This week's tip has to do with a topic everybody wants to know about:

Clutter. We all have it and we all would like to cut down on it. As the famous feng shui consultant Karen Kingston says: "Never underestimate the effect of clutter on your life."

Clutter represents stuck energy--its like stagnant water and affects you in much the same way--things start feeling murky and start to make you feel bogged down. Basically, clutter is anything that you keep that stagnates your energy because it serves no purpose in your life.

This week's tip is taken directly from Karen Kingston's seminar on clearing clutter (I attended her class in California, and I believe she's the best). I highly recommend her books to anyone who has a clutter problem.

1. Identify clutter zones in your house. Walk through the house with a pen and paper and write down areas that are cluttered with stuff. Usual culprits are the basement, the attic, the "junk room" and the garage but clutter can be anywhere in the house from kitchen cabinets to the children's playroom.

Keep your list handy and when you have a few minutes or hours, you'll have a guide to go by.

2. Decide to clear out one small area or even just a drawer. Do not attempt to de-clutter the entire house in one weekend--it is easy to become overwhelmed. Attack clutter in small segments. You can finish the whole house quite comfortably in this manner. Perseverence is the key.

3. When sorting good stuff from clutter, do not ask yourself "Will this come in handy some day?" Almost always the answer is yes or maybe. Ask yourself instead "What does this do for me? Does it make me feel better or does my energy drop when I look at it?"

4. Have plenty of trash receptacles around the house. Empty them every day either at the end of the day or first thing each morning. Have enough around so that when you want to throw something away, you can.

5. Repeat to yourself as you clear clutter "It's safe to let go." Getting rid of clutter is about trusting in life to bring you what you need rather than hanging on to things "just in case." The "just in case" mind set carries a sense of lack into life. Let go of things that no longer serve you and see how abundant real life really is.

All of your belongings have a grip on your attention. Clearing clutter leaves you free to make a difference in the world. And that's the biggest benefit of all.