Organizing/Cleaning your Car/Desk/Etc.

I spoke about Feng Shui a while back -- this is just an adjunct to that piece.

Feng shui "works" on the smallest of spaces (a desk) or the largest (a house). The idea (to me) of feng shui is that it gives your brain 9 quadrants "in which to look" to be inspired in a certain area. So, for example, if you are looking for something that will inspire you in abundance, you look "up and to the left," whether it's on your desk, or in your house, or even in your car, you "see something" that reminds you of abundance.

But there is a "bedrock" thing -- and that is No Clutter. It's hard for me -- I have a lot of interests, and so clutter seems to follow me like toilet paper on your shoe. (laugh) But that is also one of the main tenants of Feng Shui -- if you haven't used it for a few months or it doesn't "tug on your emotions" every time you see it -- you shouldn't have it out. It's a dust magnet.

So what this means with respect to, say, your desk is that all sorts of things that you use but don't use EVERY day (say, your stapler) belong in a drawer. You want to put forward an organized and streamlined front. If you are working in an office, is there a ~reason~ that you have a ton of photos and little sayings and knick-knacks all around? If you were fired, how long would it take to clear up and clear out?

You want to only have so much stuff as you can really "manage well." So on your desk, again, anything that you're dealing with right at this instant should be out. If you're not dealing with it right this instant, or don't use it every day -- it should not be out.

If you are a "Sticky Note Fanatic," do you have notes that you actually haven't looked at in a while -- or that you write and then forget? How to you manage your time? I would suggest a little black book (very Bond Grrl), that you can even put sticky notes into, or whatever you're thinking of. If you want to put a picture of a Porsche up in your cubicle to "aim towards," why not put that in your little black book? Do you put stuff up so that folks will ask you questions about it? Why do you do that -- you want to have "internal approval" and "internal goals" working for you.

I heard something about goals the other day, too, which I thought was really interesting. A friend told me she had read that if you set a "goal," you're not that likely to reach it. But if you "make a promise," and then "make steps to get there," folks are much less likely to "break a promise" (even if it's "just" to themselves).

When you look in your car -- is it clean? Is it "ready to go"? One thing that came up at an Earthquake Preparedness Meeting the other day (and I am very bad at this one, but I get the point) is that you should never let your tank of gas go below 1/2. Because let's say that you're on E and then -- BLAM! -- earthquake. You are in trouble! If you still had 1/2 a tank, you could "decide" when to use the car, or maybe when to blow up the tires on your bike and go that way!

If you saw your favorite heartthrob on the side of the road and he flagged you down needing a ride -- what would he find when he opened the car door? Fritos bags? McD's wrappers? Shoes? Even if it's not spotless, it should be un-cluttered. You might not have gotten it detailed in a while...but that's one thing. Empty Fritos wrappers or smelly socks is a whole 'nother issue!

And speaking of Earthquake Preparedness (we were, weren't we?), another thing that is really mandatory for EVERYONE's car, desk at work, and house is some sort of "preparedness kit." Yes, I don't care if you think that you are totally safe...I heard the other day that the biggest and most "dangerous" faultline is somewhere like St Louis (!!) -- yeah, St. Louis! We're all surprised, right? Well, supposedly that's so (of course, I haven't gone and Google'd this, but it's somewhere really that you would not expect). The way the world is going these days, who is to say that you won't somehow get trapped in your car -- or at your desk -- or in your home -- and need what is in that pack. You can actually get "preparedness packs" all made up for you...or you can make your own. There are lots of lists on websites all over (I know that there was one for sickness-related stuff -- e.g., Avian Flu -- on a government website a friend sent me). Are you ready? If you're not ready -- are you really a Bond girl?

Clutter.....bad.
Preparedness....good.

:-)