Deep dive in!  I decided to go straight in with the hardest task.  The main bedroom closet declutter starts!

No point in making excuses and procrastinating.  I’ve had a breather on Hogmanay purging by finishing the January clean before the very last day of the month.  So surely I have the energy to start this month with a bang.

To make sure that I don’t chicken out, I decided to empty the whole closet out so that I have to look at every item to review and reorganize.  And since it is piled on my bed I will have to deal with it completely today or I will not be find my bed tonight.   This forces me to examine every clothing item to see whether it needs to be kept or donated or thrown out.  If it is to be kept, does it need repairs or careful cleaning?  So this becomes a full review of my wardrobe inventory.  The heap of clothes dumped on to my bed is eye opening!!!  Does one person need, let alone use, that many clothes?

Just as I was elbow deep into the closet review, my sister showed up at my door.  I told her to enter at her peril.  Brave lady that she is,  she did come in and hunted for an empty chair to sit on while I sifted and sorted and tried on clothes. She gave very frank reviews and critical advice. All appreciated and worthwhile.  It was revealing that I found items I didn’t know I even had in my closet.  Those were donated if in good shape.  But some of my favourites were also sent into retirement.  In Marie Kondo fashion we thanked them for their service. And if I didn’t love it, then it was donated so that someone else can love it.  And even if I did like it, my sister was blunt on advising whether it was flattering or not.  So more things went to be loved elsewhere.. 

Over three hours of time and effort and now I have a bag full of garbage and a bin full of donations. I am strangely exhausted probably as much emotionally as physically. And I have not yet tackled the drawers. But in starting with the closet I’ve made a big dent. 

One giant step forward on the journey to Hogmanay clean the main bedroom.

And in the interest of introspection it has been worthwhile to reflect on how much we have for how little we actually need.  The culture of more is drowning most of us.  Many “things” don’t make us happier.  I’m determined to consider that if I buy a new article of clothing it needs to be intentional! And what will it replace? Less truly is more!