Letting go (inside your closet)

 

 Contributed by Deb Neuman & Kim Corey

I don't know what it is about this time of year but I start "nesting".  It must because the days of spending as much time as possible outdoors are now transitioning to days spent inside as cooler weather makes it's approach. So I decided it was time to tackle my clothes situation.   A situation that is challenged with very small closets, limited storage space and a change in careers that has taken me out of an environment that requires suits and heels every day into blue jeans.   I looked at those suits, skirts, heels that were overflowing from my closet and realized it had been a year since those suits have seen the light of day! It was time to attack, purge and get organized!  Thankfully our contributor, Professional Organizer Kim Corey has some great tips to help me and you do the same...    


1.  When you open the door to your closet you should be able to see everything at a glance like a paper filing system - which only works if the Manila folder tab has a label. Likewise the items in your closet should have their own label. The label is a viewable piece of the fabric, shoe, belt, etc. 

2.  Every item you want should be accessed with one motion. If you have to move something to get it, that increases the frustration level each time and makes replacing the item after use one step more than preferable because you have to move something to put it back.  Usually this means it is thrown on top of the item it was under that you had to move to get at it, thus beginning the chaos.  It doesn't take long for the order you created to deteriorate when things are not put back exactly where they came from.  The order also remains longer if all the hangars are the same,  preferably a sturdy plastic or wood that won't break under the weight of a blazer.

If this is impossible because of space limitations Kim suggests...

3.  Review your wardrobe to define in piles what you want to save, what you want to give to a charity and what to put in the rag bag or toss.  I recommend you do the entire closet in one session so that life does not erase it from the priority list.  I also put nothing on the closet floor for ease of cleaning and my own sense of Fen Shui.
 
Many of my clients add another pile called "to give to (friend or family member)".   I discourage this unless it's a very expensive item you can't sell  - because it usually resides in a pile or a bag until you next see that person... or it sits on a counter until you get it packaged up and to the post office. So often I see this create blockage in the clearing of the home and just adds to your mental to do list - creating more stress. 

Furthermore this "stuff" is often a burden on the receiver - unless it's something that is of great sentimental value to them (they keep it so it wont hurt your feelings and it becomes more "stuff" for them to have to deal with).  Some things indeed "the children will value when they grow up", and that may be true in moderation but if your space is limited - you must limit the "sentimentals".  

I'm still tackling my closets - but I'm making great progress thanks to Kim's tips and the discovery of a second hand clothing store that takes consignments.  I took my best suits there and was extra motivated to get rid of the suits I was "on the fence about" knowing I would earn a little cash!  I decided to use that cash to help fund a trip!  I also donated a lot to charity and that feels great.  I have more space in my closets, fewer "piles" in my room and a sense of "space" and a fresh start in my soul.   But I will admit - there are just some things I can't and won't part with...and that's ok too!