I don’t know if the New Year ambition and the smell of new set goals have begun to fade. This morning, I woke up with zero drive to do anything. So, not wanting to waste a beautiful, cold indoor sort of day, I sat around and scrolled Pinterest to stimulate some inspiration in my brain.
The last few months have been busy.
So, I make my way back and forth from the laundry room between scrolls. There are small mountains of clothing that have been staring back at me for a long time.
Yet, despite the last actual laundry day being sometime in 2021, my girls and I have never once said, “I don’t have anything to wear.”
This unfortunate thought made me realize we have too many clothes for our good.
Today became a good day to clean out closets and man the laundry room while everyone else was out of the house.
So far, I have thrown many clothes away that should have been laid to rest a long time ago. But, they kept making their way into the laundry room and the washing machine.
I allowed my busy schedule to keep me from keeping minimalism front and center in my home. The girls do well with sharing clothes, but dang. They have A LOT of clothes.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by your clothes?
Read on, and tame that overstuffed closet.
CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSET
You may have been like me and taken the opportunity to thin your closet during the 2020 Stay Home Order.
I hate to remind you of this, but 2020 was two years ago.
Do you know how many Pinterest board fashions you have gone through since then? Or, if you’re like me and realize you put on 20 pounds since then, your clothes probably don’t fit right anymore.
Pull everything out and start sorting.
Get all Marie Kondo on your clothes and start thinning everything out.
Assess the Damage
Going through my closet made me realize how much money I spend on clothes. Now that I have an eye for investing, it makes me ill to think of how much money I have “invested” in my closet.
My style and sizes have changed throughout the years and even the past few months.
If this is you, you’re not alone. So give yourself grace, and take this next step to improve your past downfalls.
Start Sorting
Right off the bat, you’ll be able to see the items that you know for a fact that does not belong in your closet anymore.
Put those items into separate piles: donate, keep, still deciding, and sell.
Don’t take too much time on this. Make a decision and move through it. Clothes and accessories are replaceable. If the item means something to you, then keep it.
The ‘still deciding’ pile does precisely what it says. Store these items in a box out of sight. Set a date in your calendar or planner for one to six months from today. When you haven’t gone back to the container for any items, it’s time to donate or sell them.
Don’t open the box when that day comes.
You will want to keep some of the items you see there. But, remember, they can do you some good financially or go to a new home for someone else.
Hang it Wrong
When you start to put items back in your closet, do my favorite thing: hang the hangers backward.
Set a date to remove the items on the hangers facing the wrong way.
Be realistic.
If you haven’t used an item because it’s the wrong season for it, then give it a pass and set a new reminder for an evaluation for it.
STAY ON TOP OF IT
Keeping your closet clean and organized is just one way to get a fresh perspective on life. You’ll find more joy in opening those closet doors. When you shop, you’ll have a narrow focus to only grab what you need instead of trying to fill a clothing void.
Go forth and get that fresh perspective you are craving!
