I must admit, I use to be a shopaholic. I love to buy STUFF... especially clothes. As I've gotten older, had more experiences in life, I've come to realize that I don't really need all of that "stuff." I much rather spend my time and resources on experiences that provide me with life lessons and leave me with amazing memories. I'm proud to say that it's been over a year since I have stopped my crazy shopping habits.
This week, I decided to get organized by getting rid of items that no longer brought me joy. This was no easy process as I felt a lot of guilt throwing away perfectly functional items or clothing that I had hardly used. This is where I decided to seek help by reading a book by Marie Kondo called "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up." In this book, she goes over all of the scenarios and excuses people come up with when trying to hold on to their stuff. The basic idea behind this book is to only hold onto items that bring you joy. If they don't, it's time to get rid of them.
(hahha please don't judge me... I know I'm a hoarder) :P
I took this book very seriously and decided to try out her process of getting organized. First, you must dump all of your clothes on the ground, and then go through each item. If the item sparks joy, you hold onto it, if it doesn't, it is time to let the item go. After 2 days of cleaning out my closet, I managed to dump out 4 bags of shoes/clothes.
After cleaning out my stuff, I was better able to organize my clothing in an efficient manner. This left me feeling accomplished, and I think my clothes appreciated the extra care I gave them when finding them new spots in my drawers.
(Look how happy my socks are, they all have their own spot!)
As I mentioned before, I often have a lot of guilt getting rid of items in perfect condition. Instead of throwing them away, I decided to donate my clothes to a local charity that sells clothes at a discounted rate. 100% of the proceeds goes back to the SPCA animal shelter!
I hope that today's blog inspires you to get organized and give back to your community! Simplifying your life, and only living with things that bring you joy, will help you live a clutter-free life! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
