If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen some posts and several stories where I share my outfit of the day (#ootd). I began sharing photos of what I was wearing at the start of 2018 for a few different reasons – but the most important one was as a challenge to myself.
You see, I decided that 2018 would be my year to simplify. I am a person that easily gets anxious and overwhelmed. When I have a lot on my plate, I become an insane multitasker and I get it done, but I sweat and stress the entire time. So I wanted to work on changing that, and I am beginning in a tangible way by decluttering our home. A couple of weeks ago, we went through the kids toys and books and got rid of about 50% of them. And you know what? They didn’t even care! It was all stuff that they didn’t want or need or feel attached to anymore, which was a clear indication that it was time for it to go and it was probably long overdue.
Lately I’ve been looking at our small closet and my many unworn clothes and the fact that we are constantly running out of hangers and realizing that I need to do some serious decluttering. Did you know that statistics say we only wear about 20% of the clothes in our closet on a regular basis, and the remaining 80% just sits there? I might put my closet at more of a 30/70 situation, but the same sentiment applies.
While watching the documentary Minimalism (which I previously mentioned in our bedroom remodel post), I was particularly struck by what one woman said. She happened to live in a tiny house (as in, a small trailer), which meant she had very little room for anything. She owned about 7 pieces of clothing. Can you imagine? I thought she was nuts. And then she said, “Every morning when I get dressed, it’s so easy, because I love every item of clothing that I own.” LIGHTBULB.
If we reduced our closets down to the items that we really, truly loved, how much time and anxiety would we save ourselves? How often do we stand in front of a full closet just staring at it, thinking “I have nothing to wear.”
So I have been seeking to get rid of the clutter and hang on to just my favorite 20%. The thing is, I’m not even anxious about it, because the stuff I’m getting rid of is not anything I’m going to miss.
Watch the video to see the simple process I am using to decide what to keep and what to donate – and then give it a go yourself!