Conquer Your Closet Demons!
On Hallows Eve I’m literally bringing skeletons out of my closet to hang up on the front porch when I realize that these same closets house more than metaphorical monsters. Don’t know about you, but some closets can be really scary. We open that door not knowing what is behind it. And not just because it’s that trick or treat time of year, but because they can get so out of control and disorganized that when we open our closets we do so with a sense of trepidation. We silently ask ourselves…am I going to find those boots? That dress, my favorite jeans, that power tie…? So frightening you just want to HOWL!
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Even as a professional organizer, over the years, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with my own closet. So, if you love to hate your closet, join the crowd! It’s a curious phenomenon — this love-hate closet thing. We love our closets because they POSSESS pieces of our personality, our past, our aspirations, even an ancestor’s aura. (And vampires live forever.) Our exterior being: the clothing and accessories that makes us feel certain ways, evoke emotion and allow us to express ourselves. Attire that gives us confidence in a business meeting, play with team SPIRIT the sports we love, REVEL in a day at the beach or a NIGHT OUT DRINKING and dancing.
Yet we often DREAD our closets because we can never find what we’re looking for. We are not even sure what lies within the DEPTHS of said closet! We feel frustrated and a subtle sense of failure. Why can’t I keep this GHASTLY closet neater? This adds up to more stress in our lives, and starts our day off on the wrong foot when we can’t even find what we want to wear!
With a shift in seasons, many of us are embarking on daily scavenger hunts — searching through the MAYHEM (aka closet!) for fall sweaters, jackets, scarves etc. Again, we feel that sense of trepidation — are we actually going to find what we’re looking for? So, what’s the solution to a closet in chaos? What’s the best way to go from disorganized to organized?
Some professional organizers offer fairly rigid prescriptions. For instance, they recommend having a “capsule” wardrobe of 33 interchangeable pieces. And you’ve probably heard of the buy something, get rid of something rule of thumb. There’s color coding, organize by season, BURY it if you haven’t worn it in a year. While these are helpful, and may work for you, the reality is that you should determine strategies that work for you.
I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. To the contrary, I subscribe to the theory that organizing closets and developing systems to stay organized requires a different POTION for each person! You’re not going to make any progress or even get started for that matter, if the organizing strategy itself sets too high a bar and discourages you from even taking that first step.
Sticking with our Halloween analogy — if the solution is too scary, you just won’t work up the courage to even take a peek into the DARK ABYSS. Whether you’re paring down your closet to your essential pieces, organizing a collection of scarves you love or getting your shoes in order, the goal of organizing your closets should always be to know what you have, love what you keep, and care for your things, and give them a proper place and enough FREESPACE to live in peace.