A couple of weeks ago, we held our first Combat Clutter Day for the home-based entrepreneur. It was a tremendous success for participants.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = \"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office\" />

The goal was simple -- rid your workspace and life of unnecessary clutter and reap the rewards of a clear mind and clear desk.

Feng shui experts agree that a cluttered environment can cripple your creativity and the flow of money into your life.

You may think the term \"environment\" refers only to your physical surroundings, but not so. Your environment may also be cluttered with toxic or unbalanced relationships, a negative mindset or faulty mental programming.

If you find your energy drained and creativity stalled, it\'s probably time to rid yourself of unnecessary clutter in your life.

Take a look at the following statements as they relate to your life and physical environment. Answer them as either true or false.

1. Your desk is covered with loose papers, stacks of file folders, receipts, empty coffee mugs, kid\'s school projects, pens, pencils, post-it notes, unread documents and a half eaten bag of Oreos.

2. You\'re afraid to open your hallway closet because if you do, it may take days before your body is found beneath the rubble.

3. You have so many cardboard boxes and plastic bins accumulated in your office, there\'s a family of squirrels living among them that you\'re not even aware of.

4. There are people in your life who call you several times a day because they\'re bored, need to borrow something, want to gossip and complain, talk about what happened on Days of Our Lives, or can\'t make a decision without your opinion first.

5. You spend the majority of your time thinking about everything that is wrong in your life instead of what is possible and available to you.

If you answered \"true\" to even one of these statements, you have clutter and whether or not you realize it, it brings with it a negative energy that is blocking your progress.

When you\'re surrounded by clutter, your efficiency is reduced, productivity is thwarted, creativity is diminished, tolerance is lowered and your bottom line ultimately suffers.

Fortunately, clutter can be removed and it doesn\'t have to be unpleasant or difficult. The only requirement on your part is commitment to rid yourself of it and a willingness to take action.

Remember, Rome wasn\'t built in a day so understand that a series of steps will be required to achieve clutter-free success. It\'s probably taken years for you to reach this point, so be kind to yourself in the process. De-cluttering your life is very doable.

Step 1: Take a look at your physical environment. What one item (room, desk, closet, garage, car) makes you wince every time you look at it?

Step 2: Select your target and develop a plan on how you will tackle the clutter. If, for example, you choose your home office, what improvements do you want to see -- a clear desk, organized files, to see out the window that is blocked by boxes? 

Step 3: Break the area down into quadrants and select your first one to work on. As you go through the quadrant and handle each item, decide one of three things .. keep, donate or discard.

Step 4: Have boxes or containers on hand to sort your items or just create a series of piles. Put all of your \'discard\' items out at the curb or take them to a landfill site. Call the Diabetes Association, Salvation Army or a local charity to pick up your \'donate\' items.

Step 5: Turn your attention to your \'keep\' items and determine a specific place for each of them. You may need to purchase storage units, file cabinets or stacking trays for your desk.

Step 6: Find a resting place for each item and commit to putting things in their place after each use. Taking one extra step in the moment saves you ten down the road. Sometimes reserving a few minutes at the end of each day or an hour or two a week to file, tidy and organize is all you need to remain clutter-free.

Step 7: Shift your attention to your social environment. What relationships are draining you of energy and blocking your productivity? 

When you work from home, you can easily fall prey to social creatures who love to steal your time. Create \"business hours\" and enforce them. No personal visits, telephone calls or e-mail.

If there are people who are filling your space with negativity or discouraging your efforts, make the hard decision as to whether or not there\'s a place in your life for them. Become very stingy with how you spend your time and with whom.

Step 8: Take a look at your own mindset. What kind of thoughts make up the majority of your day? Are they worrisome, angry, confused, fearful, negative? How much time in each day are your thoughts focused on abundance, growth, prosperity, love, or happiness? How much time each day do you spend complaining, gossiping, thinking about why things can\'t be done or won\'t work?

If your thoughts are cluttered with negative energy, your results in life and business will reflect those thoughts. 

Clutter in any area of your life can easily spill over into other areas, so it\'s important to understand this reality and keep it in check.

Once you realize the importance of living a clutter-free existence and take action to make it happen, you will reap the rewards of increased prosperity, happiness, productivity, and natural creative flow.

Take a look at your surroundings and the results you\'re creating in your life. Commit to removing the clutter and I promise, you\'ll open the doors to everything you\'ve been searching for.

2006 © Laurie Hayes - The HBB Source