Why Less Is More

I recently purged my closet. It felt even better than I thought it would. Let me tell you about how less is more and the psychology of letting things go. 

When I looked at my closet, it was a bit depressing. I saw several items I really loved but hadn't been able to fit into for a while. Keeping them, I decided, was not worth it. I hate having things that I don't use. I tend to underbuy rather than overbuy (stocking up) for that reason. 

Well caffeinated, I started the process of purging. (This process requires time, physical and mental energy; don't do it when you are tired or in a rush.)

To start, I took everything out of the closet and put it on the bed. I emptied every dresser drawer too.

Standing in front of a pile of clothes I decided on a few criteria in order for it to go back into the closet. (Yes, this is where our intentional living comes in.) 

1. Does it fit? 
2. Do I love it?
3. Would I buy it again?

If it was a no to any of those, I decided to thank it for its service and put it in the donation pile. 

It can be tricky when you come upon an item that is still new, you never used it and it still has the price tags on it. If you have read or watched any of Marie Kondo's stuff, maybe you can identify with the lesson she gives on letting things go that fit in this category. Yes, you haven't used it, but perhaps the purpose of your buying this was for you to learn that that style really isn't you, or maybe it taught you what you really do and don't feel comfortable in.

Having the constraints I listed above is key in this process. If you don't have them, you will end up keeping more stuff than you should. It takes that emotion out of it. 

In the end, I kept only about 30% of my stuff. Together I had six drawstring garbage sacks to donate to a local women's shelter. 

I put back each piece in my closet on my matching hangers. Now I could space them out on the clothing rod since there wasn't so much to try to get in there. I like my shirts arranged by color as I think it makes finding things and creating outfits more efficient, besides the obvious two things that it looks nice and makes sense.  (Funny thing is, I think I had lived with my husband for about eight years before he noticed this, and when I thoughtfully arranged his shirts as such.... um... well let's say he didn't appreciate it as it soon went back to its random arrangement).

It's been about two months since I did the big purge. I can honestly say I don't really miss anything. They say we wear only about 25% of our wardrobe anyway. Now when I look at it, I feel more energized as it looks organized and I  kept only things I love. I also feel less depressed and guilty since I don't have the stuff in there that I can't fit into. The visual of them was a frequent reminder, not to mention annoying when I went to try things on. 

This is an example of less is more. I like having fewer things to choose from; it makes decisions easier, which frees up energy. We make so many decisions throughout the day so if you are able to simplify things in your life it can feel refreshing. 

I have done this sort of organizing with office supplies, my makeup drawer, our toiletries, my storage closet. I do love to read so I did need to do this with books. (I'm a bit of a nerd.) I will be keeping only my very favorites, telling myself that if I really need it in the future, I can buy it again.

Instead of hanging onto stuff I had from previous hobbies  and feeling guilty about spending money on stuff I no longer use,  I donated it to others who would use it. I reframed my mind and recognized that it served a purpose for my creative outlet when I was doing that, and now someone else can have joy with it. That was much better than keeping it and having it take up space and being unused. 

I really love Gretchen Rubin's quote, "Outer order brings inner calm." I can see how that is really true for me. 

Over time we evolve and become a new version of ourselves. Our hobbies change, our styles change, and it is necessary to occasionally look around you and let go of those old things that no longer serve the new you. When you approach things from this perspective, it makes for an easier, or cleaner, decision to let it go. 

I'm not a minimalist by any means, but I do really enjoy having only stuff I love and having less stuff in general.

My next big, big, big task is to organize my computer and create a system so it doesn't get disorganized again. This virtual clutter is tricky because it's not something that you really see unless you go looking for something.  

I encourage you to organize something. See if you also feel energized by having less stuff. 

Do you agree that less is more sometimes?

Until next time...