Downsizing Realistically…yes…even our clothes!
When I was designing Cypress, our restored 1929 home, my personal clothing closet/storage amount was intentionally kept to a minimum.
You are probably thinking, “Are you a crazy lady?” or “What are you thinking girl?”
Actually, I am crazy, but it is crazy about achieving a life of order, calm, and peace. Now, I cannot control what goes on in my day to day life as an interior designer, this new social media learning curve I’m on, and life in general, BUT, I can control my STUFF.
In other homes of ours, we had lots of closets and storage. Guess what happened? I routinely moved my stuff from closet to closet either at seasonal change out or with a goal of making my day to day space orderly and easily workable, without the normal chaos of sorting through what would not work on any given day. But, I never really “cleansed” or “purged” my belongings. I just stuffed them elsewhere out of sight… you know… that instant gratification of Americans today without any pain whatsoever of making or doing the hard choices.
I finally concluded that this was a mentally and emotionally exhausting daily and seasonal ritual!
Why was I so blind to not getting it? Why did I not practice what I preach? You know, my mantra of the 80-20 rule in all areas of life. In this arena, 80% of the time, in our day to day lives, we wear 20% of our clothing and shoes and accessories. Check it out… you will see for yourself. And what about storing out those dressy clothes that we hardly ever wear anymore?
We have become a nation of hoarders and the Baby Boomers are the worst. Don’t get mad at me. Look at all the storage units for rent popping up everywhere in our country. Why? We keep buying, keeping, and storing more and more stuff so we need to keep moving to bigger houses or at least ones with oodles of storage or just go out and rent a storage unit. And Boomers moving to downsize always tell me they want tons of storage. For what?? Yes storage is an absolute necessity for for what and for how much?
Guess what happens then? Statistics and odds say you will never use what is stored in out of the way or hidden places whether in your own home or a rented unit.
So, call me crazy, call me unrealistic, but here is what you cannot call me… stressed by my own closet disorganization. But I am trying to de-stress by downsizing and organizing other areas like my studio and boxes still not sorted or pitched altogether.
BUT, here’s the beauty of my philosophy. No extra storage…no room to save all that extra meaningless stuff ! So Bob and I are forced to make the tough downsizing decisions. Notice I said to make not we did make. We are at least planning on it. For our own sake and for our family not to have to do it when we’re gone. Sobering truth but right on the point of it all.
Most of it is just stuff!
But for now, at least for our closets, the age old battle is to keep it this way. I promise to keep you honestly posted on how I do… even with photos of my messes when life happens and my best intentions do not!
Downsizing is challenging, difficult, tedious, and not for the wishy-washy that can never make up their minds on what to do with what.
How do I know this?
Been there, done that, and still doing it 🙂
Living and loving life together,
Mitzi
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