Article by Ceri Wheeldon
“In the never-ending battle between order and chaos, clutter sides with chaos every time. Anything that you possess that does not add to your life or your happiness eventually becomes a burden.”
John Robbins,
At the start of the original lockdown last March I had good intentions relating to decluttering my house.
After about 6 weeks I think I had probably sorted only one cupboard!
Today’s challenge is to declutter – it doesn’t have to be a major task- it can be just one room or even just a cupboard or messy drawer.
I did manage to declutter my walk in wardrobe recently which was a major task. You can read my tips for wardrobe decluttering. I was motivated to do so in preparation for putting my house on the market, I thought prospective house viewers may want to peep inside and it was overflowing – very much a ‘before’ ! My own reward was finding some ‘treasures’ that I had forgotten about – and now that its organised I can see what I have more clearly and come up with new combinations in terms of what to wear. I am a great believer in shopping in my own wardrobe before making any new purchases.
We can all hang onto things that have outlived their purpose, but realistically just how likely are we to wear something or use something if all we do is move it to a different cupboard or wardrobe? Don’t be afraid to let things go.
If you are reluctant to throw things away for sentimental reasons, can they be repurposed? In the past I have interviewed people who turned favourite dresses or children’s clothes made into bags, cushions and quilts, turned family silverware into jewellery , created mosaics from old china. The possibilities are endless with a little creativity.
There is such a sense of reward after a successful decluttering session. Psychologically it’s good to let go of the old to make room for the new ?
Symbolic of making a fresh start!
You can share your challenge on our Facebook Pages @Fabafterfifty @StyleConfidenceandSuccesswithJulia and don’t forget to follow us if you don’t already ) and if you love using social media you can also share your looks on Instagram or Twitter with #NewYearNewYouChallenge2021.
“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.”
Paulo Coehlo
Did you miss yesterday’s challenge?…