There is an entryway rug that is the source of much consternation between myself and my staff. My law practice consists of me and three staff members. We are based in rainy Portland, Oregon. To salvage my carpet, I purchased an entryway doormat. The logic is pretty simple, when people enter the doorway with their soggy shoes, they can wipe them on the doormat. I placed the mat right in front of the door. Within a few days, it had been moved to the center of the entryway about four feet from the door. I moved the mat back to directly in front of the door. The next morning it was again four feet from the door in the center of the hallway. Thinking the third time is the charm, I moved it back to directly by the door. The next morning it was still where it was supposed to be. However, the following Monday, the mat was back to the center of the hallway. Out of sheer frustration I blurted out “Why is this mat being constantly moved?” My staff immediately replied “Better Feng Shui in the center of the hall”
Feng Shui
According to the Cambridge dictionary, feng shui is an ancient belief system which teaches us that the way you arrange objects in your house or office affects your success, health and happiness. This is something I would never consider when contemplating where to put a doormat. However, looking at the rug with a fresh set of eyes, I had to admit that aesthetically, it looked better in the center of the hallway, so I gave in.
Until the next rainy day. I arrived early at my office with soaking shoes, unlocked the door and swung it open. I was about to step inside when I saw that if I did not want my dripping shoes to hit the carpet, I would have to leap to the rug. Which is exactly what I did. After wiping my feet, I immediately moved the rug to directly in front of the door. Practicality won out!
For a short amount of time. The next dry day, the doormat was back to the center of the hallway. My staff and I reached an impasse. They wanted good feng shui, I wanted dry carpet. We reached an uneasy compromise that on wet days the rug will be by the door. On dry days, in the center of the hallway.
Coaching and Feng Shui
The skeptical part of my brain was telling me that feng shui is foolish and a waste of time. Then I started thinking about some of the things that coaches tell their clients. Preaching to clients to “think positive,” and “do what you love.” We coaches offer a lot of methods to reach happiness, but sometimes put our slogans first and ignore the practical issues that clients are dealing with. Issues such as paying school loans and/or mortgages, dealing with a new baby, or stressing over an upcoming trial.
As coaches and clients, we need to remember that there are no short-cuts to achieving satisfaction and happiness. It takes a realistic look at your strengths and weaknesses. Contemplation of where you want to be in your career. Finally, it takes hard work and constant striving to move forward. Feng shui may offer nice aesthetics. But if it is your sole plan to achieving success, I would bet that you are setting yourself up for failure.