Your Energy, Your Environment

By Author: Joann Javons
Total Articles: 5
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A recent Oprah show stopped me in my tracks. I glanced up from my reading and there, right on that show, I saw what could have been my own office! Piles of papers, files, notes, magazines, all neatly stacked in rows, giving the appearance of order.
A recent Oprah show stopped me in my tracks. I glanced up from my reading and there, right on that show, I saw what could have been my own office! Piles of papers, files, notes, magazines, all neatly stacked in rows, giving the appearance of order. But it was a visual eyesore. And the owner had to plow through each stack to find what they wanted! With crew, cameras, and a professional designer in tow, Oprah visited other offices as well as people's homes. I was amazed to see that every person had one area in an otherwise well-organized office or home that sorely needed attention. Without exception, every person had an area that both drained energy and wasted their time. Each of those disorganized areas represented some obstacle to the owner, some challenge they had yet to get through. And some block to their creative energy. Here was the key for me: I really hadn't ...
... looked at my total office. It was as if I had mentally "blocked out" part of it. My desk faces a window with a gorgeous view of trees, flowers, an ever-blue sky, shining sun, all of which inspire me every day...that was all I really looked at! But what about the other side of my office, where all the stuff was piled in neat stacks? I was so accustomed to the piled stacks on the left of my office that I didn't even look at it!. But of course, I knew all that stuff was there. In fact, I was simply tolerating its existence, as if it had to be that way. But things you simply tolerate are draining your energy. Take a look around: what are you tolerating in your office or your home? Control your environment and free up your energy! Your energy will be released when you work in an environment that gives you a sense of serenity, beauty, and joy plus, you'll be able to find things faster! Here are 3 Key Steps to free up your energy and time in your office environment: 1. Get Tall What can you store ‘tall' rather than ‘wide'? Think of replacing short bookcases with a tall one or even stacking and securing short bookcases on top of each other. You want to get your storage going up your wall so you can create more floor space. I had an extra desk in my office, left over from the days when I had time to make crafts. Now, that wide desk was being used to stack magazines, papers, files, and other items that I needed to organize or toss. And, taking up lots of floor space. Out went the old wide desk and in came a new 6 feet high pine-smelling bookcase. The tall bookcase both opened up office space and forced me to file or toss items. 2. Get containers in the SAME type and size. Preferably, with lids on them. Label the front of your containers. Most people put items in containers of different types, sizes, shapes, even colors. That approach creates a sense of "dis-order", disrupts the flow, and you end up with a different kind of cluttered look! When you use containers that are the same TYPE (color, texture, design, even size), you create a sense of order and serenity. The labels tell you at a glance what's inside. The lids hide what's inside because you don't need to look at it, until you're ready. 3. "When was the last time you used this?" That's the question to ask as you're deciding what to keep, what to toss. It can be tough to ‘let go', but that's the only way to open up the flow so you can create serenity, harmony, and joy in your environment. About the Author Joann Javons is a consultant and coach with a passion for helping people be all they can be. She is the owner of http://www.AttractClients.com, http://www.private-practice-marketing.com, and http://www.peoplepoems.com