What’s In Your Closet?
Last Saturday I did my usual desperate mad dash to my bedroom closet to find something to wear for church on Sunday. It was late in the evening and I was exhausted. I had had a full day and was in no mood to argue, agonize, wrestle or have a knock-down, drag out fight with my clothes and the mirror (ladies, I am sure you know what I mean). At that point I wasn’t at all certain who would win. Nevertheless I grabbed the door knob, briskly pulled the door open, turned on the light and I could barely get one toe in before I realized that my closet was the poster child for clutter. Let me assure you, it’s not because I am a shopper and have a “Ka-billion” (is that a real word or did I make it up?) outfits and pairs of shoes. Yes, I am a self professed “girly-girl”, yet somehow God decided not to give me what all girls seem to be born with – the shopping gene, but we’ll chat about that at another time and another article.
Now then, back to my closet…My clothes seemed to have become animated overnight; shoving one another back and forth on their hangers; my shoes appeared to be playing an aggressive game of hopscotch, stepping on one another as they raced to jump into the space that was vacated by the pair I had removed to wear that day. My books and journals were gasping for air, stacked so tightly that their little page filled jackets were smashed against the back and side walls of my seemingly pint-sized closet. Okay, so maybe I am exaggerating just a bit about my clothes and shoes taking on a life of their own, but my point is that I was unable to get into my closet because of the “my self” induced clutter.
Unfortunately, the clutter allowed me to overlook garments that had not been worn in quite a while and I had to push hangers, move books and kick shoes to make a space to get inside. My search for a Sunday outfit became frustrating and almost overwhelming. My closet wasn’t dirty; there was just so much “stuff” that I was unable to clearly see the contents. Needless to say, space for anything new was completely out of the question. In my exasperation I plopped down on the closet floor with my legs in a crossed pretzel fashion; I took a deep breath, exhaled and immediately thought of you. Yes you. What lesson could I share with you about my cluttered closet other than the truth – organizing my closet does not make my top 10 list of things to do, but something had to give.
None of us really want to take the time to clean or de-clutter our closets simply because not only is it time consuming but it is no fun. I don’t know about you, but I can always find more exciting, better and more productive things to do like watching Lifetime TV Network if I had cable, or the latest Red-Box movie, curled up under a blanket on the couch, munching on warm, buttery microwave popcorn and sipping on a fruit smoothie – well, maybe that’s just what I’d prefer to do. I realized after a few minutes of sitting and sulking in my closet that my lesson wasn’t really about my closet at all….
De-cluttering a closet or any room At Home involves decision making. Nothing else goes in until things which no longer fit or have a place have been removed. Let’s give some practicality to this and then I’ll share my personal life lesson:
Quick At Home Tips on De-cluttering your closet:
1. Make the decision that there is a problem and de-cluttering is
the solution.
2. Find music that will motivate and make you move or music
that will keep you relaxed and peaceful while you tackle your
chore. The TV might distract you from your task.
3. Take inventory of what you have.
4. Use trash bags to sort: 1 bag for the thrift store, one for
people you can give your gently worn items and a third for
trash (don’t be afraid to throw things out!).
5. Organize your task by categories: Shoes, Clothes, Books, Misc
and only do one category at a time so as not to be
disorganized and overwhelmed.
6. If it has not been worn in the last 6 months – let it go!
7. If you are hoping to get back into a smaller size when you
shed a few pounds, give those items away to someone who
can wear them now. Save money to get new clothes when
you ACTUALLY START losing the weight (Don’t worry or give
up, it will happen).
8. Use inexpensive plastic bins and shelving to utilize space.
9. Attempt to complete the task in one day – the longer it drags
on, the less attention it will receive.
Once removing the items that I didn’t need I was astonished to see there was more room than I imagined. My pint-sized space was actually a walk-in closet. Cleaning my closet was a chore, but as I marveled at the open spaces where clutter used to live, I was elated and relieved. I could fill those vacant spaces with items from other areas to reorganize and create a better environment in At Home.
Tools For Life…
Through my closet cleaning adventure I likened my bedroom closet to my mind. It houses my most intimate garments. It is a “secret place” that few have the opportunity to enter. Thoughts, emotions and dreams sit on the shelves until they are ready to be worn. Shoes make the path for my destiny; clothes dress those areas that are exposed; my hats demonstrate that I need to have a covering from the elements of life and my books and journals symbolize wisdom, knowledge and life experiences. The items crowded and crammed needed space to expand and my thoughts about me and sometimes others also need room to breathe. Our thoughts are limited simply because we don’t take the time to clean the clutter and think beyond what’s in front of us; we can only see the now. We refuse to give others stretching room, and we won’t dream the impossible dream for ourselves. We don’t have the courage to take on the challenges and pursue things that will bring us the most satisfaction and greatest joy. Cleaning and reorganizing mind clutter isn’t easy but neither was completing the daunting task of cleaning and reorganizing a closet. It can, however, be just as rewarding and much more fun!
I am certain there are thoughts, worries, fears and dreams sitting on the floor of your closet, stacked against the walls and in unreachable piles on your closet shelves just waiting for you to clean the clutter and make space so that you can walk in and wear what fits and looks good on you.
“I don’t have all the answers, but I know the One who does.”
Email me with topic suggestions or find me on my website at www.athomewithshellie.com.
