Are your closets Bootiful, Bountiful, or Beautiful?
Remember the ghosts and goblins of your youth who slithered in closet corners and under your bed? Do you recall games of hide-and-seek when you hid in the closet only to be more afraid of what lurked in that dark space than being found by your pursuers? Current closets are not much different from childhood memories. They can be pretty scary! While they are likely much larger, they are still often dark, and full of musty, out-dated clothing and other ‘stuff’. Perhaps the shelves and rods are also overflowing with memoirs, cobwebs, and infrequently-used items?
Closets and other storage spaces can indeed be pretty frightening, especially this time of year when we try to retrieve those precious holiday items. Unless one does regular maintenance, it is easy for closets to become overflowing with often-unused treasures. Perhaps you have heard of someone opening the closet door, only to have things topple out on them? Maybe you have purchased holiday items on sale in January yet cannot find them in December? Or you have bought a 12-roll of TP, only to find another roll tucked away in the back of the closet? In addition, you have clothes and shoes that have gone out of style, haven’t fit you for years or have been there long enough to come back into style again? The ghosts of your past are hovering in your present closet and other spaces.
You are not alone! American consumerism is rampant, and even encouraged! In fact, affluence is equated with an abundance of things! Advertising feeds our frenzy to purchase the latest gadgets and toys, many of them with large price-tags. Capitalism is alive and well disguised as a monster. It is no wonder that our closets, garages and basements are overflowing with items purchased on a whim, and that are seldom, if ever, used. At least on Halloween we have the chance to dress up in our old clothes! Then, at Thanksgiving, we have the blessing of using our seldom-used china and turkey platters while giving thanks for our abundance. However, at Christmas we give and receive many gifts which we really don’t need, yet we have to find a place to store them along with all of our festive decorations. Remember the bunny suit Ralphie received in the movie ‘A Christmas Story’? Is more always better?
It is no wonder that many of us find ourselves overwhelmed by our closets and other storage areas! To clear them out requires choices, decisions and time. The task can be overwhelming to us so we often procrastinate. We slink at the thought of the daunting task of cleaning out our closets, garages and attics. Yet, we waste time finding things, we buy duplicates of what we already have and are drained of energy by our stockpiles. Energy cannot flow through our homes if it hits obstacles. Many of us choose to cart off boxes of our things to fill the prominently-American storage lockers/garages with the accumulation that no longer fits in our homes. Consider the price tag of having too much…..the storage, the maintenance and the drain of energy. And in the end, relatives have to go through your things and get rid of them, or pile them in their own homes again.
No need to Boo Hoo! There are many things you can do to prepare for the stress and excitement of the holidays this Fall. The first is to clean out your closets, take stock, and donate, re-gift, recycle or sell that which you no longer use/need. The second is to plan ahead for the activities and actions you need to take before the holiday is here…make a list and calendar deadlines. Also, it is important to set realistic expectations for yourself (we can’t all be Martha Stewart) for the holidays and for your home. The last is to seek help from professionals, like myself, who can help you organize your home, or EBAY sellers who can get a decent price for your items. Give yourself a gift this season….organization. In other words, “Organize to Energize!” Make this a great holiday season; gift certificates are also available for friends/family who need to energize their homes. Don’t be scared of the ghosts of past…make organization a present to yourself and enjoy your holidays!