Tag: decluttering challenge

Challenge Week 1, Day 3: Dressers

Donna Joy

One rule I made up for myself while going through my clothes is that I have to try on every.single.thing. Even if I’m pretty sure I don’t want to keep it, I’m trying it on. Ok, not holey socks, but pretty much everything else. By forcing myself to do this, I’m discovering a couple things. First, it takes FOREVER. It’s kind of painful, which helps me realize the size of this project. It also helps me be real about how much stuff I have. It helps me be real in other ways, too. Trying on the clothes I’m not sure I like forces me to think about why I got them in the first place. Did I purchase it online without really looking at the size guide? Did I somehow think I would magically stop feeling strangled by things around my neck every time I bought those crew neck shirts? I’m sensing a pattern that I just don’t look good in brown.  Forcing myself to go through the tedium of trying everything on sets a reminder in my brain that will (hopefully) help me not make those mistakes again, 

 Trying on the things I’m sure I want to keep confirms if that’s true. And sometimes it doesn’t. One of the things in my donate pile is a sweater I have worn constantly this past year. I put it on, looked in the mirror and decided, nope, you’re free to go. And if the item I’m trying on stays, I know I have it. I know I like it. I know it fits. Some things I don’t just try on – I make myself try it on as an outfit. Otherwise, that little defensive voice in my head says, “Oh, but you need this to go with that cute gray skirt.” Ok, voice, fine. Let’s try it on with the cute gray skirt. If it looks good, I have an outfit I know I like. If not, I have no qualms about adding it to the donate pile. Either way, it’s dealt with. Dana K. White, a decluttering blogger and speaker says, “Part of what you’re doing in decluttering is clearing the vagueness. One of the best perks of decluttering is awareness of what you have.” 

I love that. I spent a large portion of the last two days decluttering my clothes. But now, I know exactly what I have and where it is. And now, if I walk into Target and see a sale on long cardigans, I know I have a shelf in my closet with plenty of long cardigans. I don’t need another. 

Challenge Week 1, Day 1

Donna Joy

OK, so I’ve made the decision to look at my house and stuff through this season of Lent, using the lens of “real” by asking questions like:

How do I really feel when I step into this space?
Why did I really buy this?
Why am I really keeping this?
What image did I really hope this would project about me?

But how? Now what? Now I actually have to DO something. 

There are about six weeks until Holy Week, so I’ve chosen six general areas to examine – categories where I know I have stuff hidden away that I want to address (read: really don’t want to address):

-What do I wear?
-How do I eat?
-What activities do I engage in? 
-What do I stock up on?
-What do I store with no current purpose?
-What memories am I holding onto?

I’ve decided against room-based categories because I don’t necessarily keep all like things together in the same room and I don’t want to give myself the out of not addressing something just because it’s not in the room I’m focused on. 

I’m going to start with “What do I wear” for a couple reasons. First, I think we all have clothes. Second, I’m writing at a desk in my bedroom, so clothes are pretty much right.in.my.face. Third, clothes are really easy. and they’re really hard. Getting rid of a pair of socks with holes in it can be zero effort, but clothes can also be weirdly emotional, right? So, whether you respond best to starting a project with the easy, embracing the snowball effect (like this), or respond best to starting your day by eating a frog (concept dubiously assigned to Mark Twain here), clothes are both.

For me, I respond best by having something else to do. For all you personality test junkies, I’m a Myers-Briggs ENFP and the most accurate thing I’ve ever read about ENFP’s is that it is amazing what we’re capable of accomplishing…..when we’re supposed to be doing something else.

Like right now. 

Perhaps I need to stop writing about decluttering what I wear and go face my closet. My holey socks are waiting.

Check in on Facebook and Instagram throughout the week, I’ll be posting some photos of actually decluttering the things I wear.