Last weekend I attended a day long workshop entitled, “Meditation In the Garden”, because it included Tai Chi instruction by Cass Overton, a Tai Chi instructor I had heard about for many years. The class was a wonderful experience! I learned many things that day, both with my mind and my body. One of the statements Cass made that particularly caught my ear and that kept coming back into my thoughts was, “Look for the spaces between the plants. You have to have space in order for new things to come to you.”

In my work as a professional clutter clearer, feng shui practitioner and professional speaker I have often urged people to clear clutter from their homes and offices. I let them know that new good things cannot come to them unless there is space available for them. The echo of Cass’s words got me thinking about how I make space in my life.

When I am feeling stuck or frustrated with my own personal and/or professional progress I quite often look for a closet or drawer to clear knowing that by making space I am signaling to the Universe that I am open to new opportunities and change in my life. In fact since the seminar I’ve cleaned out desk drawers, supply drawers, and the vase shelf in the utility room. I’ve also taken photos off the refrigerator and have removed several decorative items from my family room. Everything in my house is open to scrutiny because I am hungry for open space!

Then it occurred to me that I can also make space on my calendar to make it possible for me to have time to reflect on where I’ve been, what I really want, and what I can do to get more of what I want. Too often my calendar is full with few open spaces available just for me. This week I took a careful look at my calendar and blocked off time for client appointments so I won’t be inclined to schedule too many clients. Now the challenge will be to limit myself to those scheduled times. If that doesn’t work my plan is to schedule open space in my calendar just for me!

Do you have space in your home and on your calendar to attract more of what you really want from life? If not, why not? Claim the space you need to grow where you want to go!

Everything is alive with energy. It therefore makes sense that every color is alive with energy and that there are differences in the energies of different colors. What I have learned is that I can strategically choose colors to wear on my person that empower me in whatever way I am wanting at a particular time. To be able to do this you first must know some basics about the energy of colors.

Red

• Is associated with the fire element
• Is the highest energy color, the energy associated with passion, intensity, excitement
• Is best used as an accent color when a pop of energy is needed
• Is associated with passion and intensity
• Must be used carefully because its heat can cause feelings of irritability, anger or aggression when used in abundance
• Can be used as an empowering color when worn in difficult situations
• Orange, pink, peach, and salmon are shades of red with yellow or white added. The bolder the shade, the more hotter the energy.

Green

• Is associated with the wood element
• Has an active energy of growth and expansion
• Is a great color to wear when you want to be productive
• Is an appealing color because it brings the feeling of the outdoors inside
• Makes red shades have even more energy

Blue

• Is associated with the wood element
• Has the energy of growth and expansion
• Has a cooling, calming, peaceful energy

Yellow

• Is associated with the earth element
• Has the energy of positive activity, optimism and joy
• Can feel hot in shades other than a buttery yellow

White

• Is associated with the metal element
• Has no active energy and can be associated with inflexibility
• Fire melts metal, so wearing a touch of red with white will balance the inflexibility of metal

Black

• Is associated with the water element
• Has no active energy
• Too much black can lead to being wishy washy
• Is best used as an accent, not the main course
• Cools off hot colors like shades of red (water douses fire)

Given those color basics, you can intentionally make color choices in your dress to create the kind of energy you want to have. Here are some suggestions.

1. Wear red when you want to be on fire, inspired to take positive action.
2. Wear red when you are going to face challenging people or situations.
3. Wear green when you want to be productive.
4. Wear blue when you want to keep a cool head or you want to have a calming influence on others.
5. Wear yellow when you want to have a positive influence on others or brighten up a grim situation.
6. Wear white when you want to be taken seriously in a formal situation.
7. Wear black when you want to wear red for protection or passion, but want to be able to stay balanced emotionally.

Feng shui teaches that everything is connected. The colors you wear affect you and those around you. Choose your colors carefully to feel fully empowered every day!

Have you ever noticed that it’s harder to think clearly on rainy days? As I am writing this post we are getting some much needed rain. I have been wrestling with thoughts about some significant relationships in my life. And, I have really been struggling to get clarity. My brain feels as cloudy as the gray sky that greets me whenever I go outside. It’s as if the negative energy of a rainy day, caused by the discomfort of the wetness, the lack of light that dulls the color of the landscape, and absence of the optimistic blue sky, makes it impossible for me to think clearly. I thought to myself, “When it’s muddy outside, I feel muddy in my brain!”

And then I reflected on how I feel and function when the sun is shining and the sky is clear. On those days there is a predominance of positive energy in the landscape and my brain works at warp speed. Making decisions is easier. I have more clarity about my priorities, my choices and what really matters.

Given what I understand about energy from my study of feng shui, it makes perfect sense that I’d have a fuzzy brain on a cloudy, rainy day. All that negative energy is just too distracting. Recognizing that reality, I think that on rainy days my best course of action is to slow down, weigh decisions a little more carefully, and not expect the mental sharpness I enjoy feeling on clear days.

It’s a low energy day. Feng shui teaches that everything is connected. It makes perfect sense that I would be affected by that energy. I may not be as productive as I want to be. Clear thinking may be a struggle. I just need to remember that not only is everything connected, but everything is also changing. And, so too will the weather. For now I’ll be gentle with myself, slow down and remember that soon I’ll again enjoy the positive energy and clarity of a sunny day.

The word procrastination does not have a positive connotation. All of us do it. All of us know that procrastination can cause stress. So, why do we do it? There are probably many reasons: fear, going for immediate gratification, passive aggression, self-sabotage, lack of confidence. The list goes on and on. One reason I find particularly interesting. Self-stimulation.

The kind of self-stimulation I’m referring to is brain stimulation. Putting off doing something that you know you need to do can create a tension, anxiety, a heightened state of arousal. Some people, particularly those who struggle with Attention Deficit Disorder and the right brained folks among us who get bored easily, have difficulty making themselves do certain tasks when there is no pressure, no one breathing down their neck, no deadline. For them procrastination serves as a method for creating pressure. When getting a task done becomes a time crisis, their brain comes alive and they go into action.

Are you creating time crises in order to tackle certain tasks? Perhaps it’s your way to get your brain in gear!

Want to go into the new year with new habits, a greater ability to be in control of your time, tasks and stuff?

If so, join me on Saturday, November 13 for “Organizing for Productivity and Success”, a three hour seminar from 9 a.m. to Noon that will arm you with a new way of approaching the often daunting task of getting and staying organized.

You will leave the seminar motivated to take immediate action in your life using my favorite tips and methods for managing your time, tasks and stuff.

The cost is $87, but if you register and pay by October 22 your investment is only $57. Go to:

http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=9lizjscab&oeidk=a07e31m74i1d4bc26e1

to register online or call me at 804-730-4991.

I hope you will join me for a morning that could lead to a prosperous and peaceful 2011!

I have gotten into the habit of working on my computer in the early morning hours before I shower and get ready for work. I work very well at that time of day, particularly with writing projects. The down side of that habit is that I have a really hard time making myself stop with enough time to get my morning grooming done. I’m not a procrastinator by nature, but I procrastinate about getting off the computer. Part of the problem is that I have such a high need for closure that I keep trying to finish things I’m working on. Then I run around like a wild woman at the last minute getting ready to leave home with sufficient time to get to my first appointment. Today it occurred to me that my habit is causing me to feel stressed, and that’s no way to start my day!

Stress has been identified as a major factor in illness and aging. Some stressors are difficult to do anything about, like the economy, pollution, and political unrest. But, today I became really conscious of the fact that I am one source of the stress I have been experiencing. I can do something about that stress!

Here are some other ways I create stress in my life:

1. I put off filling my gas tank until it’s almost empty. The remedy for that would be to make it my practice to treat the 1/4 tank level as empty and fill up when I reach that level.
2. I sometimes assume I know the location of a client’s home without checking well in advance to see if I am really correct in my thinking. Then, when I’m wrong I am scrambling around at the last minute.
3. I have a hunch that a client might cancel and don’t call to confirm the appointment. So often my sixth sense is correct and the client has either forgotten the appointment or cancels at the last minute. That late cancellation leaves me with no option to fill the time slot with another paying client.
4. I put off talking to my husband about a difficult issue or decision and feel unsettled and anxious in anticipation of that conversation.

I could find more examples, but you get the point. I have been causing my own stress! If I cause it, I can eliminate it! I’m in charge of my actions! So, starting Monday I commit to getting off the computer a full half hour before I have to leave the house. Once I’ve created a new habit with my morning routine, I’ll tackle the gas tank issue.

In what ways are you creating your own stress? Are you avoiding dealing with the avalanche of paper coming into your home on a daily basis? Are you leaving your house in a mess when you leave for work in the morning? Do you run late for all your appointments? The good news is that if you cause it you can stop it! Go for it! Address one self-imposed stressor at a time and reclaim a life of peace and pleasure!

Until I started working as a professional organizer I had no idea that spaces could get like this. Sure, I’d find myself frustrated by a pile of paper from time to time, but paper never took over my space.

Is this you?

What causes this kind of chaos? Here are some possible answers.

1. Paper comes in at a rate that is faster than the rate at which it is processed.
2. There is no system for processing and storing the paper.
3. Decisions about what to do with papers are postponed and papers land in undifferentiated piles.
4. The person is not being selective about what papers to keep and what to throw away.
5. The person is not devoting enough time to managing the paper flow.

How could this person turn this paper challenge around?

1. Commit time to complete an initial organization (sorting, purging and filing) of the papers in the space. Then plan to make time at least once a week to process incoming papers and file papers that are worthy of being kept.
2. Reduce the volume of paper coming in by sorting mail over the recycling bin or trash, keeping only those papers that require an action or filing. In other words, don’t let the junk mail make it into your home office!
3. Reduce the volume of paper coming in by leaving church bulletins at church, and getting rid of papers and handouts given to you at conferences, workshops, and at meetings with financial planners and insurance agents that you know you’ll never reference BEFORE you enter your office.
4. Reduce the volume of paper coming in by reducing magazine and journal subscriptions to just those that actually get read from cover to cover every month.
5. Get rid of magazines and journals monthly by creating deadlines for how long they will be kept and recycling or throwing them out when they reach that deadline.
6. Reduce the volume of paper by becoming much more selective about what to keep and what to get rid of. Keep only those papers and publications that are needed for current actions or are most likely to be referenced at a later date. The only paper worth keeping is paper you WILL use!
7. Set up a filing system for paper storage so paper can be easily accessed when needed.
8. On the desk, keep only papers that require an action. Those papers can be separated into actions that must occur immediately and those that can occur later. Those that must occur immediately should be most accessible.
9. Store papers and publications that are considered “reading” in a location away from the desk top. A tray on a shelf, in a basket near a chair where you’re likely to read, or in a briefcase to read on a plane or in a doctor’s office are good locations for papers that are optional reading. Optional reading means, if they don’t get read, there will be no significant consequences other than not benefitting from the information they contain. Reading should not be mixed with papers that require an action.
10. When you encounter paper that does not require action or filing and you are uncertain what to do with it, place it in a tray or file that is off the desk. Label that file “Possibilities.” Consider this the location for papers that you don’t know what to do with at the moment. By giving those papers their own location, they won’t stop you in your tracks and become the bud of an undifferentiated pile on your desk. The better organized you become, the easier it will be to discern what to do with those papers. In the meantime, those puzzling papers will be grouped together, available but not blocking progress. Periodically look through those papers when you add new papers. You’ll find that given a little time you’ll know what to do with them–most likely toss them!

Have you been putting off opening those boxes that your mother handed over to you when she was cleaning out her attic, boxes full of papers, trinkets and treasures from your childhood? Many people shove those boxes in their own attics to deal with later. Why? Because they have the power to bring your history back to life, at least in your memory. And, our histories are a mixed bag!

But, there is a payoff for sorting memorabilia in search of the most precious items, those that stir the best memories and feelings. When you let go of quantities of things from the past, you release some of the emotional burden of the past and can be more fully present in your life.

Use the following 9 tips to help you face the challenge of searching for the true treasures, the diamonds, among the stuff of your past, the stones.

1. Schedule a time for sorting your memorabilia when you’ll have plenty of time to reflect, feel your feelings and recover from any sad, mad or other uncomfortable feelings.
2. Consider sorting memorabilia with a trusted friend or family member who might be interested in the content and who understands that examining and letting go of memorabilia can be a difficult process.
3. Your intention for the first pass should be to eliminate items with obvious negative energies, those that bring up sad, hurt or angry feelings. If you hold onto those items you will be anchoring those old feelings in place.
4. Sort the memorabilia into items that are for-sure keep, for-sure get rid of, and undecided. Remember that you are looking for items that have the BEST energies of the past, items that make your heart smile. You are looking for diamond energy in a sea of stones!
5. When you choose items to keep, consider how they will fit into your home. It is always best if memorabilia can be displayed or at least is easily accessible to you so you can enjoy the positive memories it calls forth. If space is limited, keep the best of smaller items that anchor the energy of a particular time period or person. It isn’t necessary to keep everything that holds those energies. Just keep the best! For example, I keep the memory of my maternal grandmother alive with my favorite photograph of her on the wall of my office and her wedding band that I wear every day. When I inherit her china, I will keep a special piece or two and sell the rest. I need no more than 3 or 4 items to keep her awesome energy in my space and in my life.
6. If items identified for release could be important to another family member or a museum, offer them to the person or institution. If they really have no value to anyone but you, and you’ve decided to part with them, either donate them or throw them in the trash.
7. Only consider selling items that have clear monetary value, like jewelry or antiques. And, do it in a way that is easy and safe to do, like consignment or through an email broker who works with Craig’s List or Ebay. Selling is a hassle and often does not bring results that are worth the effort. And, it’s not uncommon for people to put things aside to sell, but never make those arrangements because they don’t know the best way to do it. Wanting to sell things can be a barrier to getting rid of them.
8. If you get stuck on items that you are undecided about, put those items to the side and set a deadline for when you will revisit them. You’ll find that if you get rid of the items that you easily identified to toss, you’ll shift the energies in your space for the better. When that happens your perspective will also shift. That way, when you revisit those items, you can examine them with the benefit of better energy in your space and more clarity in your thinking. It will be easier for you to decide what to keep and what to pitch!
9. If after a waiting period you are still struggling with what to do with certain items, invite a trusted friend or family member to help you make decisions about them. Sometimes if you tell another person the story of an item’s significance, you can let it go. Or, at the very least you’ll be able to hear your own energy in your voice as you talk about it. Items that should be kept are those about which you still have strong feelings and high energy.

Clearing memorabilia will help you be more present in the current moment. Who knows? You may remove energetic barriers that you didn’t even know were blocking happiness, success and forward progress toward achieving your goals and dreams.

In my thirteen plus years working as a professional organizer I’ve done my share of organizing paper. I can say without a doubt I’ve done more paper organizing than any other type of organizing. Why? Because paper is one of the hardest things to organize and keep organized. When I teach seminars I tell attendees that paper is so difficult to organize because 1) it’s boring, 2) it’s flat so it’s hard to see that you’re making progress very quickly, 3) it’s never ending–it keeps coming in every day, 4) it’s usually primarily black and white which is hard on the eyes, 5) and it requires that a decision be made about every piece–really tough for people who have a hard time making decisions.

Is it any wonder that it’s quite common for people to procrastinate organizing their papers when there are so many other compelling tasks to be done that are much less annoying? Unfortunately, putting off managing paper costs you more in the long run because as the quantities of it build up, your inclination to deal with it diminishes in equal proportion. Before long you have a paper nightmare, one that causes all kinds of bad feelings like anxiety, depression, self-disgust, anger, irritation and exhaustion.

Since sorting and organizing paper is part of my everyday working experience, I’ve developed some general guidelines for handling paper that keep me sane and moving forward.

Never start with paper unless it is the only thing you have to organize.

If you start with paper, you will quit. You’ll run away! You’ll go shopping, watch TV, eat a cake or decide the lawn just has to be mowed right now. Paper will shut you down.

I learned that starting with paper is a big mistake the hard way in my first year as an organizer. I took a client’s lead and started with paper. Halfway through the session the client had an asthma attack, ran to the bathroom and threw up. After that I rarely started with paper when working with clients.

Back into paper.

In other words, don’t tackle it head on. Have a blast evaluating, sorting and purging everything else in your space first. Then when the room is feeling great and all that’s left to do is sort and clear paper, you’ll find it easier to handle the paper.

Never start with a single sheet of paper at the top of a paper pile.

It’s important that you make some visible progress quickly when organizing paper. The best way to do that is to throw away as much as you can as fast as you can. Therefore, you must look first at BIG CHUNKS of paper like magazines, newsletters and papers stapled together. You will see yourself as a success when your paper pile goes down quickly. That will help you stay motivated to keep working.

Keep only those papers that you are likely to USE.

Most people keep too much paper either because they don’t know what to keep. To feel safe they either keep everything or postpone making decisions out of a  fear they’ll make a mistake. As a result they hold on to large volumes of useless paper. Many people also don’t slow down enough to think about what papers they really need to keep. Keeping everything seems like the best insurance against not having the papers they need at a time when they need them. But, can they find them when they need them? The more paper you keep, the more work you must do to keep them organized and accessible!

My advice is to reflect back on your history and remember those times when you needed to retrieve papers. The times that come back to me most vividly were when I was buying a house or applying for a loan. Think about the kinds of papers that you needed. Those are the kinds of papers to keep, those that you are likely to use at some later date. The kinds of papers you needed in the past are the types you are likely to need in the future.

When in doubt about whether to keep a certain type of paper ask yourself, “How will I use this?” If you can’t come up with a past memory of using that type of paper or you can’t think of a way that you could use it in the future, pitch it! And, celebrate! You just made your life easier!

Make paper leave your space every day.

Eighty to 90% of paper that is filed NEVER gets used again. Becoming more discerning and committed to purging paper will lighten your load and empower you. Be sure to process mail every day–meaning, sort it, pitch the obvious junk mail, and deliberately store papers that require further action or filing in specific places where they can be easily retrieved at a later date. Taking regular action to purge paper will keep you in the power position relative to paper. Postponing working with paper is akin to telling paper to go ahead and take over. Vigilance with paper purging takes only minutes per day and will save you hours and hours of agony at a later date.

Want to create a high performance environment? My guess is that you already know many of the characteristics listed below. But, you may need some incentive to motivate yourself to create that type of space. Here you go! High performance environments:

• are comfortable and make visitors immediately feel comfortable
• are places where you can be productive and accomplish your goals
• are optimal for positive human interactions
• are places where you want to spend time

Following are ten characteristics of spaces where you can be both productive and comfortable.

1. Clean–Dust, dirt and grime are sources of negative energy. Negative energy is distracting and interferes with your ability to feel comfortable and motivated.
2. Organized–When you’re organized you can find what you want when you want it, keep track of what you need to do and work efficiently. Being organized also helps you feel more in control and empowered.
3. Uncluttered–Clutter distracts. Clutter irritates. Clutter attracts more clutter. It also talks to you. I’ll bet the last time your space was cluttered with paper it said something like, “Why don’t you take care of me?” or “What a mess!” Who needs a space that says unkind things to you!
4. Walls painted a color, not white–When you are in an environment that is predominantly white you are more prone to anxiety and depression. The reason for that is that color doesn’t show up against white walls. You are nurtured by color. When you don’t have enough color in your environment, you’re more likely to feel blue or anxious. Paint your walls a color and watch the color in your wall hangings and window coverings pop off the wall.
5. Good natural lighting–We all know that rooms with windows are preferable to rooms with no windows. But, for optimal performance you want to have rooms with light that is not too bright and not too dim. Light is energy. In rooms that are too bright, you run a risk of burnout because there’s too much energy. If windows let in too much light, bringing in heat and glare, window coverings can be used to moderate the level of light. If a room is too dim, there isn’t enough energy in the space and it’s very hard to feel motivated to take action. In that case adding additional light is essential.
6. Well lit with at least three sources of incandescent light–Avoid fluorescent lighting. We need full spectrum lighting to thrive. Fluorescent lighting is not full spectrum. It also makes noises–buzzing and popping–that are irritating to the nervous system. Many spaces feel most comfortable with at lease three light sources, two lamps and one pole lamp that provides up-lighting.
7. Attractive, comfortable furniture in good condition–It is most important that you avoid having furniture that you hate because it’s ugly, is uncomfortable or is associated with bad memories or bad feelings. Always choose comfortable furniture whose appearance you love.
8. Healthy live plants or clean silk plants–Our natural habitat is the out of doors. Plants make spaces feel comfortable because they bring the outdoors inside. Live plants also remove pollutants from the air. Their green color will nurture you and can transform a sterile environment into a comfortable space. While live plants are preferable, silk plants that look like real plants can be used as long as they are kept clean.
9. Interesting, colorful art–Art feeds a space with color and scenes that can lift your spirits and your energy. Violent scenes and scenes with a negative association should be avoided because their negative energy will affect your energy and could attract negative circumstances.
10. Mementos that matter to you–Mementos hold the energy of the memory associated with them. When that association is positive and you bring them into your space, you are anchoring positive pieces of your history. When surrounded by things that remind you of some of the best experiences, accomplishments and people in your life, those things can help you keep on track, focused on your abilities and blessings.