De-cluttering, at times, can be a daunting project for anybody to tackle. If you are currently feeling squeezed by the economy or are job hunting, de-cluttering can seem like an overwhelming task.

So why am I recommending that you de-clutter your home now?

 For a very simple reason: if you want to bring anything new into your space (or life), you need to get rid of the old. The old in this case is the clutter. More importantly, any type of clutter creates a block or obstacle to what you really want to accomplish in life. That could be more money, a better job or a whole new career.

So, where should you start?  By focusing on the following four areas in your home: Your bed, your stove, your desk & your front door. These areas are extremely important in feng shui and are relatively simple areas to de-cluttering.

These are the key four areas in a home that a professional feng shui practitioner will look at and assess when analyzing a person's home and life. Any clutter in these areas translates into clutter, not only in your home, but more importantly in your life. So, let's get started.

 You Bed-

The bed is the most important piece of furniture in your home. It is here you spend the most time (sleeping or relaxing), just on one piece of furniture! Therefore, clutter around the bed is discouraged.

 There should be no papers, books, children's toys, cloths and athletic equipment on either side of the bed. Also, nothing is permitted under the bed. No boxes, photo albums-NOTHING. It is imperative that Chi' can flow smoothly around your bed when you are sleeping.

Once you have successfully de-cluttered around your bed, keep the momentum going and de-clutter the rest of your bedroom. This room should be a sanctuary. A place where you can think quietly, rest, nap and sleep. By taking out the clutter, you are eliminating a major stress source. Yes, clutter makes us anxious, unhappy, scattered, depressed and even stressed out.

 Your Stove-

Your stove represents wealth in feng shui. For thousands of years, you were considered a "wealthy person", if you had enough food to eat, a concept we do not even think about today. Yet, your stove is of major importance to your personal wealth.

So how do you de-clutter a stove? First, look on top of your stove. Do you keep any pots or pans on the stove, even when it is not in use? Look right above your stove. Do you have lots of cooking items and utensils scattered about? Do all your burners work?

Since the stove is so important and it is so closely tied to your income, below is a recommended list of:

How to "clean up/de-clutter" the stove:

v     Make sure all the burners are working

v     Make sure the oven, clock and any other feature on the stove is in proper working order

v     Use all the burners. You want to spread your wealth around in your life. Plus, unused burners are ‘dormant' and this can hinder your creation (or making) of money

v     Keep the stovetop and oven CLEAN. A clean stove keeps the Chi fresh and alive which helps simulate wealth

Your Desk

Your desk is a place that, ideally, should be kept neat, clean and orderly. The desk is often "command central" when dealing with the family's finances or when looking for a new job. Unfortunately most desks look like a bomb just hit it!

Here is a useful list of de-cluttering tips to use when:

Organizing your desk:

v     Pull everything out of the desk and off the top. Sort through and place each item in one of the following three plain boxes: 1. Garbage, 2. Keep-to be filed (or stored) in another place beside the desk, 3.Items to go back into the desk

v     Thoroughly clean the desk

v     Make sure you have enough storage space in your home office area. People end up using their desktop's as a make shift filing cabinet. Why? Because they ran out of filing space. If you need to invest in more storage space, do it! It will greatly cut down on the chaos and clutter that your desktop (and you) is currently experiencing.

v     File papers and documents, at a minimum every other day. Papers pile up quickly and there will never be an end to the paper flow. Make a commitment to file away everything you can on your desk top every other day. Every day is even better.

v     Pencil drawers should be added to help organize the small items such as paperclips, stamps, etc.

v     If you have lingering magazines floating around, keep them only for that month and then toss them. If you find a pertinent article, tear sheet it, label and file it. Do not keep the whole magazine. You can also scan it and file it in your computer.

v     Make sure to de-clutter your computer's desktop

Your Front Door

The front door is important since this is where the fresh Chi enters into your home. The front door is also called the Mouth of Chi. this is literally and figuratively the point where new life enters into your house and your life. What better area to de-clutter if you are striving to boost your income or look for a new job.

De-cluttering your front door area:

v     Make sure your front door is in excellent conditions. There should be no major cracks, holes or gaps.

v     The door should not be squeaky or stick when opening or closing.

v     There should be NO CLUTTER on either side of the doorway. This will obstruct the flow of fresh Chi.

v     Clean and polish all brass work on the door.

v     Be sure the doorbell works properly.

v     De-cluttering the landing outside the door and the entranceway inside the house. Nothing should obstruct this area.

By cleaning and de-cluttering these four important areas in your home, you are opening the pathway for Chi to enter your life. Fresh Chi is the catalyst for positive change and improvement in life. In order to get a new job or earn more money, you need to open yourself up to change. Change and getting what you really want can occur by successfully de-cluttering your home.