Can clearing out your closet really change your life? I never get tired of telling people how and why it can. Most people tell themselves they'll "get to it" over the weekend. Then the weeks come and go and before you know it, it has been a year and your closet is still a mess. The number one thing my clients tell me (besides that they admire the style of Kate Middleton most) is that they can't believe it took them so long to clean/clear out their closets. What they really mean is that they can't believe how long they've taken to REALIZE THE BENEFITS of it. If they had understood before, they wouldn't have waited so long.
Since I had a baby 5 weeks ago, my closet has been looking like a client's before picture. Between managing my business while I'm absent (was that an oxymoron?), writing thank you notes and snuggling with the baby, I have not been able to prioritize cleaning out my closet. However, every morning when I go to get dressed, I am overwhelmed by the amount of clothes in my closet that don't work. Over and over again, I just reach for the same basic black items that I know will work. Being who I am, I was not willing to let this go on any longer (much less for the months or even years most of my clients had before they found me). Last week I ordered a bunch of new tops online (and on clearance!) in bright, happy colors; and a few days ago I FINALLY started taking the maternity clothes out before I put in the new, fun clothes that make me feel good.
The benefits? Now I can get dressed again! Also, I'm not hesitant to accept a lunch or coffee date because I know I can grab something out of my closet in a minute that works and energizes me. In addition, I'm more motivated to exercise and eat right so that I can get back into my old clothes. Do I only have a handful of pants that fit me right now? Yes. However, having two pairs of jeans that work freaks me out a whole lot less than having to find the only two that work, under a pile of seven that don't, in a ridiculously crowded closet. A woman with two kids does not have time to dig through her closet every morning!
The moral of this story is not that you need to buy new clothes, but that you can and deserve to have a stress-free morning (maybe you can't make the kids wear matching clothes, eat their breakfast or remember their lunch, but at least you won't be spending unnecessary time finding your own clothes). Buying new clothes won't help if you can't see the forest for the trees in your own closet!
You can find much of what remains to be said about how and why to clear the clutter in your closet in my past blogs. See below for the list of "greatest hits" to motivate you to clear your closet this year. In January. Not December.
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