Why feng shui your desk you ask? Because it is a piece of furniture that you probably use quite often, and because it's where important financial decisions are usually made. If your desk isn't optimally serving you, it could be robbing you of your vital energy.

Desk size
First of all, the size of your desk it is crucial. Big tasks need a big desk. Don't try to multitask on a single-task desk. If it's annoying you, and you feel unusually cluttered, it's probably too small.

Desk style
Think about the style of your desk and what it is projecting. Are you a fierce corporate lawyer but your desk says, 'I'm a coffee table currently posing as a desk'? I doubt that your life as a corporate lawyer could continue with this type of desk because in the world of feng shui, your environment mirrors who you really are and what you think about yourself.

Paper clutter
Now, let's talk about clutter and organisation. Here's the obvious: It's easy to fall prey to paper clutter. But everything should have its own space - this includes your desktop and the floor around your desk. Think files, trays, drawers, bins, etc. At least 50 percent of your desktop should be seen at least once a day. If that hurts to hear, you need to look under 'Organising Services' in the Yellow Pages.

Desk location and setup
Next, let's pick on the desk location and positioning. If you've got a wall or a partition right in front of you as you sit at your desk, you are not in the most powerful position possible. My advice is to turn your desk around if at all possible and get that wall or partition behind you. You should be able to see the door into the office from where you are sitting.

Cubicle cures
If you are stuck in a cubicle, the traditional feng shui cure is to place a mirror in front of you (at your desk) so you can see the door in the reflection. Now, you have 'the door' (even though it is the reflection of it) in front of you.

Getting what you want from your desk
Let's get out that ancient road map - the bagua - and see what it says about the stuff on your desk. When you sit at your desk, the bagua should be laid onto it in the following manner. Picture the top of your desk divided up into nine parts like a big noughts and crosses board. (See a simple graphic of the bagua.)

Let me start by explaining that it's best to apply feng shui to the places and spaces where you spend the most time. And since you spend over 16 hours in your bedroom and office - those are the places you should start.

Career: The space right in front of you - the centre, front square of our noughts and crosses board represents your career. The element is water and the colour is black. If you've got a glass top, try slipping a picture of a babbling brook under the glass here to signify that you are 'in the flow' of life. Tape it underneath if there is no glass - there's no need for it to be in view. A black blotter in this central area will also do the trick. I prefer simply taping a black octagon (the same shape as the bagua) under my desk here.

Wisdom: The front (closest to you) left-hand one ninth square is the wisdom area. Helpful feng shui items to place here are books, or anything that reminds you of higher knowledge or wise people. Anything blue can do the trick too as it is the associated colour for this area. (Don't forget the organisation of your drawers in this area as well.)

Family: The centre left-hand side of the desk is reserved for the family and things of the past from a feng shui standpoint. This is a great place to put family photos; especially in wooden frames as wood is the element for this area. Green is the colour for this area in case you have anything green on your desk.

Prosperity: The left-hand rear one-ninth area as we go around your desk clockwise is the prosperity area. A computer works well in this area because it is an expensive item (anything that costs a lot is fine here), but you can use something that reminds you of wealth and riches, or something that makes you feel like you are lucky or have many blessings. For instance, a pound-sign paperweight, an 'in box' (as in money coming in!) or even a live plant can be helpful to you in this area. Just make sure that the plant stays healthy - we want no withering here. Purple is a great colour for this area if you've got any lying around.

Fame and Reputation: Someone got it right when they decided that the centre back one ninth of the desk should be the traditional place to put business cards on display or a bar that says 'Jane Doe, Director' because this is the place to let people know who you are. Red is the best colour for this area if you happen to have a red business card holder or similar. A plant works well here too (this would be the only place appropriate for a cactus). As fire is the element for this space, any candle or desk light would be right at home here as well.

Relationships: The right-hand rear part of your desk should be saved for your husband, lover or anyone who is in your intimate world. Enhance this area with pink and the obvious 'love symbols' like hearts and puckered lips. Since electrically powered objects can invigorate the chi (life energy) in a space, you may use your computer to uplift the chi here if you need a little love jolt.

Creativity and children: Now we're at the mid right-hand side of the desk. Got kids? Put them here - in a metal frame of course as metal is the element we're playing for (and white is the colour, by the way). A bell is always a nice way to keep your attention on the task at hand. If you have any fun stuff like a cartoon mug or a troll doll, place it over in this direction.

Helpful people and travel: My signature cure, the 'helpful people box,' is something I always recommend to my clients for this area, so I'll let you in on the little secret too. Somewhere to the right and near the front (towards you) of your desk there should be a silver or grey box (these are the colours best here) that holds the (handwritten) names of everyone who you need help from in life. If you don't have specific names, write something like, 'Thank you for the most efficient, affordable and reliable copy machine repairman,' and place it in your box if that's what you currently need in your life. This box works very literally, so don't write, 'I need a good repair man.' Write the note as if it's already turned out for the best. And by the way, the 'thanking' element works like a charm. Perhaps this is where you keep your address book, palm pilot, or even the entire telephone book. Or place your accounts receivable list here so the money comes in on time.

Health: The only place on your desk that we haven't covered yet is the centre square. This area governs your physical health and balance. Like the career gua, it is easiest to tape a big round yellow paper underneath. (Yellow is the best colour for this area.) Because this gua is in the central part of your desk it is often hard to place something here. But if you do have the space, the earth element is best. How about a stone, or even a small plant with real dirt in the pot? If you have a glass desktop, place a picture of yourself at your healthiest or someone who is the epitome of health as a symbol.

Note: Now that you know all the colours of each area, you could easily stick coloured paper underneath your desk and be done with it!