I am all over this challenge. YES, YES, YES.
In September 2014, I organized an online group with some friends to do a 60 Day Wardrobe (Closet) Challenge to wear an item only once in the 60 days, this including women aged between 20 – 50. The suggestions were also to wear things that they often pass over. And mix and match items that they have not done so in the past. This was a great adventure and a transformative process for all. We posted our outfits each day and wrote about feelings or insights.
Whilst doing the challenge I came across a book, More or Less by Jeff Shinabarger.
Take a look at this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUY-kfQMMXM
His wife did exactly the challenge we were doing, she told her husband she thought she would last around 70 days looking at what she assumed was in her wardrobe. She last 156 days of only wearing each item once!!!!!
After the 60 days I also was not done. So I set up another online group with new friends and I scrapped through to another 58 days. Total 118 days.
This was beneficial to me in many many ways, and some are still revealing themselves now.
I got rid of clothes that not longer fit, that I was keeping ‘just incase” It also showed me how attached to my appearance I was. (I wore a 15 something year old heavily shoulder padded jacket out in public with no qualms) I got compliments on things I wore that I really hated but still had in my wardrobe. I even invited friends in my wardrobe to look at the stuff other than clothes that were stacked there. Talk about coming out of the Closet, I was inviting people in! This was so freeing, I had no idea it would have been. I lightened up on my perceived opinions I thought people had on my looks, and me in general! They just don’t!
I also suggested women in the group to do seasonal swaps with friends as another activity during the challenge. And I shared information relating to clothing waste, fashion houses dumping and community minded people doing great recycle and up cycle things with clothing. One women wrote an article on Elephant Journal about her time in the challenge http://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/12/memories-made-of-cloth-a-wardrobe-challenge/
At the completion of the 2 challenges, I headed up a clothing drive, I put out a challenge to our school community to give away warm clothing to the homeless. We delivered these items (numerous car loads) directly to people on the streets, through an organization that also takes warm food directly to the streets. We also had women and children’s clothing left over and delivered them to a local women’s shelter.
And I was able to bring ‘zen’ to my closet. There is nothing in my wardrobe that I don’t wear now. Also a bonus was that NO shopping was to be done at all for clothing during the challenge. My husband was ecstatic 120 days of no purchases!
I have bought only 2 pieces of exercise clothing a month on from the challenge and I find now I am way more fussy with buying anything.
How does adding more stuff bring Happiness?
In my 5th decade I know, it doesn’t.
Last week I organized an Organization Coach to come help me organize, sort, discard my whole home. Every room, every cupboard, this is an 8 week, 2 hour a week commitment. I myself know how weighing some of these areas have been for me, and well the reality is, I would just never get around to sorting them out by myself. Even though my home is quite streamline, I have a dump room, stuff that I just want out of my sight and have not dealt with gets dropped off there, and the door closed again.
Now is the time I am bringing ‘ZEN’ to everything.
I know it is also aiding with clearing away any excuses. To not be and do what my heart yearns for.
When you create peace, order and tranquility, grand possibilities have a place to enter.
Getting it done.
ZEN to you too x
ps I am into buying experiences too
