"Do you have any ideas on how to tackle one's closet? If I don't see something, I forget about it. So I have tons of clothes and no space to put them. Any ideas or help organizing would be so appreciated!" -Susan, Orange County
Some Q's for You
Thanks for your question, Susan! I have a couple questions for you: Is it a matter of organizing and utilizing space? If so, could you bring in an armoire, a dresser, or some other container to help manage and separate your items?
Or, is it a matter of making the most of the space you've got? If that's the case, a good organizing and purging might be needed.
You can start weeding things out by categories, and put them in separate containers. I prefer structured containers, such as boxes and baskets. Make sure to label them clearly. Here are some categories to play around with:
clothes you have never worn (things with tags, etc)
clothes that need mending (shortening, zipper fixed, button sewed, etc)
clothes you will never wear
clothes that make you feel icky when you wear them
clothes that remind you of past events (I was wearing ______when my boyfriend broke up with me)
clothes that are too small and make you feel guilty about your current size (I'll fit into it someday!)
clothes that are too big (do you really WANT to grow back into it? Really?)
clothes that make you feel dull
clothes that make you feel old
anything that's cheap and doesn't scream "Wealth!"
All in a Day's Work
This is something you can do a little here, a little there, over a day's time. Do it in 20 minute increments. Do 20 minutes, take a 20 minute break, 20 minutes, go for a walk, 20 minutes, check your e-mail (keep that to 20 minutes, for sure!), 20 minutes, call your friend, 20 minutes, load your laundry. Find a timer and keep it set for 20 minutes.
Hit the Return Key
Just make sure you keep coming back to it and, soon enough, it'll be done and you'll actually feel good at the end of it all! Listen to some music while you're doing it. Then, when you're done, you can assess and organize what's left by category, color, or whatever else makes sense to you. Once you've done that, decide what you'd like to keep, from the categories, make a plan to mend what needs mending and donate what's worth donating!
The Benefits
You'll get a clean, organized, de-cluttered closet and you'll become more conscious about how your clothing makes you FEEL in the process...in other words, how it affects your chi (energy). Of the two approaches, the second is usually my preferred method.
Let me know if this works for you and thanks for your question!
Posted by: |