Crowded Closets are not Fun

Sometimes my closets remind me of the "Shoemaker's children" because my poor closets are often neglected. Thankfully, I was able to spend about an hour on my bedroom closet this past weekend. 

Here are my "takeaway" tips for you:

• Pretend you are working on someone else's closet. It's so easy to get overwhelmedwhen dealing with your own stuff.  Take everything off of your shelves first - when the space is empty,you can be more objective about what should go where. Out of season clothing can be placed in the hard to reach spots.  
• Sort like things together. Put your winter stuff together (and hopefully place in a far away place) and sort the current season's clothing in categories (sleeveless, short sleeve, dressy tops, jackets, sweaters, shorts, slacks). 
• Have a bag nearby for items to donate and put them in as you go through everything.
• Put your current season's clothes in your bedroom closet and move the out of season hanging clothes to another location.
• Get rid of all but one spare pairs of sneakers - one spare pair is enough.
• Use the easy-to-reach places for the items you use the most. My bottom shelf has my dog walking clothes and other things I use daily.

Beware of these common roadblocks:

Overwhelm   Where do I begin?

Solution  Begin with a 5 minute decluttering session – grab a bag and put some giveaways in there. Don't over  deliberate about whether to  consign or donate - just decide  what needs to go.

  

Fear What if I don't have time to finish and make an even bigger mess?

Solution Start slow – do one section at a  time and start with the easiest  stuff first – belts? scarves?  clothes that don't fit?

Indecision What if I end up needing this?

Solution If you are really afraid to get rid  of something, place it in a  "marinade" box. Go to your  calendar and pick a date (a few  months out). If you haven't  gone to your marinade box by  that date, then you can  give yourself permission to let  it go.

    

Stamina I can't physically do it.

Solution Ask for help - if you have a non-judgmental person in your life, see if you can barter with them..  you can do a more sedentary favor for them and they can help you climb, lift and carry clothes.

   

And a few parting words for your enjoyment...

• Let go of perfectionism - if your piles don't look perfect, it doesn't matter. Your goal is to DOWNSIZE.  
• Easy does it – but do it. Spend 5 minutes... but do it a few times a week and you WILL see a difference.
• Schedule regular donation pick ups or drop offs - this will give you a needed excuse to gather unwanted items.

Set a goal of when you want to have this completed. If you do not meet your goal and feel discouraged and overwhelmed, then please contact me. I would love to help you.