Rock Paper Scissors

Paper Clutter Monster

You hear a lot about clutter clearing and Feng Shui. Although Feng Shui is about the relationship of buildings to land at its most basic, there are some things you should do before your Feng Shui Consultant arrives at your place of business or home. Here is one of them. And remember things often look worse before they emerge into organization.

If you are interested in a Feng Shui consultation it is because you want improvement in your life and business. Paper covers rock, scissors cuts paper, rock breaks scissors. But that is only in the children’s game. In most cases paper covers everything. Getting your life in order is the first step. All those papers-bills both paid and unpaid, receipts, instruction booklets and warranties, notes for that unfinished novel, the kid’s artwork and progress reports are just a few of the things that feed the paper clutter monster.

Must Saves

Attack that pile of papers on your desk, on the hall table and where ever they may be hiding. Sort them into separate piles. Important papers that must be saved such as birth certificates, mortgage papers, health records, taxes you may want to store in a bank safe deposit box, others in a home safe, the rest in a file cabinet or box clearly marked with the contents.

Homework

Make a binder for warranty booklets and appliance instructions. You might also keep records of house repairs and paint colors for future reference. You’ll be happy to have them handy and organized when you need them.

File Your Children

Create a file box for each of your children. That way you can keep their art, projects and report cards together. This is a good place for duplicate photos as well. At some time in the future they will get a kick out of having these memories. In the meantime they will be safe, handy and organized.

Clippings

Newspapers and clippings you have been saving also need a new home. You might be tempted to read each item as you go along but at this point just separate into categories. All of those recipes you cut out of the paper or a magazine for instance, go together in one pile. Newspapers from your children’s birth day go in the childs own box. If you have no idea why you saved something out it goes right away.

Bookshelves

Organize your bookshelves. Books you have read and don’t intend to read again can be sold or donated. If you have books you haven’t read that have been sitting around you probably aren’t going to read them. Off they go too. Arrange books by size and bring them to the front edge of the shelf. That way they look uniform and the shelf edge does not create a poison arrow or sha of negative energy.

Indoor Pollution or Why We Do This

Which brings us to the question why are you doing this? Because clutter creates pollution. Piles of papers and books are dust and dirt catchers. They create emotional pollution always drawing our attention and making us feel guilty that we haven’t done something about the mess. The create energy pollution by stopping the flow of qi through your space. They create visual pollution making our space seem smaller and crowded. And finally they pollute the ability to think clearly and be creative. When your space is crowded and cluttered there is no space for new ideas.

There is no time like the present to get started on the paper clutter monster. And don’t forget the virtual paper clutter that is on your computer too.

all rights reserved ©Diane Kern 2011

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