until you try, right?)

Overall, this is a somewhat overly stylized yet useful guide to learning how to organize, sort, plan, and otherwise try to be less overwhelmed by clutter of both mind and physical space. It's a quick and easy read which gets right to the point most of the time but doesn't leave too much guesswork. I strongly suggest getting a print copy instead of a digital copy, as it contains little worksheets where you're meant to write down your plans etc. while learning how to organize better.

(Note: I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest and voluntary review. The opinions in my review are mine alone.)