I am not naturally organized.
And I don’t care.
I have other talents.
But I do sometimes envy those OCD folks because, oy, organization is SO SO SO SO SO important to feng shui.
I do my best. And I must say, I’ve come a long way since being the messiest roommate in the college suite.
Of course, in my weaker moments, when I have let things go a bit, I cough it up to my creative energy or right-brainedness or whatever mumbo-jumbo…
…and it’s true, my strengths are there (even in mumbo-jumbo)…and I’m not going to fight that, because I’m lucky in that regard…but still….
…if you know anything about feng shui, you know that it’s a total COP OUT to not get organized, no matter what side of your brain you tend to favor.
Don’t COP OUT, People! I have help for you!!! And it’s easy as 1-2-3. Literally. Yay!
My feng shui teacher, Sharon Stasney, (look up her books), taught us this method. It works for creatives and neat freaks alike.
Here it is. Dun, dun, duuunnnn….
Sometimes a scary word, huh? PRIORITIES.
Not this time.
This time, it’s gonna save yo’ little fanny!
The PRIORITY SYSTEM:
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Priority 1 items are the things you use almost every day and are placed in the most accessible places. The most accessible places may be your desktop, your countertop, or next to the sink in your bathroom, or the top of your nightstand. The ONLY things that should be in this highly accessible places are things you use frequently!!!
(Note: All these kitchen photos are a Real Simple Real-Life Kitchen Makeover.)
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there is still quite a bit out. let’s hope these people actually cook and drink coffee. I bet they do! |
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see how when you leave only Priority 1 items out, it just looks sooooooo nice and clean and fresh. rest for your brain! |
i.e. In my own kitchen, on my countertop, I have a toaster and my Vitamix. I do have a few supplements sitting out as well a jar for the scrub brush. And my fruit bowl in the corner, for aesthetics and easy-grabbing. That is all. I used to have a nice set up cookbooks out, but guess what, I rarely use recipes and when I do, it’s usually off the Internet, so I moved them to…
—a
Priority 2 area! i.e. The bookshelf. I’d still like access to them, but honestly, even as I write this (I don’t have many because I pared down greatly over the years), I’m wondering if I should pare down even more! Anyway,
Priority 2 areas are places that are accesssible but not in your immediate experience all the time. In the kitchen, it’s the drawers and cabinets that are easy to get to. In the office, it’s the file cabinet that you may need to reach a little further for or just across the room.
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Priority 2 in the Kitchen. You don’t need pots and pans on the counter! |
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I see Priority 1, 2, and 3 here, really. |
–The Priority 3 areas are those places where you store items, but, say, you may need the step stool. It’s the bundt cake pan for the cakes you bake three or four times a year, that you put in the overhead cupboard. It’s the part of your basement where you store your summer clothes in the winter. It’s the attic, where you store your Christmas decorations, saving the linen closet for linens, etc.
–I even like to tag on Priority 4 areas for stuff like taxes from the past 7 years or even keepsakes that you aren’t going to revisit often. That’s the back of the attic and the back of the basement. 🙂
This is IMMENSELY helpful on getting your home in order.
After all, when this is all done, maintenance will be the key. And oh, what a key that is! But don’t worry about it now…
JUST GET TO IT!