"But...it feels illegal to get rid of it!"

If you said that, you might be one of the gajillion people saving mountains of stuff "just in case." Forget magazine-worthy homes: even beginning to declutter after midlife can feel insurmountable-which is why everyone approaching fifty (or well beyond) should read this step-by-step organizing plan for the real world.

Did you know the average household contains 300,000 items? No wonder it feels like a monumental task to deal with: we are drowning in stuff, and no one more so than today's midlifers. Their kids have left behind all their sentimental childhood stuff, compounded by dealing with the heirlooms from their own parents-where do you start?

This book is not about minimalism or achieving some magazine-worthy home; it will help you change your mindsets about stuff so you can save sentimental things without drowning in them.

Author, professional organizer and decluttering coach Carrie Powell shares her step-by-step secrets to achieving freedom from stuff, so you are set up for success in senior years.