The Easiest Organization Method I Know

I am not naturally organized.

And I don't care.

I have other talents.

But I do sometimes envy those OCD folks because, oy, organization is SO SO SO SO SO important to feng shui.

I do my best.  And I must say, I've come a long way since being the messiest roommate in the college suite.

Of course, in my weaker moments, when I have let things go a bit, I cough it up to my creative energy or right-brainedness or whatever mumbo-jumbo…
…and it's true, my strengths are there (even in mumbo-jumbo)…and I'm not going to fight that, because I'm lucky in that regard…but still….

…if you know anything about feng shui, you know that it's a total COP OUT to not get organized, no matter what side of your brain you tend to favor.

Don't COP OUT, People!  I have help for you!!!   And it's easy as 1-2-3.   Literally.  Yay!

My feng shui teacher, Sharon Stasney, (look up her books), taught us this method.   It works for creatives and neat freaks alike.

Here it is.  Dun, dun, duuunnnn….

Sometimes a scary word, huh?  PRIORITIES.    

Not this time.

This time, it's gonna save yo' little fanny!

The PRIORITY SYSTEM:

---Priority 1 items are the things you use almost every day and are placed in the most accessible places.  The most accessible places may be your desktop, your countertop, or next to the sink in your bathroom, or the top of your nightstand.  The ONLY things that should be in this highly accessible places are things you use frequently!!!

(Note:  All these kitchen photos are a Real Simple Real-Life Kitchen Makeover.)

there is still quite a bit out. let's hope these people actually cook and drink coffee.  I bet they do!

see how when you leave only Priority 1 items out, it just looks sooooooo nice and clean and fresh.  rest for your brain!  

i.e. In my own kitchen, on my countertop, I have a toaster and my Vitamix.  I do have a few supplements sitting out as well a jar for the scrub brush.  And my fruit bowl in the corner, for aesthetics and easy-grabbing.  That is all.  I used to have a nice set up cookbooks out, but guess what, I rarely use recipes and when I do, it's usually off the Internet, so I moved them to...

---a Priority 2 area!  i.e. The bookshelf.  I'd still like access to them, but honestly, even as I write this (I don't have many because I pared down greatly over the years), I'm wondering if I should pare down even more!  Anyway,Priority 2 areas are places that are accesssible but not in your immediate experience all the time.  In the kitchen, it's the drawers and cabinets that are easy to get to. In the office, it's the file cabinet that you may need to reach a little further for or just across the room.

Priority 2 in the Kitchen.  You don't need pots and pans on the counter!

I see Priority 1, 2, and 3 here, really.

--The Priority 3 areas are those places where you store items, but, say, you may need the step stool.  It's the bundt cake pan for the cakes you bake three or four times a year, that you put in the overhead cupboard.  It's the part of your basement where you store your summer clothes in the winter.  It's the attic, where you store your Christmas decorations, saving the linen closet for linens, etc.

--I even like to tag on Priority 4 areas for stuff like taxes from the past 7 years or even keepsakes that you aren't going to revisit often.  That's the back of the attic and the back of the basement.  :)

This is IMMENSELY helpful on getting your home in order. 

After all, when this is all done, maintenance will be the key.  And oh, what a key that is!  But don't worry about it now…

JUST GET TO IT!

Clutter: What It Is & What To Do About It

CLUTTER!  Biggest feng shui no-no of ALL!

Here's a peek at last night's lecture on de-cluttering and organization:

The following lists are inspired and/or borrowed by Karen Kingston's book, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, because why reinvent the wheel? -- this book is GOOD.

WHAT IS CLUTTER?

1.     Things you do not use or love.

2.     Things that are untidy or disorganized.

3.     Too many things in too small a space.

4.     Anything unfinished.  

Source

WAYS CLUTTER CAN AFFECT YOU:

·      Make you tired and lethargic

·      Keep you in the past

·      Congest your body

·      Fear of being poor

·      Fear of living your true path

·      Fear of letting good things in your life

·      Can confuse you

·      Can affect the way people treat you – respect

·      Affect your weight

·      Can make you procrastinate

·      Can cause disharmony

·      Can make you feel ashamed

·      Can put your life on hold

·      Create excess baggage

·      Can depress you

·      Can make you more disorganized

·      Be a fire/health hazard

·      Cleaning takes longer

·      Having clutter can dull your sensitivity and enjoyment of life

·      Create undesirable symbology

·      Can cost you financially

·      Can distract you from important things – does your stuff own you?

·      Lack mentality- make you poorer

·      Stuck in your woundology – identifying with a sad part of your life

WAYS TO DEAL WITH CLUTTER:

1.  Get rid of it.  No really.  JUST GET RID OF IT.

2.  Organize it. (From Sharon Stasney:  Decide if the item is Priority 1 -- needs to be accessible easily and often; Priority 2 -- still needs to be accessible but not, say, on the countertop; Priority 3 -- doesn't have to be readily accessible -- can be in more of a storage type space.  Then give the item a "home" accordingly!)

Again, it's just a peek, but hopefully an inspiring one.  Now get to it!

IF YOU WANT MORE, then click HERE to learn more about this 27-day online Declutter Your Way to Clarity course that I offer.  It'll give you a kick in the pants so that you'll never want to live with clutter again! Fun, easy, and good stuff.

Feng Shui for the New Year

Who doesn’t love a new beginning?   Luckily, those of us who practice feng shui or honor Eastern cultures have two chances to celebrate New Year’s!  First on the traditional calendar day of January 1^st, and then again, a few weeks later when the Chinese New Year comes around.

In feng shui, the Chinese New Year is considered very important, and it is highly celebrated.  It’s a major shift in energy, marked by animals such as Rabbit, Dragon, Tiger, and Ox and elements such as Fire, Water, and Earth.   This year the date is January 31^st, 2014, and we are entering the Year of the Wood Horse, moving out of 2013, the Year of the Water Snake.

It’s considered beneficial to acknowledge the changing of the years with certain rituals and acts in order to usher in good chi (a.k.a. energy) to last all year long. 

Here are 5 feng shui tips to help you do just that:

1.     Do a clean sweep.   Literally.  It’s tradition in feng shui leading up to the Chinese New Year to clean like crazy as to not bring any of the old, “dusty” chi into the new year.   The goal is to have the home in best condition as possible on the first day of the new year and then NOT do any cleaning that day and the days after.  You want to keep the good chi IN those days!   When you clean, be sure to pay special attention to your stove (it represents prosperity) and under you bed and any places that are particularly neglected.

2.     De-clutter.  Clutter is the biggest feng shui no-no of all!   Go through your things, and if it doesn’t fit with the “future version of you” or if you don’t use it, don’t love it, or it’s just not serving you, get rid of it!  It’s the fastest way to shift the energy in your space and therefore your life.  

3.    Set some intentions.   In the West, we call them resolutions.  In feng shui, we call them intentions.   There is something powerful about being specific about what you would like to experience in the upcoming year and then voicing them or writing them down.  Even better, implement symbolic feng shui cures to bring the intention further into your subconscious.  For example, if you intend to write a book this year, mock up a jacket for your book and put it on another one and place in your Creativity section of your home.  If you’d like to manifest more romance, put two candles (representing a pair) in your Love corner.   (The list goes on!)

4.     Decorate.  Traditionally, the Chinese use reds and golds to make their home beautiful and "rich" for the new year, hanging lanterns and paper cut-outs.  Again, symbolism is considered: placing candies in bowls to bring in a “sweet” year; oranges for abundance; and flowers, for beauty and love.  Another tradition is to buy something new to wear on New Years Day, especially in the color red or a hue that correlates with the element for the upcoming year. 

Source

5.     Celebrate.   There are many traditions on how to spend the first two weeks of the new year, including handing out money in red envelopes (generating prosperity), giving oranges as gifts, (also generating prosperity) and snapping firecrackers on new year’s eve (to scare away any unpleasant energies from the previous year).  Another one is to gather with friends and family in good cheer with good food, especially on New Year’s Eve.  Although these may seem like fun and games, the very act of celebrating actually generates positive chi.   So even if you don’t participate in the red envelopes, perhaps invite some friends for dinner -- and make a toast to the blessings of new beginnings. 

To usher in amazing, positive energy for 2014 with the help of feng shui, sign up for Katie’s on-line 27-day program: Charge Ahead in 2014 with Feng Shui!   It’s only $1 a day!   Email Katie at KatieRogers777@gmail.com to register!  See the Event on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/events/226207920836654/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendar

9 Feng Shui Things You Probably Already Do

1.  Cleaning.  Yes, cleaning counts A TON.  A clean house welcomes in the good chi and allows the energy to circulate happily.  You will feel healthier and happier in a clean house, because guess what, it promotes health and happiness!

2.  De-cluttering.  We all know that AHHH feeling when we get rid of clothes, toys, and anything else that is just taking up precious space in our homes.  In feng shui, new and good opportunities can better enter our lives when we "create a vacuum" and let go of that which no longer serves us.  Here's to "out with the old, in with the new!"  It works!

3.  Creating a lovely front entrance.  The ever-powerful Mouth of Chi.  That's what the front door is referred to in feng shui.  It's where "the breath of life" comes in (hence, "mouth").  When it's pleasant and inviting with a nice cheerful welcome mat, again, it symbolizes saying to the Universe:  "Hello, please come in and bring good things with you!"  Wouldn't YOU want to walk into the doors below???  So does Good Energy!

Source

4.  Using the front door.  Yes, even the very practice of using your front door is good feng shui!  Think about it -- you can't eat with your mouth shut all the time, right?  Neither can good energy come into your home if you never use your front door.

Source

5.  Making up your bed.  The subconscious loves ritual.  So even the easy ritual of making up your bed every morning sends the message to your Self that sleepy time is over and play/daytime has begun!  Plus it makes your bedroom feel good.

Source  

6.  Straightening up before you go to bed at night.  When the things are put away, the dishes are done, the curtains are closed, and the desks are cleared off, you have a better chance for a good night's sleep because these little tasks are not tugging on your subconscious.  Double duty:  when you wake up to a clean, tidied home, your psyche is ready for more important things so that your energy can go towards the fun stuff.

7.  Putting flowers around the house.  Fresh, wonderful flowers add color, life, scent, and beauty to the home.  Definitely good feng shui!

Source

8.  Lighting a candle.  Don't you just love the warmth of a great-smelling candle.  You are promoting good energy by bringing in light, movement, color, and again aroma....especially if the candle is in your Self-Expression or Romance section of the bagua!


9.  Closing the toilet lid.  Okay, so maybe this isn't something you already do, but you should!  The toilet represents a downward energy into no-man's land that could just be sucking all that good energy down if you leave the lid open.  Plus, it's just more pleasing to have the lid closed.  So keep a hold on your money and good luck by making this simple act a habit in your household.