Simplify the task of getting
organized by minimizing what needs to be managed and organized. Eliminate these
five things and you’ll significantly decrease the input of stuff into your
life.
Showing posts with label clutter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label clutter. Show all posts
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Are You Ready To (Finally) Get Organized?
 Learn the tools that you need to get and stay organized. The four-part series of classes provides a fun, safe and creative environment in which to clear the clutter from your Mind, Home, Office and Life. These classes are offered as a series and build the skills that you need to create an organized life. Part One: The Mind This is the foundation class that focuses on clarity and choices. Learn greater self-awareness so you can consciously make decisions. Gain new insights to your clutter and learn how to view it without shame, guilt and blame. Part Two: The Home Our second class focuses on imagination, balance, order and placement. An orderly home provides us with the respite needed for balance and harmony. Learn how you can create a space unique to your sense of order that will bring you peace and joy. Part Three: The Office The third class focuses on organizing, prioritizing, storing and creating the system and technology that is right for you. Learn ways you can become more focused and productive in your work and home office. Many students report that the paper management skills learned in this class are invaluable. Part Four: Life The workshop concludes with a class that focuses on your relationship with time, honoring your values, the importance of self-care and living a balanced life. Learn how to use the workshop tools to live a more authentic life. All materials, a comprehensive workbook, support calls and snacks are included in the cost of the four three-hour classes: $300. The cost of the series is less than one-third of the cost of hiring Denise to help you with twelve hours of organizing! Enroll by March 17, 2011 and pay only $250. Enroll with a friend and you both receive another $25 off! Kick-Off Class: Sunday, March 27, 2011 1:30 - 4:30 P.M. Mark your calendars for the remaining classes of the series: April 17, May 22 and June 26 from 1:30 - 4:30 P.M. Where: Vitality Unlimited Spa (www.VitalityUnlimitedSpa.com)29 West Moody Ave. (in the rear meeting room) Webster Groves, Missouri 63119 Please Note: The classes are offered as a series, not as individual classes. If there is a conflict between one of the classes and your schedule please contact Denise. For more information please visit the Clear Spaces website (http://clearspaces.org/workshops.aspx) or call Denise at 314-956-2282. |
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
From The Land of Fun and Simplicity
Unclutterer is one of my favorite blogs. Their posts on simplifying and organizing are informative and inspiring. Plus the UniTask posts are great fun.
To my delight, the folks behind Unclutterer launched a new blog this year dedicated to ending meal-time stress. Brilliant! Let's face it - we all have to eat. And everyone I know is pretty busy. We can all use a little fun and simplicity when it comes to appeasing empty stomachs. Consider paying SimpliFried a visit: www.simplifried.com
If you haven't had the pleasure of reading Unclutterer, here is their link: www.unclutterer.com.
To my delight, the folks behind Unclutterer launched a new blog this year dedicated to ending meal-time stress. Brilliant! Let's face it - we all have to eat. And everyone I know is pretty busy. We can all use a little fun and simplicity when it comes to appeasing empty stomachs. Consider paying SimpliFried a visit: www.simplifried.com
If you haven't had the pleasure of reading Unclutterer, here is their link: www.unclutterer.com.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Stop Clutter From Stealing Your Life
I recently read the new edition of Stop Clutter From Stealing Your Life: Discover Why You Clutter and How You Can Stop by Mike Nelson. Nelson’s book offers explanations for why people clutter and strategies to stop cluttering. While Nelson did a lot of research for his book, what distinguishes it from many other books on organizing is his account of his efforts to declutter. It is his experience that gives this book a very genuine and hopeful quality.
Nelson is very open in his book about his history as a clutterer. He describes how he collected vast and varied items that filled his spaces yet did nothing to fill the emotional holes in his life. “Clutter is the symptom. Recognizing and changing the reason for our cluttering are the solutions.”
Types of clutterers are identified early in the book along with specific emotional and practical solutions for each type. Nelson distinguishes hoarding from cluttering.; although cluttering and hoarding share many symptoms and pain. Contrary to what the popular media seems to depict, hoarding is not common and effects a small percentage of the population.
Facing one’s emotions is essential for the effects of decluttering to be long lasting. It will take time but making progress always does. Nelson offers several tools to help develop a less cluttered life. Journaling, identifying and working with one’s learning style, and understanding one’s personality are among them.
The bumpy road of change does not happen overnight. But for those undertake the challenge there are rewards: greater self-esteem, inner strength, greater satisfaction and a less cluttered life. If you feel as though you are trapped by your clutter, read this book. If someone in your life is trapped by clutter, read this book. Mike Nelson does a very good job in showing you how you can make the changes you need to set yourself free.
Monday, March 29, 2010
SOS! Organizing When Visual Reminders Are Needed
“I need lots of reminders where I can see them. How can I keep things organized but still keep things out where I can see them? If I don’t see something I will forget about it.”
Let’s start off with a little experiment. Turn on the radio and leave it on. Turn on the stereo with your favorite CD and leave it on. Turn on the news. Can you make out what the headline stories are? Can you understand the words of your favorite song’s refrain? Can you tell when a commercial comes on the radio? With everything bombarding your senses, discerning individual details is difficult at best.
This experiment is analogous to the effect of leaving everything out as a reminder. Leaving everything out creates a lot of visual “noise.” The noise prevents any specific thing from alerting you – ironic considering the intent of leaving things out is to act as a reminder.
Leaving everything out is counter productive and memory by itself is untrustworthy. What’s needed is a system of reminders that alert a person at the right time. The system needs to be easy to use so the reminders can be entered quickly and consistently. The system needs to be easily gotten so it’s accessible to everyone.
The tool of this system is the planner. A planner is more than a calendar. A planner provides its owner a place to integrate tasks, objectives and goals with the calendar. The planner has a place to record daily to-do lists. Need to renew your driver’s license? Put it in your planner. Need to fill out an application? Put that task in your planner. The planner becomes the one place to record what needs to get done It’s simpler to have one place to check than an entire tabletop.
The planner is just one part of the system. The other parts are to provide homes for the planner. plus the items that are sitting out and to set up a routine of consulting and using the planner. Designate a spot to put the planner when you are at home and in the office. Nothing else belongs in the planner’s home but the planner.Having a specific home for things eliminates guesswork. Carry the “homes” principle to the papers you need to act on. An action file is a great place to file them. I’ve written about action files before: Organize Bill Paying.
To develop a routine of using the planner, leave it open so you can see what is recorded. Establish several times during the day to check the planner: morning, lunch and evening, for example. Carry it with you when you go to appointments. When the planner is your constant companion then you always have your reminders with you organized in a way that is doable rather than overwhelming.
One planner can replace a whole tabletop of reminders -- making your space a lot more clear and peaceful and your to-dos a lot easier to get done.
Karol has nominated the Leukemia Society for the charity drawing.
Let’s start off with a little experiment. Turn on the radio and leave it on. Turn on the stereo with your favorite CD and leave it on. Turn on the news. Can you make out what the headline stories are? Can you understand the words of your favorite song’s refrain? Can you tell when a commercial comes on the radio? With everything bombarding your senses, discerning individual details is difficult at best.
This experiment is analogous to the effect of leaving everything out as a reminder. Leaving everything out creates a lot of visual “noise.” The noise prevents any specific thing from alerting you – ironic considering the intent of leaving things out is to act as a reminder.
Leaving everything out is counter productive and memory by itself is untrustworthy. What’s needed is a system of reminders that alert a person at the right time. The system needs to be easy to use so the reminders can be entered quickly and consistently. The system needs to be easily gotten so it’s accessible to everyone.
The tool of this system is the planner. A planner is more than a calendar. A planner provides its owner a place to integrate tasks, objectives and goals with the calendar. The planner has a place to record daily to-do lists. Need to renew your driver’s license? Put it in your planner. Need to fill out an application? Put that task in your planner. The planner becomes the one place to record what needs to get done It’s simpler to have one place to check than an entire tabletop.
The planner is just one part of the system. The other parts are to provide homes for the planner. plus the items that are sitting out and to set up a routine of consulting and using the planner. Designate a spot to put the planner when you are at home and in the office. Nothing else belongs in the planner’s home but the planner.Having a specific home for things eliminates guesswork. Carry the “homes” principle to the papers you need to act on. An action file is a great place to file them. I’ve written about action files before: Organize Bill Paying.
To develop a routine of using the planner, leave it open so you can see what is recorded. Establish several times during the day to check the planner: morning, lunch and evening, for example. Carry it with you when you go to appointments. When the planner is your constant companion then you always have your reminders with you organized in a way that is doable rather than overwhelming.
One planner can replace a whole tabletop of reminders -- making your space a lot more clear and peaceful and your to-dos a lot easier to get done.
Karol has nominated the Leukemia Society for the charity drawing.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Kaizen and Organization
A blog post by Tim McMahon in his "A Lean Journey: The Quest for True North" inspired me to resurrect this newspaper article that I wrote two months ago. In it I write about Kaizen from the perspective of a professional organizer. In Tim McMahon's post, "Organizing for Dummies" he writes about organizing from the perspective of a professional in manufacturing who is knowledgeable in kaizen.
After World War II, the American War Department brought experts in industry to Japan to help its recovery. The experts used statistical control methods to improve design, quality, testing and sales. These methods contributed what was to become kaizen.
Kaizen is a philosophy that focuses on continuous, incremental improvements that will result in the elimination of waste and inefficiency. Although kaizen typically applies to manufacturing and business management, it can easily be applied to life in general. In particular I find the kaizen 5S framework succinctly describes good organization.
Seiri or Sort. Eliminate what is unnecessary. Do things in the proper order.
Seiton or Set in Order. Provide a home for everything. Those items that are especially useful should be easily located where they are used. Other items can be stored. Label everything to avoid confusion.
Seiso or Shine. Return items to their place when finished with them. At the end of the day, tidy your space. Cleanliness is a routine activity rather than an exceptional activity.
Seiketsu or Standardize. Create consistent routines that accomplish much with little effort. Aim for best practices and keep items operating in their best possible fashion. Insure that all members of the team know their responsibilities and how to carry them out.
Shisuke or Sustain. Muster the discipline to maintain the processes and just as important, reflect upon the process to bring about improvements.
Organization is best accomplished when the process to achieve it is continuously applied, which is the focus of kaizen. After all, a disorganized space does not occur overnight. It is just as important to emphasis that the process is not static.
Our lives are constantly changing so it makes sense that the framework to maintain order requires discipline and flexibility. The 5S framework of kaizen accommodates change by routinely reflecting upon the process through shisuke.
In manufacturing, increased efficiency and decreased waste lead to an improved bottom line. In our personal lives increased efficiency and decreased waste can lead to more time for important activities, such as family time, and more recreation – which in turn lead to greater satisfaction. In both the business and personal worlds, Kaizen’s 5S framework provides the organization needed to obtain desired goals.
After World War II, the American War Department brought experts in industry to Japan to help its recovery. The experts used statistical control methods to improve design, quality, testing and sales. These methods contributed what was to become kaizen.
Kaizen is a philosophy that focuses on continuous, incremental improvements that will result in the elimination of waste and inefficiency. Although kaizen typically applies to manufacturing and business management, it can easily be applied to life in general. In particular I find the kaizen 5S framework succinctly describes good organization.
Seiri or Sort. Eliminate what is unnecessary. Do things in the proper order.
Seiton or Set in Order. Provide a home for everything. Those items that are especially useful should be easily located where they are used. Other items can be stored. Label everything to avoid confusion.
Seiso or Shine. Return items to their place when finished with them. At the end of the day, tidy your space. Cleanliness is a routine activity rather than an exceptional activity.
Seiketsu or Standardize. Create consistent routines that accomplish much with little effort. Aim for best practices and keep items operating in their best possible fashion. Insure that all members of the team know their responsibilities and how to carry them out.
Shisuke or Sustain. Muster the discipline to maintain the processes and just as important, reflect upon the process to bring about improvements.
Organization is best accomplished when the process to achieve it is continuously applied, which is the focus of kaizen. After all, a disorganized space does not occur overnight. It is just as important to emphasis that the process is not static.
Our lives are constantly changing so it makes sense that the framework to maintain order requires discipline and flexibility. The 5S framework of kaizen accommodates change by routinely reflecting upon the process through shisuke.
In manufacturing, increased efficiency and decreased waste lead to an improved bottom line. In our personal lives increased efficiency and decreased waste can lead to more time for important activities, such as family time, and more recreation – which in turn lead to greater satisfaction. In both the business and personal worlds, Kaizen’s 5S framework provides the organization needed to obtain desired goals.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Stump the Organizer Saturday! Packaging Clutter
"This might seem like a trivial problem but it's driving a wedge between my husband and me. What do you do with all of the boxes for the electronics and toys? I want to throw them away but my husband says we have to keep them. If something breaks it has to be shipped back in the original packaging. Is that true? How do people keep all of those boxes? Thanks for your help and our charity is any animal rescue."
Thanks for your question Sandy. Actually, the question of what to do with the original packaging is pretty common one for organizers. I imagine after the holidays there is a lot of packaging cluttering up people's homes. The problem can be solved with a little research on your part and a marker.
The first step is to read the warranty literature for the product. Does the warranty explicitly state that a product must be shipped back in the original packaging? No? Then toss that packaging in an environmentally responsible fashion. By the way, shipping stores like the UPS Store will recycle Styrofoam peanuts.
If the warranty does indeed state that the product must be shipped in the original packaging, the next piece of information you need is the length of the manufacturer's warranty - also in the warranty literature. Next extrapolate the warranty expiration date from the purchase date. For example, if you bought a cordless phone on 12/1/09 and the length of the manufacturer's warranty is ninety days, then the warranty will expire on 3/1/10. Write "Expiration Date" and the expiration date on the exterior of the original packaging. Store that box in some out-of-the-way location. Attics and basements are great places to store this sort of thing.
When you happen to be in the storage area and you see boxes with past expiration dates, you can in good conscience dispose of them. Writing the expiration date on the box is the key to keeping the packaging just long enough.
If the warranty does not indicate retaining the original packaging, then you have the option of asking a shipper to package the product for you, if needed. Shippers are experts at safe packaging. Of course if space is not an issue in your home, you can save the original packaging - just remember to use the expiration date.
The next logical question is what to do with the paperwork. Here are some options:
* Tape the purchase receipt to the warranty and file it all in your "Warranties & Manuals" file.
* Write the purchase date on the warranty which is filed in the "Warranties & Manuals" file. File the purchase receipt in the "Tax Deductible Equipment or Supplies" file (if you can deduct the product from your taxes) or in the appropriate month file. If you file the receipt separately from the warranty, write down the name of the item on the receipt. It will easy to locate the exact receipt if it is labeled. Also make sure that your purge schedule for your files is after the warranty expiration date.
I hope this information removes the wedge and the excess packaging clutter from your lives, Sandy.
Stumped by an organizing dilemma? Send an SOS! Email your question to me for our Stump the Organizer Saturday! post. Also send the name of your favorite charity which will be entered in our end of year drawing for a $25 donation.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Are You Ready To Get (And Stay) Organized?
Join Professional Organizer and owner of Clear Spaces, Denise Lee, for her 4-class series, Letting Go and Lightening Up – In Your Mind, Your Home, Your Office and Your Life.
By combining organizing systems with life-guiding principles, Denise will help you make conscious choices about what to let go of, what to keep and where to put it.
If “getting organized” has been a struggle for you, this workshop will empower you to create the lasting change you desire.
All materials, a comprehensive workbook, support calls and snack are included in the cost of the four three-hour classes: $300.
Early Bird Special: Enroll by February 1 and pay only $250. Enroll with a friend and you both receive another $50 off!
KICK-OFF CLASS:
Saturday, February 20
1:30 – 4:30 P.M.
The remaining classes of the series will be held on
March 20, April 17 and May 15 from 1:30 – 4:30 P.M.
WHERE:
Vitality Unlimited Spa (www.VitalityUnlimitedSpa.com)
29 West Moody Ave.
(in the rear meeting room)
Webster Groves, Missouri 63119
TO ENROLL:
Call Denise at 314-956-2282 or email Denise@clearspaces.org
For more information visit www.ClearSpaces.org or www.LettingGoandLighteningUp.com
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Is Your Fridge Clutter Sabotaging A Healthy Diet?
One of my personal goals for 2010 is to improve my health with healthier meals and more enjoyable, vigorous activity. I am certain that millions of people have the same goal. One of the easiest ways to focus on healthier meals is to be sure your fridge, freezer and pantry have the ingredients to create healthy meals.Organizing the kitchen for efficiency, making healthy choices, and planning meals (and snacks!) nourish the goal of creating healthier meals (I couldn't resist the pun!).
Organizing the kitchen for efficiency is the subject for today, specifically the fridge. When was the last time you gave your fridge a thorough clean-out? This is a great time to open that fridge door and start tossing the junk food, the holiday food, the science experiments and the "what on earth was I thinking?" stuff. You want to eliminate the clutter and keep the food that is healthy and fresh.
Now let's organize that fridge. An organized fridge is more accessible and easier to work with than a fridge that has its contents thrown in without rhyme or reason. For information about organizing the fridge, I am directing you to "Let's Get Cookin'" blogger, Carla. Carla wrote a great post on organizing the fridge. I hope you enjoy it and the rest of her blog: http://cakescraps.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/organizing-your-fridge/.
In addition to gaining an organized fridge, you will undoubtedly find a few good recipes to try on Carla's blog. Organizing the pantry and meal plans are the subjects for subsequent Clear Spaces posts.
Happy de-cluttering!
Organizing the kitchen for efficiency is the subject for today, specifically the fridge. When was the last time you gave your fridge a thorough clean-out? This is a great time to open that fridge door and start tossing the junk food, the holiday food, the science experiments and the "what on earth was I thinking?" stuff. You want to eliminate the clutter and keep the food that is healthy and fresh.
Now let's organize that fridge. An organized fridge is more accessible and easier to work with than a fridge that has its contents thrown in without rhyme or reason. For information about organizing the fridge, I am directing you to "Let's Get Cookin'" blogger, Carla. Carla wrote a great post on organizing the fridge. I hope you enjoy it and the rest of her blog: http://cakescraps.wordpress.com/2010/01/02/organizing-your-fridge/.
In addition to gaining an organized fridge, you will undoubtedly find a few good recipes to try on Carla's blog. Organizing the pantry and meal plans are the subjects for subsequent Clear Spaces posts.
Happy de-cluttering!
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Got Hazardous Clutter?
St. Louis County Residents! Do you have old paint cans, cans of insecticide, broken thermometers, florescent light bulbs, and other nasty stuff in your home?
Rejoice because you can get rid of that nasty clutter this Saturday (6/6/09) in an environmentally responsible way. St. Louis County will be at the South County Mall between 8:30 and 3:00 to take that clutter off your hands. Go to the parking lot south of Dillards and Sears. Visit http://www.co.st-louis.mo.us/DOH/waste/waste_mg.html for more information.
I'm sure my followers outside of St. Louis County are wondering where they can dispose of their hazardous items. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources may provide you with the information you seek. Go to http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp/hhw/hhw.htm for more information.
Rejoice because you can get rid of that nasty clutter this Saturday (6/6/09) in an environmentally responsible way. St. Louis County will be at the South County Mall between 8:30 and 3:00 to take that clutter off your hands. Go to the parking lot south of Dillards and Sears. Visit http://www.co.st-louis.mo.us/DOH/waste/waste_mg.html for more information.
I'm sure my followers outside of St. Louis County are wondering where they can dispose of their hazardous items. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources may provide you with the information you seek. Go to http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp/hhw/hhw.htm for more information.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Can Decluttering Help Me Lose Weight?
You’ve tried the Grapefruit Diet, The Kelp-Cider Vinegar-B6-Lecithin Diet, the Low-Fat Diet, the Low-Carb Diet, and about a million other diets. The results have been pretty disappointing. But recent literature suggests weight-loss may be possible by shifting your focus from what you eat -- to your clutter.
In early February Peter Walsh released his new book,Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?. Peter Walsh is a highly respected professional organizer and motivational speaker who appears on TLC’s Clean Sweep and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? is Walsh’s third book on organizing. In it he continues the message from his second book, It’s All Too Much: the issue with clutter is not the stuff per se, the issue is it blocks us from the life we envision. That vision not only includes the home, but our bodies as well. Walsh believes that emotional decluttering, physical decluttering and body decluttering are tied together.
Body decluttering is the subject of another book that was first released in 2005. Marla Cilley and Leanne Ely propose in Body Clutter that emotional decluttering is the premise for good self-care. Through her persona, Flylady, Marla Cilley has helped thousands of people declutter their way to a more peaceful and welcoming home. Body Clutter encourages readers to examine their lives and declutter the unhealthy habits and emotions that contribute to poor self-care and over-eating.
For Walsh, Cilley and Ely emotions are inextricably linked to clutter. Experts in hoarding behavior David Tolin, Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee agree. Success in dealing with hoarding behaviors has a firm foundation in the success of therapy. Of course, most people are not dealing with hoarding behaviors. A few piles of papers or an over-stuffed closet may be the extent of most people’s clutter.
While emotional issues may not be the cause of the average person’s clutter, look at the language that is used to describe it: frustrating, irritating, embarrassing and overwhelming. Arguably the emotional tie that we have with our clutter can make it tougher to tackle. But when people deal with their clutter they feel good. The energy that is invested in decluttering can spill over into other areas of one’s life – including health issues.
The president of the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD), Lynne Johnson, was interviewed by New York Times reporter Tara Parker-Pope for her January 1, 2008 article “A Clutter Too Deep For Mere Bins And Shelves.” Johnson acknowledged the link between decluttering and weight-loss and offered her observation that dealing with one’s clutter and dealing with one’s weight are often “…part of the same life-change decision.”
While decluttering your home may not cause you to lose weight, it is a commitment to bettering your life. I believe that when people are unburdened by clutter they find hope, and hope by its very nature is transforming. Hope can empower us to face our challenges with confidence – including the challenge of weight-loss.
In early February Peter Walsh released his new book,Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?. Peter Walsh is a highly respected professional organizer and motivational speaker who appears on TLC’s Clean Sweep and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? is Walsh’s third book on organizing. In it he continues the message from his second book, It’s All Too Much: the issue with clutter is not the stuff per se, the issue is it blocks us from the life we envision. That vision not only includes the home, but our bodies as well. Walsh believes that emotional decluttering, physical decluttering and body decluttering are tied together.
Body decluttering is the subject of another book that was first released in 2005. Marla Cilley and Leanne Ely propose in Body Clutter that emotional decluttering is the premise for good self-care. Through her persona, Flylady, Marla Cilley has helped thousands of people declutter their way to a more peaceful and welcoming home. Body Clutter encourages readers to examine their lives and declutter the unhealthy habits and emotions that contribute to poor self-care and over-eating.
For Walsh, Cilley and Ely emotions are inextricably linked to clutter. Experts in hoarding behavior David Tolin, Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee agree. Success in dealing with hoarding behaviors has a firm foundation in the success of therapy. Of course, most people are not dealing with hoarding behaviors. A few piles of papers or an over-stuffed closet may be the extent of most people’s clutter.
While emotional issues may not be the cause of the average person’s clutter, look at the language that is used to describe it: frustrating, irritating, embarrassing and overwhelming. Arguably the emotional tie that we have with our clutter can make it tougher to tackle. But when people deal with their clutter they feel good. The energy that is invested in decluttering can spill over into other areas of one’s life – including health issues.
The president of the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD), Lynne Johnson, was interviewed by New York Times reporter Tara Parker-Pope for her January 1, 2008 article “A Clutter Too Deep For Mere Bins And Shelves.” Johnson acknowledged the link between decluttering and weight-loss and offered her observation that dealing with one’s clutter and dealing with one’s weight are often “…part of the same life-change decision.”
While decluttering your home may not cause you to lose weight, it is a commitment to bettering your life. I believe that when people are unburdened by clutter they find hope, and hope by its very nature is transforming. Hope can empower us to face our challenges with confidence – including the challenge of weight-loss.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Perhaps you’ve read about it in magazines or seen it mentioned on the TV. Without a doubt, Feng Shui has captured the public’s interest. So what exactly is Feng Shui, and why should you be interested in it?
Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) examines how energy flows in our environment and how objects and their placement affect that energy flow. Feng Shui also examines how the environment affects our personal energy flow. In turn our personal energy flow affects how we feel, think, act, perform, and ultimately succeed. Furthermore, with Feng Shui we can influence the energy flow for specific benefits in our life and to achieve harmony and balance in our environment.
At this point it is important to say what Feng Shui is not. It is not a religion, nor magic, nor a superstitious belief system. Feng Shui is not a “New Age” phenomenon – it has been practiced in China for thousands of years.
As with any ancient practice, regional areas gave rise to different ways of understanding the interaction of the environment and humans and to different techniques to affect the chi – the life energy. The regional differences formalized into the different schools. In the western world Black Hat, also known as Black Sect Feng Shui, is the most commonly practiced school.
Black Hat stresses that the organization of objects and the orientation of the space affect us according to their proximity to us – our most immediate surroundings affect us the most. Other schools of Feng Shui rely on directional energies, horoscopes, and astrology. Black Hat uses the bagua, or Feng Shui Octagon, to analyze the energy of a room, the house and the lot. The bagua is always aligned with the space’s entrance rather than north. Black Hat’s use of intention to increase the affects of Feng Shui cures is another point of departure from other Feng Shui schools.
The bagua maps the life energies to different areas of life through relative positioning. Align the bottom of bagua below so that it is parallel to the space’s main entrance. Objects in the different areas of the space will affect the corresponding Life Area.
(The blogger edits do not allow proper formatting so pay attention to the position statements in the parenthesis. Imagine each Life Area occupying a cell in a 3X3 grid)
Wealth(upper, left corner) Reputation (upper, middle) Relationships (upper, right)
Family (middle, left) Health (center) Kids, Creativity (middle, right)
Knowledge (bottom, left) Career (bottom, middle) Helpful People (bottom, right)
One of the guiding principles of Feng Shui is to avoid clutter. Clutter stagnates energy. Clutter can be defined as anything that you do not like or do not use, more items than the space can accommodate, items that are disorganized, and unfinished or broken items. So if you have clutter in your Health Area, you may be experiencing ill health. In the case of clutter, the Feng Shui cure is simple: remove it!
It is often the case that my clients complain of feeling stuck when we first begin our work. After some healthy sessions of decluttering, aspects of their lives that were problematic seem to smooth out. Suddenly, they are more energized and enthusiastic about their lives. According to the principles of Feng Shui the clutter that once trapped the energy has been removed so the energy can flow freely now.
Try a little decluttering in an area of your home and watch how it affects the corresponding Life Aspect. If nothing else, you will be proud of your decluttering efforts. At best you will see improvements in your life.
Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) examines how energy flows in our environment and how objects and their placement affect that energy flow. Feng Shui also examines how the environment affects our personal energy flow. In turn our personal energy flow affects how we feel, think, act, perform, and ultimately succeed. Furthermore, with Feng Shui we can influence the energy flow for specific benefits in our life and to achieve harmony and balance in our environment.
At this point it is important to say what Feng Shui is not. It is not a religion, nor magic, nor a superstitious belief system. Feng Shui is not a “New Age” phenomenon – it has been practiced in China for thousands of years.
As with any ancient practice, regional areas gave rise to different ways of understanding the interaction of the environment and humans and to different techniques to affect the chi – the life energy. The regional differences formalized into the different schools. In the western world Black Hat, also known as Black Sect Feng Shui, is the most commonly practiced school.
Black Hat stresses that the organization of objects and the orientation of the space affect us according to their proximity to us – our most immediate surroundings affect us the most. Other schools of Feng Shui rely on directional energies, horoscopes, and astrology. Black Hat uses the bagua, or Feng Shui Octagon, to analyze the energy of a room, the house and the lot. The bagua is always aligned with the space’s entrance rather than north. Black Hat’s use of intention to increase the affects of Feng Shui cures is another point of departure from other Feng Shui schools.
The bagua maps the life energies to different areas of life through relative positioning. Align the bottom of bagua below so that it is parallel to the space’s main entrance. Objects in the different areas of the space will affect the corresponding Life Area.
(The blogger edits do not allow proper formatting so pay attention to the position statements in the parenthesis. Imagine each Life Area occupying a cell in a 3X3 grid)
Wealth(upper, left corner) Reputation (upper, middle) Relationships (upper, right)
Family (middle, left) Health (center) Kids, Creativity (middle, right)
Knowledge (bottom, left) Career (bottom, middle) Helpful People (bottom, right)
One of the guiding principles of Feng Shui is to avoid clutter. Clutter stagnates energy. Clutter can be defined as anything that you do not like or do not use, more items than the space can accommodate, items that are disorganized, and unfinished or broken items. So if you have clutter in your Health Area, you may be experiencing ill health. In the case of clutter, the Feng Shui cure is simple: remove it!
It is often the case that my clients complain of feeling stuck when we first begin our work. After some healthy sessions of decluttering, aspects of their lives that were problematic seem to smooth out. Suddenly, they are more energized and enthusiastic about their lives. According to the principles of Feng Shui the clutter that once trapped the energy has been removed so the energy can flow freely now.
Try a little decluttering in an area of your home and watch how it affects the corresponding Life Aspect. If nothing else, you will be proud of your decluttering efforts. At best you will see improvements in your life.
Monday, December 04, 2006
What Does Your Car Say About You?
In her book Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, Karen Kingston, states “The state of most people’s cars is a real giveaway as to their state of clutterdom.” From my experience as an organizer I must agree. Often my clients who are dealing with epic battles of clutter in their home continue the battles in their cars. Considering how much time Americans spend in their cars, that is a lot of time spent stewing in clutter. If you find yourself apologizing for the state of your car when giving someone a ride, clutter is rudely infringing on your life. Clutter steals your energy, and it can actually lower your self-esteem. The antidote is obvious: declutter your car and give yourself a fresh environment in which to commute.
Decluttering a car is fairly simple compared to decluttering a home. Cars are small so the quantity of clutter is limited. The range of items in a car is typically fairly small since our activities in the car are somewhat limited. Because car decluttering takes relatively little effort, the quick results can provide excellent motivation for the next decluttering project.
Empty the car of all of the items that belong elsewhere. Use a basket or a bag to collect the items, but don’t put them away until the basket is full or you are finished. Then take your car to your favorite car wash and dispose of any trash in your car. Give the interior a good vacuuming, and then head for the wash. Wipe down the inside of the glass with a lint-free rag and glass cleaner, and wipe down the vinyl or leather with an appropriate, gentle cleanser. Personally, I like baby wipes because they are safe enough for a baby’s skin but they really pick up a lot of dirt – and the smell is lovely.
Consider replacing the carpet mats with new rubber mats from the automotive shop. Rubber mats withstand slushy feet so much better than the carpet mats, plus a rubber mat can be used to kneel on should you need to change a tire in the snow. Automotive shops also sell terrific upholstery cleansers made just for cars. I have had great luck with these cleansers; especially when my son decided to see what would happen when you open a shaken-up can of cola in the car. It was not pretty.
Now that the car is clean, use a little preventative maintenance to keep it that way. One rule that helps my family is the “what goes in, must come out” rule. If you bring it into the car, take it out of the car. Remind your children when you get home to bring in their items. A post-note on the steering wheel is a gentle reminder if your memory needs a little boost. In a month or so, the “what goes in must come out” rule will be habit.
Take advantage of the trash bins next to the gas pumps: when you fuel your car, empty any trash from your car. By the way, in this cold weather it is especially important to keep the fuel tank at least half-full at all times. You won’t panic about emptying the tank should you get caught in a traffic jam, and you’re less likely to get ice in the fuel lines. While you are at it check the tire pressure and windshield wiper fluid levels too. It’s pretty scary to get sprayed with a muddy, slushy mess only to discover that you’re out of windshield wiper fluid.
Assign the car-cleaning task to a day of the week. Done routinely, it takes little time to wash and vacuum. Never again will you have to apologize to a passenger about the state of your car. A little decluttering and a few routines and you reap the good feelings that come from driving a clean car.
Decluttering a car is fairly simple compared to decluttering a home. Cars are small so the quantity of clutter is limited. The range of items in a car is typically fairly small since our activities in the car are somewhat limited. Because car decluttering takes relatively little effort, the quick results can provide excellent motivation for the next decluttering project.
Empty the car of all of the items that belong elsewhere. Use a basket or a bag to collect the items, but don’t put them away until the basket is full or you are finished. Then take your car to your favorite car wash and dispose of any trash in your car. Give the interior a good vacuuming, and then head for the wash. Wipe down the inside of the glass with a lint-free rag and glass cleaner, and wipe down the vinyl or leather with an appropriate, gentle cleanser. Personally, I like baby wipes because they are safe enough for a baby’s skin but they really pick up a lot of dirt – and the smell is lovely.
Consider replacing the carpet mats with new rubber mats from the automotive shop. Rubber mats withstand slushy feet so much better than the carpet mats, plus a rubber mat can be used to kneel on should you need to change a tire in the snow. Automotive shops also sell terrific upholstery cleansers made just for cars. I have had great luck with these cleansers; especially when my son decided to see what would happen when you open a shaken-up can of cola in the car. It was not pretty.
Now that the car is clean, use a little preventative maintenance to keep it that way. One rule that helps my family is the “what goes in, must come out” rule. If you bring it into the car, take it out of the car. Remind your children when you get home to bring in their items. A post-note on the steering wheel is a gentle reminder if your memory needs a little boost. In a month or so, the “what goes in must come out” rule will be habit.
Take advantage of the trash bins next to the gas pumps: when you fuel your car, empty any trash from your car. By the way, in this cold weather it is especially important to keep the fuel tank at least half-full at all times. You won’t panic about emptying the tank should you get caught in a traffic jam, and you’re less likely to get ice in the fuel lines. While you are at it check the tire pressure and windshield wiper fluid levels too. It’s pretty scary to get sprayed with a muddy, slushy mess only to discover that you’re out of windshield wiper fluid.
Assign the car-cleaning task to a day of the week. Done routinely, it takes little time to wash and vacuum. Never again will you have to apologize to a passenger about the state of your car. A little decluttering and a few routines and you reap the good feelings that come from driving a clean car.
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