If I have one area in which I struggle in getting rid of things it would be clothing. I always think “maybe I'll wear that next year”, “it's still is in great shape”, or “maybe I'll lose weight and it will fit me next year”. Yet, I have found that my closet was starting to feel stuffed. It was hard to find clothes as they were shoved together tight, they would get wrinkled within the crunch and later I discovered that I had some great pieces that were hidden amongst the masses.
I started my task of culling my closet by sitting down with a pad of paper. Without going into my closet, I wrote down my favorite items for that season. I knew that my staple items would top the list and would remain in the closet. Next, I gathered all the items that I knew that did not fit and tried on a few other suspicious characters to check their fit as well. Everything that did not fit properly, did not flatter my figure or was not comfortable, immediately went into the 'get rid' pile. I then went one shelf at a time around the closet looking at each piece of clothing, accessories and shoes. My ultimate check for each piece of clothing was "do I love it"? If I didn't love it then out it went.
As I got rid of items I placed them in three piles – donate, consign and give to a friend. As I chose pieces that I no longer wanted, it helped me to know that they would have a great home in one of these places. In turn I was more motivated to get rid of more items. Additionally, as I continued to get rid of clothing I found I could suddenly see the clothing in my closet. It felt like I had so many more options than before, even though I had reduced my clothing options.
I decided to try consigning some of my better pieces. This allowed me to get money back for my clothes which I reinvested into pieces that I loved. Clothing that did not fit was the obvious choice to send to consignment. Most consignment stores are only looking for pieces that are today's fashion trends and all pieces need to be in good condition, clean and pressed. Also keep in mind that consignment stores are looking for items early in the season. Fall items need to be taken in August and summer items in February. Check with your local store to determine their clothing requirements.
Now as I am flip through my closet, if I see an item that I don't love, I am quick to determine where it goes and take it out of my closet immediately. This continual purging will allow my closet to stay current and each piece loved. To complete my wardrobe, I did an inventory of my pieces to be sure each item had a coordinating piece. Having complete outfits makes pieces more wearable and it takes less time to get dressed. Although this is a lengthy process, I found it to be a change of attitude within my closet. Never again will my closet be stuffed and now I love every piece of my clothing in my closet.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Organizing Can Be Pro-"Found"
Organizing has gained tremendous popularity over the last few years. You see it everywhere you go - in the newspaper, magazines, stores and on TV. So what’s the big fuss?
I was recently asked by a client why I like my job and my answer was easy. “I get to help my clients create the life they want to live.” By setting up simple organizing solutions, my clients are able to pursue other things in their lives that make them happy.
Many benefits come from being organized. Conversely, a lot of opportunities are missed by not being organized. While helping my clients declutter I find three themes that continuously get uncovered or found in the process.
Money is one area directly affected by being organized. Often when sorting through personal belongings and paperwork, I come upon cash, checks and valuable items. I have found as much as $2500 in a single organizing session. Secondly, it is important to have an efficient bill paying system so you can avoid late fees and charges as they can add up quickly. Finally, being organized helps us to eliminate excess. Expensive storage units, costing $200-$500 per month, can really add up over the years. As well, the act of purchasing multiple items when you own them already often occurs when we are disorganized.
In addition to money we lose so much more. Major opportunities, both personally and professionally, are often lost due to disorganization. After organizing a client’s office she emailed me the next day to say she gained a huge piece of business due to her office being organized. She was sure she would not have had that opportunity had she not gone through the organizing process.
Business is just one area where organizing helps us, we also find big personal life events are greatly affected. I have had couples get married, singles create opportunities to meet their soul mate and entertaining among friends has occured after going through the organizing process. Now, this is not a promise that these results will work for everyone, but we see the dramatic impact being organized can have on your life personally and professionally.
Last, but certainly not least, I find that my clients have more fun as a result of being organized. If you are organized you are spending less time managing your household, paperwork, bills and you are spending less mental energy thinking about clutter. As a result, you have more time, space, energy and money to do the things you really enjoy.
So if you like to have fun, if you would like to save money or you would like to be open to opportunities available to you, getting organized is the perfect place to start. Get organized today so you can start living your life!
I was recently asked by a client why I like my job and my answer was easy. “I get to help my clients create the life they want to live.” By setting up simple organizing solutions, my clients are able to pursue other things in their lives that make them happy.
Many benefits come from being organized. Conversely, a lot of opportunities are missed by not being organized. While helping my clients declutter I find three themes that continuously get uncovered or found in the process.
Money is one area directly affected by being organized. Often when sorting through personal belongings and paperwork, I come upon cash, checks and valuable items. I have found as much as $2500 in a single organizing session. Secondly, it is important to have an efficient bill paying system so you can avoid late fees and charges as they can add up quickly. Finally, being organized helps us to eliminate excess. Expensive storage units, costing $200-$500 per month, can really add up over the years. As well, the act of purchasing multiple items when you own them already often occurs when we are disorganized.
In addition to money we lose so much more. Major opportunities, both personally and professionally, are often lost due to disorganization. After organizing a client’s office she emailed me the next day to say she gained a huge piece of business due to her office being organized. She was sure she would not have had that opportunity had she not gone through the organizing process.
Business is just one area where organizing helps us, we also find big personal life events are greatly affected. I have had couples get married, singles create opportunities to meet their soul mate and entertaining among friends has occured after going through the organizing process. Now, this is not a promise that these results will work for everyone, but we see the dramatic impact being organized can have on your life personally and professionally.
Last, but certainly not least, I find that my clients have more fun as a result of being organized. If you are organized you are spending less time managing your household, paperwork, bills and you are spending less mental energy thinking about clutter. As a result, you have more time, space, energy and money to do the things you really enjoy.
So if you like to have fun, if you would like to save money or you would like to be open to opportunities available to you, getting organized is the perfect place to start. Get organized today so you can start living your life!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
