Closet Deep Dive: How to Declutter for Good

Now that it’s February and those resolutions you made a month ago are seeming farther and farther away, is life starting to get harder for you again? Was one of those resolutions to finally take on your closet but you still haven’t gotten to it? Are you struggling to get dressed in the morning because your clothes are so stuffed into it that you cannot see what you have anymore? Is your clean laundry sitting on a chair because it won’t fit into said crammed closet? Today, I want to dive inside that closet so that your mornings become a breeze and you can start your day off right. Together, we can conquer that closet clutter!

Before we can even think about organizing your closet, first we have to declutter your mountains of stuff. To some, this can be the most difficult step since we can be incredibly emotionally attached to our clothing. Believe me, it’s a minefield of Clutter Blocks! Clutter Block Number One: My stuff keeps me stuck in the past. Clutter Block Number Four: My fantasy stuff for my fantasy life. The list goes on and on and on… Your closet is a constant reminder of “Oh, I’m a bad person because I overspent” and “I used to be able to fit in this.” Sorry to break it to you, but life happens! Gravity happens! You’re going to get to the point where you’re not going to be able to wear what you used to wear, and that’s okay! It means you're human. So, keep in mind as you start decluttering, you’re going to hit a minefield of Clutter Blocks. But also keep in mind that I am right here the whole way to keep you on track.

When decluttering your closet, the first step is to pull everything out! Get into every nook and cranny and pull those sweaters out from all the way in the back back back. Then, separate everything into piles, like with like, and take stock of how much you have of each thing. When sorting, take note of things you haven’t worn in a year, things you don’t feel good in, things you put on and immediately take off. We know what we actually wear! I always say to myself, if I saw it in the store again today, would I buy it? If I saw someone else wearing it, would I say, “So cute! Where’d you get that?” These questions are where you need to be honest with yourself. I’m going to tell you now, if you haven’t worn it in a year (except those special occasion pieces), you’re most likely never going to wear it again.

You are going to realize that you have way more clothes than you actually wear. There will be dresses with tags on them, winter jackets that haven’t seen a single snowflake in decades. Do a pass through everything you have, be honest with yourself about what really matters to you, let GO of what doesn’t, and then we can begin to organize.

*Hugs*
Tracy McCubbin