organizing clothes

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Swapping Summer Clothing for Winter Wear

winter jackets

Mid-fall is the time of year that I go through my closet and separate my winter
clothing from my summer clothing. For me, and I’m sure for some of you, knowing when to do this usually is a frustrating time because the temperature fluctuates so much. This is referred to as ‘Indian Summer’ here in New England. It may be 50 degrees in the morning, and by noon time the temperature has reached 70 degrees. Although, this year it’s now October 21st, and the days are not above the mid-50″s and the nights are in the low 40’s and high 30’s.

I’ve already put most of my sleeveless shirts, polo shirts and dresses, plus shorts, bathing suits and summer shoes (which I won’t really need to wear until next year) into a covered plastic storage container for dry basement storage. But, have kept some in my closet and dresser in case we have a glimpse of ‘Indian Summer’ in the next few weeks.

I have pulled out most of my winter clothing; long sleeved shirts & sweatshirts, sweaters, heavier pants, etc. These are available to wear now. Winter coats go in the hall closet. Once the real cold sets in, those few pieces of summer clothing I’d held out, get put into the basement containers.

I recommend that you try this method of ‘seasonal clothing swap’ if your own method is not working well.

NOTE: If you don’t have a dry attic or separate closet to keep the change of season clothing containers, and only have a damp basement space, be sure to store the items in waterproof containers with air tight lids to keep clothing dry.

When and How do you take care of your seasonal wardrobe change?

FREE 1/2 hour phone consultation
to discuss your clutter issues, contact Judy at:
ClutterClearerCoach@comcast.net or 857-919-4735

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Perfectionism and Procrastination

Piled clothing

Are you a perfectionist who procrastinates? If there is clutter in your home or office, or projects you have started and not completed, you may just be a perfectionist.

Wouldn’t it seem that a perfectionist would want to get things done now and not procrastinate? Not necessarily. Extreme perfectionists only see the goal they want to accomplish, but have such high standards for themselves that they rarely achieve their goal. They will sometimes worry so much about doing things incorrectly or imperfectly that they don’t do anything at all and become paralyzed with fear; scared of making any progress that might cause them to fail.

I don’t think I’m a perfectionist, but I am a procrastinator.

I’d been meaning to get two broken lamps in my study repaired. I procrastinated, kept meaning to take care of them, but failed to do so. After about a year, I finally took the lamps to be fixed at a local antique lamp and repair shop. The owner fixed the lamps while I waited (took him 15 minutes) and I was so happy to once again have more than just the overhead lamp in my study. Can you believe that I took so long to get the lamps repaired?

Don’t expect to accomplish doing various tasks or un-cluttering your kitchen, bedroom, etc, at once. Rome wasn’t built in a day. You will certainly fail if you have such huge expectations. Make the decision to accomplish just one task a day. Take small steps, and reward yourself for each step you take by doing something that makes you happy.

To begin with, choose one area in a room such as your bedroom, and focus on the clothes piled on the floor or chair. Start by sorting the clothing into three piles; the love/need pile, the don’t love/don’t need pile, and the maybe pile. The piles can be messy and not perfectly stacked. Once you’ve finished sorting, the next day, or in the next few days, find homes for the love/need clothing in your bureau, closet, or any containers you might be using. Don’t procrastinate! Schedule a time close to doing these two steps to get rid of your don’t love/don’t needs, and make those choices about they maybe’s.

Let yourself feel good about the results by telling yourself that accomplishing this fear is enough for now! One little step at a time will aid you in decreasing your fears of perfection.   

(I’d love to hear how you are dealing with your own perfectionism and procrastination during your sorting session.)

To schedule a FREE 1/2 hour telephone consultation, contact Judy at ClutterClearerCoach@comcast.net