Interest in Feng Shui has been rapidly growing over the past years.  While some companies espouse it wholeheartedly and hire Feng Shui consultants before even drawing plans for a building or choosing the actual site, others still see it as some sort of touchy/feely concept that doesn’t belong in the workplace. 

Regardless of where you fall within these two ends, Feng Shui maintains a basic association with clutter that  is fundamental to the practice.  Following its principles will lead to improved productivity at the office and at home.

The word clutter itself comes from the Middle English word “clotter,” meaning “coagulate.”  That gives you a good mental picture of what happens:  a little clutter attracts more clutter, and all that clutter causes our energy to dissipate.

Think about what is in your office now.  Does everything lend itself to the job at hand, or do you have:

• Things you do not use?
• Things you do not like?
• Things that are messy?
• Things that are disorganized?
• Too many things in small spaces?

The more clutter that accumulates, the more difficult it becomes to find the energy to deal with it.  It wears you out.  Energy is blocked.  Aside from feeling better when you made an effort to clear your spaces, ridding yourself of clutter will have other effects:

• People form an impression of you from the way your surroundings look.  With disorganization around you, you may look as if you cannot be counted on or you are not ready for more responsibility.
• Too much clutter leads to more procrastination.  Because your energy is affected, you tend to keep putting things off until tomorrow.
• This can make you disorganized, creating problems among office staff.  See my article on “The Disorganization of Others.”  It may also irritate family members, and that stress carries over into the workplace.
• It can be embarrassing when you have to move piles off a chair or clear a path when someone drops in.
• Expenses can add up.  I know companies that moved into larger spaces because they didn’t have enough room when all they needed to do was rearrange what they had.

When you work with a clear desk, you increase productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction.  Take the first steps in Feng Shui and clear your spaces to clear your mind.