I recently helped a friend clean her house just before a move. It motivated me to tackle my office area. Previously, a few stacks of books and papers weren’t that bothersome. They were close at hand, which was important at the time. But now I really want to reduce the visual clutter, so I’ve moved all the books off of my desktop and back into the book shelf. Books I don’t need are in the donate pile, which are going out this week.

I’m not sure what caused the shift, but I’m grateful for it. I’ve had a hard time getting up the energy and motivation to clear the junk. And I think leaving it there actually drains me more. It’s a vicious cycle.

Taking things a little at a time is the key. Small chunks. It started by just taking all the books and getting them off of my desk. Then, it was the magazines. Recycle the old copies, see which ones still need to be read, and which ones I might keep.

Next comes the paper. I do have a small pile of receipts that need to be scanned and logged. Some will just get filed rather than scanned. Then it’s the bits of paper with notes from calls or ideas or just general scribbles. Figure out what needs to be kept (and in what format) and what can be tossed.

I got some wall files which help keep things off of my desktop, but they can easily collect clutter, too. So next I will file away the paid bills from there.

It’s just a step by step process. It’s so easy to look at the entire job and get overwhelmed. But I’m not going to do that this time. I’ll look at one type of thing, like books or magazines or receipts, or one section. Once that’s done, I can move on to the next one.

Will it get done in one day? No. Maybe not even a week. But it will get completed without making me crazy. Slow and steady, folks. Do you feel the urge to spring clean? What are you trying to tackle right now?

image: lumaxart under CC: attribution/share-alike

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1. Pick one thing you want to clean up this month.
2. Post what you’re going to do – here or on your own blog.
3. Then check in at the end of April and share how you did.

Here are some of the people who took the challenge:

Alyson at Art Biz Coach had a decluttering goal…
Kristen of BizChicksRule had an affectionately-named Box of Doom
Barbara had 3 closets to do (after completing her kitchen)
April was actually going to get rid of her desk!
Ann started out with the intention of doing her sock drawer and then got courageous and aimed for the toiletries cabinets (wait til you see her photos!)

I took my own challenge, so here is my update:

My goal was to enter all of my receipts and get my finances back into order. Right now, the receipts are still on my desk, only slightly neater. This is hard to admit since I’m writing an organizing blog, but honesty and transparency are important to me.

I am so behind in entering receipts and income that I have checks to deposit that I’m not sure how to enter. Sounds crazy, but it’s true. If I were being my perfectionistic self, I’d give myself 30 lashes with my “get organized” noodle and a major guilt trip.

But even though there are no visual changes in my office and things are slightly worse than they were, I’ve gained a number of valuable insights about my internal process.

• I need a bookkeeper – someone to come in monthly and get this stuff arranged.
• I’ve been taking on too much lately, saying “yes” when a “no” is more appropriate.
• I’m taking steps to lighten my load so that I can attend to the maintenance operations of my business, not just the creative stuff.

I feel good about these discoveries and my next step is to solicit bookkeeper recommendations from my local business buddies. I’m also not going to beat myself up about still having the receipts (this is definitely progress). By the beginning of June, my goal is to have a new system in place and a firm grasp on my financial records.

How about you? Did you meet your spring cleaning goal? Exceed it? Let’s hear all about it!

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But if you’re thinking about spring cleaning, don’t let it be just busy work. Yuk. I mean really, who loves doing housework? Instead, you can choose a spring cleaning task and make it a loving gesture that supports you and your business.

Consider for a moment how fresh and inviting your space would feel if you washed your windows. So many people tell me that they love to look outside while they’re working. What if your view was completely clear? Washing your windows gives you an even nicer view to enjoy.

Or, what if you dusted your furnishings and computer equipment? All you’d need is 10 minutes and a damp rag. The thing I like about this task is that it often gets me invigorated to attend to other, weightier clutter. (Perhaps dusting is the gateway drug to full-fledged decluttering?) You’ll notice a difference immediately – and it’s likely that your workspace will feel more crisp and professional). It’s so subtle, but so profound!

One more idea: consider dragging out the ol’ watermelon and vacuuming your floor. Not to imply that you don’t, but if it’s been while, give it a whirl! After I vacuum, I always have the sensation of walking into an energized space – like a luxurious hotel. I usually can’t wait to get to work.

Caring for the place you work is a sweet gift to give yourself and it helps you love your work even more.

I’ve got a thread going about making a spring cleaning goal for April, and it’s not to late to join in. Think about what you might do for your office and for yourself… Then come see what others are doing and make the leap!

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Vicky works with women in creative businesses to help them boost their bottom line – and even if you’re of the male persuasion, you’ll find some great info below.

Jen: Welcome, Vicky! I’ve heard that feng shui is the study of how energy moves through a space. Is that right? What does that mean, exactly?

Vicky: I describe Feng Shui as the art of arranging your environment to enhance your life.

For me, it’s way more than that too. Feng Shui literally means ‘wind and water’. Wind represents the unseen forces – within us and outside of us, and water represents the seen forces.

The Feng Shui I’ve gravitated to I call Inner Feng Shui because it addresses energy flow in your environment and also the energy flow within you. It’s all about aligning your inner and outer which includes your physical environment, your intentions, your passions, the food you eat, the actions you take and your strengths, and this all adds up to support you in attracting what you want. Feng Shui is a powerful tool for transformation – in any area of your life.

Jen: We’re focusing on spring cleaning this month at MyOrganizedBiz.com, so I’m curious about what happens to energy flow when things are out of place? Or dusty?

Vicky: There are a number of challenges common to most environments. And this includes furniture placement. Because you’re a refection of your environment, it’s important that the energy flows freely as this affects all aspects of your life – your creativity, your relationships, your prosperity, your ability to learn your life lessons, your health, and so on.

Imagine energy coming into your office space. It enters the room, bringing fresh, inspiring energy and it comes across a pile of papers or runs smack into a piece of furniture – and it gets bogged down and certainly slowed down. And then because you absorb the energy in your environment, the same happens with your own energy.

Energy needs space to flow freely. Dust, clutter, poorly placed furniture will slow it down.

And, by clutter I mean: anything unfinished, unused, unresolved, tolerated or disorganized. So it covers quite a bit.

Jen: Wow. That is a lot – and I can see why it’s so important to deal with clutter from that perspective.

Are there feng shui principles that address how income and clutter are related?

Vicky: Great question. Money IS energy. Prosperity is energy. The prosperity of your business is directly affected by the flow of energy in your environment. If you’ve ever had a cluttered desk and felt stressed with a whole lot of things weighing you down, you’ll know it’s not possible to be creative or inspired or even to think clearly. This directly impacts your prosperity.

Take a break, clear your desk and the energy will starts flowing again.

Jen: So, will you give us some advice? What step(s) would you recommend that readers take in their own workspaces?

Vicky: There are several general principles you can start with.

Position your desk in the power position. This is where your desk is as far from the door as possible, and with a view of the door from where you sit. Hopefully you have a solid wall behind you also. Being in the power position means nothing (symbolically or for real) can sneak up behind you and take you unawares. Next best thing if your desk is attached to the wall, is to position a small mirror so if someone came to your office door you’d catch the movement out of the corner of your eye. Just think, they may not know anything about Feng Shui, but you’d never find a CEO sitting with their back to the door.

Declutter (of course). Your office needs to be inspiring and to reflect where you’re going, not where you’ve been. Anything not related to your business, or related to a past business should be out of there. Anything broken needs to be removed. One of my clients had a broken clock – she removed it and immediately attracted new clients. Another client spent a whole Saturday decluttering her office – everything got the once over – and within 24 hours she had attracted six new clients. She’s a raving fan for decluttering now.

Make space for new clients – The easiest way to do this is to declutter your filing cabinet. Be ruthless. Create an empty file folder – or 5 – for the clients you’d like to attract. If your file cabinet is full of old energy, with no space for the new, you’re sending the Universe mixed messages about what you’d like.

Jen: These suggestions really fit in with this month’s theme. Do you have any other ideas for us?

Vicky: The most important thing in Feng Shui is to declutter. Your office is divided into 9 different areas, each representing part of your life and business. Your Wealth and Prosperity area is in the far left hand corner of your office when you stand at the door looking in.

What do you have there? All areas are connected but when you know that pile of old papers or that cluttered filing cabinet is in your Wealth & Prosperity area for example, it gives you an incentive to clear it out.

I have a mantra: 20 minutes is my friend. Start with just 20 minutes a day, every day. Choose a defined area to declutter each time – perhaps one drawer, perhaps the top of your desk, perhaps one bookshelf or half of a bookshelf. That way you’ll feel the difference – as opposed to doing a bit here and a bit there.

Declutter first – then add a symbol of prosperity. You do need to get the energy flowing well first. Then it’s time to add a symbol to your Wealth and Prosperity area. This can be anything that represents abundance to you. Money, an image of your future boat, a sunset – something personal to you. You can check to see where the different areas of the Bagua are located here.

Jen: Cool – a freebie! Thanks for that tip!

Vicky: Use these tips to give your workspace an energy shake up and you’ll feel the difference immediately. Create a workspace that inspires and supports your success, and your creativity will be greatly enhanced – and that in turn will boost the prosperity of your business.

Jen: Thank you so much – this is terrific information. Now I’m jazzed to work on my Wealth and Prosperity Area!

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My friends, April is here and it’s time.

I’ve never done the spring cleaning thing. It’s too Martha. Too cliche. But you know what? Something’s got to motivate me – and I need your help.

So I’m issuing a challenge – to you (and myself):

• 1. Pick one thing you want to clean up this month.
• 2. Post what you’re going to do – here or on your own blog.
• 3. Then check in at the end of April and share how you did.

Choosing only one thing prevents overwhelm and increases the chances for success. Got a file drawer? A tower of old photos? Cobwebs in the corners?

You’ve got a lot going on, so think of just one thing you can fit into your month that will increase the amount of clear space in your office. What would increase your enjoyment of your office if it were moved or removed?

Think of a goal for April and post it here. If we do this together, it’ll be easier and more fun. I’m rounding up some help by tagging Anne, Alyson, Eric, Kelly, Miranda, and Vicky to consider doing this with me.

Are you in? What’s your spring cleaning goal?

NEWS: Kristen King of BizChicksRule.com has taken the challenge. Read about her goal here.

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Well, April is here and now is the time. This month at MyOrganizedBiz, you’ll be getting tips, ideas, and suggestions about how to get spring cleaning done – so your work can be more efficient and your business more successful.

Are you ready?

Tripping over your stuff may be painful, but cleaning it up doesn’t have to be. This month, you’ll have the chance to participate in the Spring Cleaning Challenge, get advice from experts in the field of decluttering, and see cleaning-themed Wednesday Makeovers.

If MyOrganizedBiz isn’t in your RSS feed yet, sign up today to get inspiring and supportive encouragement for your pesky projects. There IS hope!

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Unfortunately, all that sunshine means winter’s dust and cobwebs are more visible than ever. I’m getting that springtime itch to, yes, clean up.

My to-do list includes shampooing the carpets, washing windows, getting financial records under control (I’ve got a system but not using it lately), and removing wallpaper and painting.

This week’s Makeover Wednesday is about you. If you’ve been reading a little while, you know I usually give advice to others, but this week I want to know what advice you’re giving to yourself.

Take a minute to share:

• What’s on your springtime to-do list in your office or home (since you work there)?
• What neglected projects or secret corners are you getting yourself ready to tackle?

There’s power in numbers, so chime in with your goal so we can all get geared up for spring!

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