Keeping It Simple

What’s important to us changes over time.  When I was in my 20’s and 30’s, I was willing to put much more time into my appearance – my hair, my nails, my clothes.  Now I like to keep my routines as simple as possible.

When I’m working with clients, I find that they have piles of clothes, footwear, and accessories that need some sort of action – actions that they feel they “should” take care of but keep putting off.  (I’ve written about the negative power of the word “should” in my previous tip, No More Shoulds.)   In some cases, these tasks are being put off because they are unpleasant, and my client really doesn’t want to do them (such as ironing, or removing a stain.)  In other cases, they are being put off because they are just too much trouble (such as fixing a broken piece of jewelry, a broken zipper, or a damaged shoe or boot.)

I used to iron.  Now, if an item of clothing consistently comes out of the dryer wrinkled, I get rid of it.  Life is too short for me to spend it ironing.  This is not the early 1900’s.  There are plenty of clothes out there that can be laundered without needing to be ironed.

I feel the same way about white clothes.  I no longer own any white clothes because they require too much maintenance to keep them white. 

What about broken items, such as jewelry or boots or zippers?  I subscribe to the theory that nothing is meant to last forever, and these items have probably come to the end of their lives.  I’ll only go through the trouble of having something fixed if it has great sentimental value to me (such as my Aunt Sara’s “S” necklace which I inherited from her and wear frequently) or it is a truly favorite item that I’m not ready to part with.

Let’s be honest.  If these items can sit in a pile in your home for 6 months without you taking care of fixing them, then apparently they aren’t that important to you and you really don’t miss wearing them.  Considering throwing them away (or recycling them, if appropriate).  Use your time to instead maintain the items that you truly wear and enjoy. 

If you rethink these piles of things that require you to do something you don’t want to do, then you will not only eliminate these hated tasks, you will also reclaim the space that these piles are taking up.

Sounds like a win-win.