We started this series focused on socks and nudges.  From there we explored how our choices can communicate things, and we spent time reflecting on power outfits and triggers.  We also looked at embracing other styles.  This final entry in the clothing series is about going through the stuff in your closet to see what is worth keeping.

Everyone has their own unique method of going through the stuff in their closet.  Maybe you use the KonMari method, which is about asking if something sparks joy in your life.  If it does, you keep it, and if it doesn’t you get rid of it.  Here is what I do.  I have a system where after I wear a shirt, I move it to the other side of the closet.  This lets me know what shirts I’ve worn in the past month.  As I get down to the final shirts I haven’t worn, I take a look through them and ask myself a few questions.  Why haven’t I worn this yet?  Do I still like it?  Does it fit right?  Did I just not have the occasion to wear it?  Is it ripped/broken?  After I ask those questions I either keep the shirt, donate it, or trash it.

Where is this going?  Going through your closet is about taking the time to pause and reflect to determine if the clothing still serves the purpose it was originally meant to serve.  If it does, you keep it.  If it doesn’t, you either get rid of it or figure out how to make it work.  I believe that we could all do a better job of going through our actual closets as well as our metaphorical closets.  For example, metaphorical closets could be the people we surround ourselves with, the goals we have, and the behaviors we exhibit.  How often do you take the time to reflect on those things to determine if you should keep them or not?

The other day I had a conversation with one of my neighbors.  He was talking about this job he wanted and was excited about.  Then, as he did some self-reflection, he realized that this job he initially was excited about didn’t really fit him.  This job would give him a title and lead him down a prestigious path, but that path isn’t where he wanted to be.  Since then, he’s spent time trying to figure out how to change his path to make it the one he wants to walk down.  I have a lot of admiration for him, because he is one of the brave souls who paused and realized something didn’t quite fit before going too far.

Two Sundays ago was my birthday, and on the eve of my birthday I found myself reflecting.  On the people side, I feel over the years I’ve done a better job of keeping myself surrounded by the people who matter and letting go the people who just take from me.  On the life side, I feel I have a lot of things figured out, but I still have some habits, some fears, some doubts that don’t fit who I am and who I want to be, so I need to find a way to get rid of those and replace them with something new.  On the work side, I looked through 9 months of reflections, and there were things that made me smile and mistakes that made me face palm (and then chuckle that I could have done something that is now so obviously dumb).  Hopefully, I can change some of those face palm things for the future.

The challenge: Are you going through the various closets in your life to determine what you need to keep and what you need to let go?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry