New year, new you? Yes, I believe most of us bow down to the revamped energy and excitement of a new year, a chance to start again, try new things, reinvent ourselves in hopes of a dramatic change and a better, healthier way of living life. A chance to better ourselves, our families, our circumstances. Most commonly, we love a good New Years purge. What is a purge you ask? For our purposes, purging is getting rid of clothes you no longer wear, don't fit, have holes or stains, or just don't prosper the "new" you you've decided to be for the year. So what does the purging look like?
In reality, the first step in a clothing purge looks a lot like letting your two year old rearrange your closet. If you're like me, you maniacally tear clothes off hangers and toss stuff willy-nilly onto the floor. After this unfocussed clean out session, the pile tends to stay there for a couple of days while I decide what to do with the treasures I wish to send to someone else. Some items go to the trash, some go in a trash bag for charity, some get passed down to friends. Some never make it off the closet floor and by default end up back on the hangers from which I tore them off of so frantically.
But more realistically, there isn't just one closet in your home, is there? Children's, husband's, linen and coat, there are so many closets to purge! This means more floor piles, more decisions, more bogged down. MORE PILES. So the well meaning clothing cleanse actually becomes something of a pile of "to do." Easy enough if you stay at home with nothing else to do, but we're moms, wives, and professionals with full time jobs that still have to wash, dry, fold and put away laundry, cook and clean. This is a very abbreviated list, because we do WAY more than the above list, don't we?
So the piles persist. And on a desperate laundry day, we may pick out of the pile for something clean(ish) to wear. And depending on your January 1 energy, you may attempt the pantry purge, the home decor purge, the life choices/friends/family purge (mental and emotional piles, but piles none the less,) until there are so many purge piles that we're overwhelmed by our 'new year, new us' ideal.
The point of this blog? Apparently a new year, new me rant. My best advice is this: don't fall victim to rage purging. It's okay to space purging out over a few weeks or even months, or heck, why not a year! If you are the personality type that gets emotionally attached to stuff, have a friend or family member help you, or just be present for emotional support. Grab a trash can and 3 bins, one for charity, one for friends/family, and one "maybe" bin, and keep all four beside the closet your cleaning out, so instead of making piles, your're putting items directly in their intended destination. When a bin fills up to the top, then it's time to deal with that bin.
It's a new year, friends! Happy New Year and best of luck with your "new you!"