It has been almost 20 days since I started simplifying my closet, how has it worked?
Even though I only have 33 items in my closet, I still have plenty of outfits to wear for over a week, without feeling like I am duplicating anything. I moved all my summer clothes to another closet and will most likely be rotating some short sleeves in soon, as it warms up.
Sustain: there are several key processes that are part of my daily/weekly routines in the bedroom.
Daily -
1. Make the bed
2. Clear all counters (we have bins in the bathroom cabinets for daily toiletries).
3. Put all dirty clothes in the hampers
4. Pick out clothes for next day
Weekly -
1. Laundry, including linens
So, the next step is to revisit the process quarterly and revise if needed.
Next area is the living room.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Use it or Lose it (Accessories)
When I am 5S-ing an area and trying to decide whether to keep something, I use the "use it or lose it" philosophy. If I own something, it should be useful and be used. It should be something I am proud to wear or display.
Sure, there are items you save for emergencies, but those should be planned and deliberate and have a specific location.
I am talking about items that tend to turn into clutter...product samples, free stuff, extras in colors you do not wear.
Now that I have minimized my closet to 33 items, I can see what colors I wear most. I used this pallet to sort my jewelry and scarves and identify items that do not match any of my favorite outfits.
1. Sort - first I cleared out my jewelry boxes (yes, multiple; I love jewelry, even though I do not wear it all).
2. Scrub - I dusted them and got rid of any trash or lost beads.
3. Set- I started by putting back my favorite pieces that match the newly organized outfits in the closet. In the bracelet section, I included the matching earrings.
Jewelry is also a great decoration. You may want to keep the pieces you love displayed prominently in your room. There are a ton of DIY ideas for hanging jewelry storage on Pinterest.
One of my favorites has strings across a picture frame to hang earrings and necklaces.
I also liked the idea of re-using pretty teacups to hold sets of jewelry.
4. Standardize - I tried to put each color in a unique drawer or location. I reviewed the outfits in the closet and made sure each color was represented in the jewelry.
Seasonal jewelry (holidays) I am keeping in a separate section, to rotate in 3 months.
The remainder of the jewelry I reviewed again. I chose a couple pieces to try wearing this week, to see if I want to keep them. If I am not proud to wear them, there is no use keeping them in rotation.
5. Sustain - I may not be willing to part with all the remnants right now, so I will put them away and revisit in 3 months. Maybe a trend will spark a renewed love of abalone. Or maybe I will be ready to let them go.
Sure, there are items you save for emergencies, but those should be planned and deliberate and have a specific location.
I am talking about items that tend to turn into clutter...product samples, free stuff, extras in colors you do not wear.
Now that I have minimized my closet to 33 items, I can see what colors I wear most. I used this pallet to sort my jewelry and scarves and identify items that do not match any of my favorite outfits.
1. Sort - first I cleared out my jewelry boxes (yes, multiple; I love jewelry, even though I do not wear it all).
2. Scrub - I dusted them and got rid of any trash or lost beads.
3. Set- I started by putting back my favorite pieces that match the newly organized outfits in the closet. In the bracelet section, I included the matching earrings.
Jewelry is also a great decoration. You may want to keep the pieces you love displayed prominently in your room. There are a ton of DIY ideas for hanging jewelry storage on Pinterest.
One of my favorites has strings across a picture frame to hang earrings and necklaces.
I also liked the idea of re-using pretty teacups to hold sets of jewelry.
4. Standardize - I tried to put each color in a unique drawer or location. I reviewed the outfits in the closet and made sure each color was represented in the jewelry.
Seasonal jewelry (holidays) I am keeping in a separate section, to rotate in 3 months.
The remainder of the jewelry I reviewed again. I chose a couple pieces to try wearing this week, to see if I want to keep them. If I am not proud to wear them, there is no use keeping them in rotation.
5. Sustain - I may not be willing to part with all the remnants right now, so I will put them away and revisit in 3 months. Maybe a trend will spark a renewed love of abalone. Or maybe I will be ready to let them go.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Resolutions, Goals, and Priorities
What is the difference between resolutions and goals?
In my opinion, resolutions can be goals, but are usually not as clearly defined and often lacking an action plan. Without defining your goals and action plan, the resolution gets lost in your everyday life.
Goals
I have talked about SMART goals before. The SMART represents criteria to help define a clear goal:
Specific
Measurable
Actionable
Realistic
Time-Based
Once you define a goal that follows these criteria, you develop an action plan to support it. By breaking it down into small steps, you can steadfastly work towards achieving the larger goal.
During January, I followed a 30-day challenge for goal setting, by Chalene Johnson. The key takeaways I had from that experience are helping me build habits for consistent goal setting and progress.
1. Keep your key goal listed in an area that you will see it frequently (at the top of your to do list, on your screen saver, etc).
2. In addition to an overall to do list, keep a "Due Today" list of things that MUST get done. The list should include several small things from your Key Goal action plan. By keeping it short and simple, you should be consistently checking things off the list and feeling accomplished. By having a daily list, it forces you to review and re prioritize it every day, so it is top of mind.
To try it yourself, check out the free 30-day program at http://www.30daypush.com
Priorities
Theses are habits (creating and reviewing goals regularly and keeping to do lists), but there are still a limited number of hours to get things done in a day. Another new habit I am trying to maintain is doing the most important and impactful things first. I often get sucked into the mindset that I have to do everything ...and I have to do it well.
I have to keep reminding myself that i can not do everything, and there are some tasks that will not get much notice, regardless of the time I spend on them. I should be focusing on tasks that provide the greatest impact and benefit. If I want to be noticed at my job, I need to focus my energy on the projects that are the most visible or save the most money. I can not attend every meeting and get all my work done. I have to learn to say no. At home, I should spend time focused on my family, rather than trying to multitask too much.
It is not too late to start setting goals for the year and creating new habits. Don't we all want to make this year better than the last?
In my opinion, resolutions can be goals, but are usually not as clearly defined and often lacking an action plan. Without defining your goals and action plan, the resolution gets lost in your everyday life.
Goals
I have talked about SMART goals before. The SMART represents criteria to help define a clear goal:
Specific
Measurable
Actionable
Realistic
Time-Based
Once you define a goal that follows these criteria, you develop an action plan to support it. By breaking it down into small steps, you can steadfastly work towards achieving the larger goal.
During January, I followed a 30-day challenge for goal setting, by Chalene Johnson. The key takeaways I had from that experience are helping me build habits for consistent goal setting and progress.
1. Keep your key goal listed in an area that you will see it frequently (at the top of your to do list, on your screen saver, etc).
2. In addition to an overall to do list, keep a "Due Today" list of things that MUST get done. The list should include several small things from your Key Goal action plan. By keeping it short and simple, you should be consistently checking things off the list and feeling accomplished. By having a daily list, it forces you to review and re prioritize it every day, so it is top of mind.
To try it yourself, check out the free 30-day program at http://www.30daypush.com
Priorities
Theses are habits (creating and reviewing goals regularly and keeping to do lists), but there are still a limited number of hours to get things done in a day. Another new habit I am trying to maintain is doing the most important and impactful things first. I often get sucked into the mindset that I have to do everything ...and I have to do it well.
I have to keep reminding myself that i can not do everything, and there are some tasks that will not get much notice, regardless of the time I spend on them. I should be focusing on tasks that provide the greatest impact and benefit. If I want to be noticed at my job, I need to focus my energy on the projects that are the most visible or save the most money. I can not attend every meeting and get all my work done. I have to learn to say no. At home, I should spend time focused on my family, rather than trying to multitask too much.
It is not too late to start setting goals for the year and creating new habits. Don't we all want to make this year better than the last?
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
5S - Clothes Closet
This month (February) I am focusing on the bedroom. The area that collects the most clutter in my bedroom is the closet.
As I was researching some ideas for closet cleanup, I ran across a challenge called Project 333. It is a 3 month challenge to narrow your wardrobe to 33 items. The 33 items include shoes, jewelry and accessories (scarves, etc). It does not include undergarments, workout clothes and lounging clothes (that you do not wear out and about). The intent is to simplify your wardrobe to what you really love. Sounds like the perfect project to clean out your closet.
But first, lets follow the 5S system...
1. Sort
Time to get realistic about what you want to keep in your closet. You can pull out what you definitely do not want, but I like to pull everything out and then decide what to put back in.
- create a donation pile for anything that you do not ever wear or are ready to get rid of.
- separate seasonal items and put them in a bin or suitcase for later in the year.
- for project 333, you should pick out what you want to wear over the next 3 months. Everything else should be packed in a bin and not accessed until the end of the challenge. You can decide at that point if you want to keep it or not. This challenge lends itself to really thinking hard about if you really "need" things.
I do not know if I am ready to include jewelry in my 33 items, so I will try to focus on the clothing items and leave accessories for next time.
2. Scrub
While everything is out of the closet, dust shelves and corners, as well as vacuum.
3. Set
I have heard of several suggestions for how to organize closets.
1. By function (pants, blouses, dresses)
2. By color (red blouses, etc)
3. Working mom shortcut - I usually identify and separate the outfits I will wear to work for the week. This gives me one less thing to worry about in the morning.
Once you have your wardrobe narrowed down to 33 pieces, it should be easier to see it all.
4. Standardize
What kind of tagging can you do to make sure items get back in the right place?
- I have seen some DIY tags for the hanging bar, to designate what goes where.
- I will be labeling my clothes hampers for lights and darks. Lets see if my husband notices.
5. Sustain
I will check back in later this month to let you know how my Project 333 is going.
As I was researching some ideas for closet cleanup, I ran across a challenge called Project 333. It is a 3 month challenge to narrow your wardrobe to 33 items. The 33 items include shoes, jewelry and accessories (scarves, etc). It does not include undergarments, workout clothes and lounging clothes (that you do not wear out and about). The intent is to simplify your wardrobe to what you really love. Sounds like the perfect project to clean out your closet.
But first, lets follow the 5S system...
1. Sort
Time to get realistic about what you want to keep in your closet. You can pull out what you definitely do not want, but I like to pull everything out and then decide what to put back in.
- create a donation pile for anything that you do not ever wear or are ready to get rid of.
- separate seasonal items and put them in a bin or suitcase for later in the year.
- for project 333, you should pick out what you want to wear over the next 3 months. Everything else should be packed in a bin and not accessed until the end of the challenge. You can decide at that point if you want to keep it or not. This challenge lends itself to really thinking hard about if you really "need" things.
I do not know if I am ready to include jewelry in my 33 items, so I will try to focus on the clothing items and leave accessories for next time.
2. Scrub
While everything is out of the closet, dust shelves and corners, as well as vacuum.
3. Set
I have heard of several suggestions for how to organize closets.
1. By function (pants, blouses, dresses)
2. By color (red blouses, etc)
3. Working mom shortcut - I usually identify and separate the outfits I will wear to work for the week. This gives me one less thing to worry about in the morning.
Once you have your wardrobe narrowed down to 33 pieces, it should be easier to see it all.
4. Standardize
What kind of tagging can you do to make sure items get back in the right place?
- I have seen some DIY tags for the hanging bar, to designate what goes where.
- I will be labeling my clothes hampers for lights and darks. Lets see if my husband notices.
5. Sustain
I will check back in later this month to let you know how my Project 333 is going.
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