Declutter Your Life – Part #1: Your Physical Home
Declutter Your Life – Part #2: Your Virtual Home
Onwards! Part #3 in our Decluttering series. This is a BIG one, baby! The wardrobe/closet. Hold onto your hats – we are going IN!
Firstly – why is this so important?
Why am I saying you that taking some time to do this is a great investment of your time into your Happiness Bank?
Well, it’s very simple.
How you dress yourself sends a message.
A message to YOU about HOW you value yourself.
How you dress yourself also sends a message to others, about WHO you are.
Like it our not, clothes are an outward reflection of our inner world.
Like it or not, the world makes snap judgments about who we are based on HOW we present. It’s just a fact.
Like it or not, how you FEEL as you move through your day will be influenced by what you feel about what you see in the mirror.
Rachel Zoe, the queen of the personal styling industry may have it wildly, stupidly, epically wrong with her glorification of Size Zero, but she does have it right when she says:
‘Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.’ – Rachel Zoe
Your personal style is always speaking. To you. To others.
The good news is you get to control what it says.
What do you think it says right now? Time to check in…
Give me three words that describe your usual manner of dress, gorgeous,
1.
2.
3.
Is this what you want? Does it suit the woman you are today? Maybe the words you use are “Boring” “Old” “Mumsy” or “Plain” or “Black”. Do these really represent how you feel about yourself? They might be an image of yourself some time ago, or something that has gradually evolved because it’s “easy” or “comfy”. I know when I did my big clear out I was shocked to find about half my wardrobe could be described with three the words: “Corporate Ass Kicker”. Now, that’s not how I see myself these days! I run my own thriving business and I work from home, and I only work with people I love and adore to work with. And I feel like each day I get to put some goodness out into the world rather than just increase shareholder value.
So, my wardrobe actually reflected the OLD me. An old identity. A massive clear out is a big message to MYSELF about who I am NOW, the life I have, the values I want to represent.
Then define three words that you would LIKE to describe how you are perceived NOW:
1.
2.
3.
If there is a gap between the first set of three words and the second that’s great news – you get to do a big declutter! And…maybe even GO SHOPPING!
Here’s the thing:
The average person spends 80% of their time in just 20 % of the items in their wardrobe. I know I do. 80% of my time is spent in jeans or yoga pants. The same 3 pairs of jeans or the same 3 pairs of yoga pants.
Now I have done my clear out and I have about 50% of my original clothes I feel like I have SO MUCH MORE to wear. I wear stuff in different and more creative combinations. It all feels like ME. The me now. I like EVERYTHING that’s in there. I have a WHOLE WARDROBE to choose from each morning, not just the bits that don’t make me look fat, or corporate asskickery.
It’s so FREEING!
You so need to do it.
A few more important myth busting points before you get started:
- Stylish clothes DO NOT have to be uncomfortable. I repeat, Stylish clothes DO NOT have to be uncomfortable. You can stop hiding behind the “but they are so comfy” hideous pair of pants that you KNOW belong in the bin. You CAN dress for style AND comfort. True. Just ask the good people at Lulu Lemon.
- No one, and I mean NO-ONE, wears their 6th favourite pair of black pants. Many of us get into the habit of buying multiples of things, it becomes our comfort blanky. It’s not helpful. It just fills the wardrobe with a really narrow range of the same stuff, and we only wear the favourite bits of that range anyway. You will wear the favourite 2 pairs of black pants 80% of the time. Fact. You do not need the other 4 pairs.
3 Questions to ask yourself as you de-clutter:
- Do I love it? Do I feel confident and good in this? Only have things to choose from that make you feel GREAT! Do not flick through going “too fat” “too fat” each morning. Flick through going “fabulous” “love it” “love it”. IT’S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY TO START YOUR DAY.
- Do I wear it? Really actually wear it. In real life. Now. That’s you now, today. Not your alter ego fantasty skinny self that’s going to rock up any day now.
- Does it project the image I want to project? What does this item say about me? Does it match the 3 words you wrote above?
When you Declutter here are my top tips:
1. Make sure you have 2 hours set aside and your blood sugar levels are UP!
2. Put on some excellent music. Good tunes. High energy.
3. Get FOUR big plastic crates or bin bags. One for Rubbish. One for Charity. One for Maybe*. One for Mending/Drycleaning.
*You only get to put 10 ITEMS IN THE MAYBE BOX.
4. Empty everything out of your wardrobe. EVERYTHING. Onto the bed or the floor. This is going to get worse before it gets better. Be okay with that.
5. Clean the wardrobe and shelves. Spray and wipe. Go.
6. Pick up each item ONLY ONCE and decide on it THEN AND THERE. DO NOT DEFER YOUR DECISION. Use the 3 questions above – Do I love it? Do I wear it? Does it say what I want it to say about me?
Then decide. If it hits all three questions with a Hell Yeah then hang it up in your new clear wardrobe.
If it doesn’t, put it in the Rubbish or the Charity Box.
If it needs altering/mending/dry-cleaning put it in that box.
If you are really really dithering and it’s a maybe, then put it in the maybe box. You are only allowed 10 items in here so choose carefully. If in doubt IT’S A NO. Remember if it’s it isn’t a HELL YEAH! I look great in this, it’s usually a Hell No.
7. Be ruthless! Work through, ONLY HANDLE EACH ITEM ONCE. DON’T PROCRASTINATE. Put it in either one of the 4 boxes or into your clean fresh minimal new you wardrobe.
8. Put the Maybe crate away for 3 months. Get it out in 3 months time. Either charity or keep – you will find you have forgotten what’s in there and wondered how the hell it was even a maybe. Bet you only keep 20% at most.
9. Be super pleased with yourself! Relish the space! Relish choosing only from stuff you love and that make syou feel great each morning! It feels super amazing. See if you are missing any KEY pieces, and give yourself to shop just for those one or two items only.
A wardrobe declutter is good for your SOUL. It sends a message to your soul every single morning when you get dressed. It sends a message out to the world about who you are and how you value yourself.
Let me know how you get on!
