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Wednesday, August 04, 2010

The trouble with minimizing...

Okay...I'm still working on reducing my clothes as part of Operation: 50%. Tonight I decided to go through my "keep" stuff and start putting it away. (Everything has been in stacks in my bedroom since Sunday.) The "cleanse" pile--the stuff I'm getting rid of--is the biggest pile (I've ever seen in my life) and is near my door. I have a smallish pile--about 15 things--that I really want to keep, and I figured if I went through the big "keep" pile that I may find some things I could get rid of. The result is that I have a huge mess on my hands and I'm really not sure if I'm at my maximum 213 items or not. I need to put it all away, wash the clothes I've used this week, and then do a formal count again to make sure I'm at my max 50%.

Here are the thoughts I'm having as I go through things:

1. This is really pretty. I love this. I never wear it, but I really like it.

2. Why am I doing this? What's the reward for getting rid of 50% of my stuff? Less stuff? Who wants that?!

3. I have to be REALLY CAREFUL that my first action when I finish this project of mine is to not go out and buy a bunch of new stuff.

4. Why 50%? Why not 25%? Wouldn't that be better? I mean...half is a LOT. It's...like...half.

5. Which still leaves me with a lot of stuff. I mean, what I'm saying here is that 213 pieces of clothing isn't enough for me. Seriously? And I'm not even including socks/underwear in that.

6. I wonder if it was a wrong decision to include my yoga clothes and running clothes in the total. But why? I've been known to wear yoga clothes to school... if I want to use the argument that those clothes are so exclusive they can only be worn during certain events, well...that actually applies to a lot of my clothes. I don't wear my funeral home suits anywhere but the funeral home, but I still counted them. Granted, if I didn't count the yoga clothes, the running clothes or the suits (or, while we're at it, my party dresses) in the total, I'd have another...hell...fifty items I could keep?

I think the point here is, I have to set rules I'm willing to abide by. No one is going to look over my shoulder and say "Ummm....I counted 214...put one back." Or gripe at me because I don't count my yoga clothes as part of the total. Part of the whole struggle is that I've set the guidelines myself, and I have only myself to answer to.

But, this is a work in progress. I haven't thrown anything away...if I need to modify the system, I'll do so. The point is to end up feeling better, lighter, not regretful and angry. Maybe I reduce clothing by 25% first, then do another 25% later. I have a lot of options...

3 comments:

Kim Ferrel said...

Good Lord Girl! You're gonna give yourself an anxiety attack! I understand though...I have the same problem with the clothes...and to top it off I wear the same things all the time. You will feel much better when you clear things out. I had to when I moved into a smaller place. A word of advice...you won't even remember 98% of what you throw out. The other 2% you may one day say, crap, I wish I hadn't gotten rid of that top...I want to wear it RIGHT NOW. Then you will shrug your shoulders, find another top and forget all about it!

TT. said...

Stuff weighs a person down. I think you should grow a pair and aim for a 75% reduction. No one in the world needs 213 articles of clothing. Or more than three pairs of shoes. :-)

Kelly said...

TT--you're the only person who could tell me to grow a pair without losing his own ;-) You are right, though, I do. But, I am NOT downsizing by 75%. That's crazy talk. And three pairs of shoes? Surely you jest. But, I will do the 50% if it kills me...which it won't.

Kim--Now I saw your comment :) And you, too, are absolutely correct. I just need to do it. And then get the old clothes the hell out of my space. Yummy lunch today, friend :)