Feng Shui is a 5000-year-old Chinese philosophy that means “the art of placement.” The mantra in Darrin Zeer’s Office Feng Shui is “clear your mind, clear your workspace.” This is a book you can read in an hour, but clutter and chaos won’t magically disappear from the office until you implement the suggestions. So I did, to test-drive the advice for you.
Simple advice is hard to follow. We already know that we could work better from a clean slate, but don’t know where to start. We’re bogged down with tasks, tangled cords and jangling telephones. With the help of Frank Montagna’s cheerful illustrations, Zeer shows us the way.
Let it flow
Feng Shui is all about the subtle flow of energies around us, and those who dismiss this as hocus pocus need only look as far as their desk to see that the mishmash of papers and coffee cups and folders spilling with forgotten tasks leaves their energy scattered and drained. Call it what you want—it’s undeniable that our moods and mindsets follow our organization.
Chi is also the cornerstone of martial arts training, and directing your own energy flow or that of your enemy is the desired goal. All those kick-ass jumps and punches and the focused mind and body that comes from kung fu is all about chi. Zeer doesn’t ask you to get off your fanny but the same principles can work at work. And because my mind is the overactive, unfocused type that seizes a billion projects at once, my office tends to be a matching whirlwind. It was daunting to begin, but once I removed 17 broken pencils and a tangle of earrings from the top drawer (really, who even uses pencils?) there was no turning back.
Don't forget the computer files
The desktop was harder. Could I really function without an endless array of folders and word files handy? Gritting my teeth, I erased unfinished, abandoned files. I put one “assorted” file away for anything that I could reasonably expect to resurface, and committed to clean it out in a few months if there were no follow-ups. I left current projects on the desktop, sneaking them all into one file called simply “main.”
Then I began placement according to Zeer’s map. The danger zone of my desk had been so full of junk that my keyboard teetered on top of it. The map says to leave this zone empty as the “circle of calm.” The top right area, or circle of care, is where a vase of flowers goes, so that nature is never lost in the grim humdrum of beeping technologies. I skipped some stuff like wrapping pennies in a red scarf, but did place a treasured brooch that belonged to my grandmother nearby. Finally, I saved myself from a sure future breakdown by finally storing an extra cell phone charger on hand.
The test-drive results
By the end of this overhaul, I felt calmer. I know my tendency to let stuff pile up, so I scheduled a 15-minute appointment with myself on Wednesday mornings to clear, clean, freshen and zap. The chi must be working or I wouldn’t be planning proactive organization.
Two weeks go by. I’m giddy with the fact that I have done more work in less time, and have more money on the way. Best of all, it’s now “work” to pick up fresh flowers every few days. Rush out and get this gem, and leave it on hand in your circle of care.
About the Author
Darrin Zeer, a relaxation consultant for corporations, is the best-selling author of Office Yoga, Office Spa, and Everyday Calm, all available from Chronicle Books. He travels around North America encouraging people to stay calm, enjoy their work and be successful. He has appeared on CNN, in The Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine, on NPR radio and Web MD, and in hundreds of other media venues. Darrin spent seven years in Asia studying the Eastern arts of yoga and meditation. He lives in California, where he writes and consults for companies like 3M, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, CNN, and the Food Bank. www.relaxationconsultants.com
Author: Darrin Zeer
Number of pages: 95
Publisher: Chronicle Books
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