Ruthless

That's exactly what I was a couple of days ago. I attacked with passion. Determined. Focused. Ruthless.

No, not a person. My closet.

I had accumulated too much. I was holding on to clothing with hopes of "someday." Someday, I'll go back to work. Someday, I'll fit into that dress again. Someday, that blouse will be back in style.

I followed the rule that encourages you to discard anything you haven't used in over a year. Now my closet is half empty. Half! Even after the laundry is done and everything is put back in place, it will still be sparse. And I am totally good with that.

Here's how I did it:

• I found my motivation. Giving away clothes that someone might be able to use helps them and makes me feel good. Also, less clutter = less to maintain. I can live with that.
• I set a goal and a deadline. I picked a random box from the garage and set a time frame in which to fill it (as long as it took the kiddo to finish breakfast). A small job in a short amount of time. Easy!
• I pulled out everything I hadn't worn in over year. I didn't just look at it, but touched it, held it, and laid it on the bed. Getting up close with what I had sorted out made me realize that even if I returned to work or got invited to a fancy fundraising event tomorrow, nothing I pulled out would actually work.

Lots of empty hangers and plenty of space

• I called consignment stores to see what they would take. It turns out that they have some strict guidelines about what they would take, what condition the clothes had to be in, how and when I could deliver them, how long they would keep the clothes,... I didn't have that kind of time and my goal is to simplify. My second option was to make a donation. 
• I made sure nothing was dirty and everything was in good condition so someone else would buy and wear it.
• I folded, boxed, and made a delivery to Goodwill.

Done!

It was a cleansing experience - literally and figuratively. Next up: bookshelf.