Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Clearing the Clutter for Good Feng Shui

In a perfect world, we’d all throw out, sell or give away items that we don’t need or don’t like.

Most of us aren’t that perfect. We need to be weaned off our clutter, a little at a time.  Drastic decluttering sessions are exhausting at best, and–in a manic moment–can cause us to throw out things that we actually need or value.

This book encourages you to get rid of the clutter. But, if you aren’t ready for that yet, the author points out where not to dump or store it.

For example, is your front door area and hall where family members tend to drop things as they enter… and then just leave them there?

Ms. Lambert points out, “If you have a pile of items that are stacked right by the entrance, it symbolizes life as being a real struggle, with opportunities barred.”   (You can apply this to your bedroom, too, if you tend to just drop things there, and are having romance problems.)

This book covers space clearing, clutter ‘hotspots’ and then takes you, room by room, through your home, including your home office and your attic.

In this book, you’ll get ideas for storage options, so that you don’t have to ‘get rid of it all’ right now. You’ll also learn important reasons not to overload your storage areas and containers.

Ms. Lambert uses Compass School directions, but you can easily use this book with the Black Hat Bagua. Most of her advice has very little to do with directions; it’s more about disorganized clutter and how it affects your life.

Purists may object that this book puts too much attention on storage, instead of parting with your clutter altogether.   I think it’s a useful book for those of us who can’t seem to live austere lives.  (Obviously, I’m one of those people coping with clutter, though I aspire to live simply.)

If other clutter-related Feng Shui books have been too extreme for you, this is an excellent book to help you clear your home and workplace, a little at a time.

For more about this book, and to read others’ reviews of it, visit Amazon.com, or Amazon.co.uk.

Clearing the Clutter for Good Feng Shui
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54 used & new available from USD 0.10

Many people go out and buy organizing containers before they start to clean. This is a mistake. First, weed through your belongings to see what you’re going to keep. Next, see what space is available for it. Then you’re ready to shop for containers that will keep you organized.

CLEANING AND THE FANTASTIC FOUR

As you’re going through the clutter, sort things into four groups:

You may use cardboard boxes, grocery bags, or simply stack things in piles as you sort.

You’ll also keep a trash bag nearby, for discards.

SET RULES AHEAD OF TIME

Here’s a tip: If you see that you have a ridiculous number of things in one category, choose a number before you start sorting.

Decide, “I’m going to keep just six colors of nail polish,” or, “I only need three spatulas in my kitchen.” Then, stick to that number. Keep your favorites, and give the rest to charity or throw them out.

DON’T STOP TO SMELL THE ROSES

There are a couple of important warnings. First of all, it is very easy to get sidetracked. Do not carry things to other rooms to put them away; put them into a bag or box and sort through them later.

Don’t pause to fix anything, even if it looks like a simple repair. Put it in a box or bag with other things that you’ll fix later.

DON’T STOP THERE!

When you’ve finished sorting, take the trash bag to the dumpster or whatever outdoor spot you use for trash. Then, either take the charity donations to a drop-off location, or seal it up until your next errand day.

Avoid backsliding! It’s dangerously easy to reach back into the trash bag or charity box and say, “Oh, maybe I should save this.” Thinking “this might come in useful someday” is one of the leading causes of clutter in the home.

If you catch yourself thinking this, banish the item immediately and do not look at it again. Unless you have a specific use for it on a specific date, or unless it is a seasonal item such as a holiday decoration, it is clutter.

GIVE YOURSELF A REWARD

Finally, pause and celebrate. Take a walk outside, or give yourself a small reward. When you return, a dmire your work, and choose another area to organize next.

Generally, it’s best to tackle just one cluttered area each day. Don’t risk burnout by trying to do it all at once.

RECOMMENDED READING

There are many popular Feng Shui books about clutter, including Karen Kingston’s superb Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui.

But, if you’re overwhelmed by the task, you may prefer Harriet Schechter’s Let Go of Clutter.

In Feng Shui, clutter represents stagnant energy. For energy to flow comfortably through a room, clutter must be removed.

RECOGNIZE CLUTTER WHEN YOU SEE IT

Everyone has a different definition for the word “clutter.” Basically, clutter is anything that you aren’t using at that very moment, which is in a place where it doesn’t belong.

For example, a paintbrush left on the kitchen counter is clutter; a paintbrush stored on a shelf in the garage or workroom isn’t.

Most people get used to the familiar clutter around them, and barely notice it after awhile.

If you took a notepad and surveyed each room in your house asking, “What needs to be put somewhere else?”, you’d probably have a long list.

Whether it’s a coat dropped on the floor, books left on the kitchen table, or that stack of junk mail and magazines that you keep meaning to sort, they’re all clutter.

CLUTTER DRAINS YOUR ENERGY

Clutter doesn’t add to a supportive environment. It is visually distracting, whether you consciously stop to think, “I need to do something about that,” or not. You trip over it, have to clean around it, and it’s confusing when you’re looking for something.

So, the first thing to do for good Feng Shui is to tackle your clutter.

FIRST, TAKE A QUICK, EASY VICTORY

Don’t start with the worst area of your home or office; start with the one that has the least clutter. That way, you have a small victory to start this process.

Turn off the phone and the TV, put on some energizing music, and start weeding out the clutter in just one area. Many people like to start with the front hall, or a few bathroom shelves. Whatever area you choose, keep your goal simple, and be certain that you can complete it in one brief decluttering session.

Next, learn why to buy reorganizing containers last
… and more helpful tips in

Feng Shui and Clutter, Part two

However, there still remains the problem of what to do with the contents of that room.

STEP ONE: SET GOALS

First, decide what you want to use the room for, once the junk is out. Could you use a home office, or a reading room? Perhaps it would be nice to have an entertainment room, for welcoming friends to watch a movie or a sports event with you. Once you’ve decided on a new purpose for the room, write that on a sheet of paper and tape it to the door. Leave the sign in place for a few days, to remind you–and everyone else in the house–that it is no longer a haven for junk.

(If your junk room is also your garage, attic, or basement, you don’t need to assign it a new purpose. It’s okay to have storage as long as you can find anything in it within ten minutes of beginning to search.)

STEP TWO: GET READY

Next, collect some empty boxes and label them, one for each other room in your house. (Ordinarily, you’d do this with just one box that is “put away” for things temporarily left in the wrong room. If you’re weeding out an entire room, you’ll need several boxes, and probably one for each room in your home.) You’ll also need a box that is for items you’ll donate to charity, as well as a big trash container for discards.

Note: If you have difficulty telling trash from treasures, you’ll also need a “hibernation” box. Use this box for things that you probably don’t need, but you’re not ready to let them go yet, either. After you fill each “hibernation” box, seal it closed with tape and put it somewhere out of sight such as the garage, basement, or attic. Put a date on the box, probably six months from now. Anything that’s still in that box on that date must be donated to charity or given away. No exceptions!

THE 20 MINUTE CHALLENGE

Now it’s time to start going through the room. Set a timer for 20 minutes, and start at the doorway. If you can’t really get into the room, clear that space first. Next, begin at your left and start moving clockwise around the room. Everything has to go into a box or into the trash. Remember: If you haven’t used something in a year, or even forgot that you owned it, you should probably let it go. Give it to someone else, or donate it to charity unless you have a specific purpose for it and you’ll use it in the next month. Rely on the hibernation box for anything that you aren’t sure about.

As you approach the end of the 20 minutes, you may notice that you have a tendency to put more things into the hibernation box. This is why you should work for 20 minutes and then take a break. After sorting through junk, most people notice that their decision-making skills–and their enthusiasm–start to fade.

Note: If you are one of the rare people who builds up steam during the process, and couldn’t think of stopping after 20 minutes, keep going. Just keep a close eye on how much is landing in the hibernation box. Once you notice that box filling up, it’s time to stop for an extended break.

EARN YOUR BREAKS… AND BE SURE TO TAKE THEM

When you stop for a break, it must be at least half as long as the amount of time you just worked. If you worked for 20 minutes, you’ll need a ten minute break; if you worked for two hours, you’ll need to take at least an hour off. Continue this process until the room is completely empty. Then, you can quit for the day or you can keep going.

TAKING OUT THE TRASH

Don’t try to put everything away from the room boxes. Save that for another day. However, it’s important to take the trash out, and also to drop charity donations at the community drop box, thrift shop, or homeless shelter that you’re donating to. When you’ve taken some time off, you next step is to vacuum the walls and ceiling. This is only partly to clean off cobwebs. The energy of the vacuum cleaner–the swirling air and the noise–are very good at revitalizing stale areas of the room. This is a space clearing process, and you’ll be amazed at how much better the room feels to visitors after you’ve vacuumed.

Finally, vacuum or sweep the floor, get all of the dirt out, and put the vacuum cleaner away. Clean the windows if they’re dusty, launder the curtains if they need it, and dust the blinds or window shade.

As time permits, you can empty the many boxes that you filled, and put the indivdual items where they belong.

ACCENT THE POSITIVE

Now, you’re ready to begin the positive work in your room. Does it need paint? A new light fixture? Curtains? Small changes can make big differences. Finally, move in furniture and create your new room. For Feng Shui reasons, it’s important to spend at least 20 minutes each day in this room, so that you recharge the room with your personal energy.

WATCH THE OBSTACLES VANISH, TOO

With this new room in use, you’ll find that other areas of your life expand as well. You’ll have less junk in your relationships with others, as well. There may be fewer obstacles to career success, you may suddenly discover that helpful friends drop by more often, and money problems can diminish too. Remember: Any time is a good time to tackle the junk in your home, and get it out of your way.