Dear readers,

We are excited to feature at guest post from Sue West, a professional organizer based in New Hampshire (OrganizeNH.com) and President of the Greater Manchester NH chapter, National Association of Professional Organizers. Sue shares some great tips on how to get organized, clean out your closet and when to know it’s time to donate.

You can’t find …  Your closet is full … You can’t buy anymore …

It took you awhile to find that blouse you knew you had – somewhere – so you were late to work or to dinner or to your child’s event.

Time to go through our closets. Why is it so hard? Our clothing holds memories – of places we’ve been, or sports we used to play, or sizes we once were, jobs we had — of who we were.

Of who we were … Yes, a lot of our clothing is good quality, but it’s not “you” anymore, is it? You’ve moved onto a new chapter in your life.

Imagine we are standing together in front of your closet. Take a quick look. What would I know about you, based on your clothing selection? Describe yourself. And is that you, today? It’s often not, in my experience.

Here are a couple of tips to help you get started. You just read the first one above. It’s important to recognize your lifestyle and what clothes you need and want, today.

#2 Suggestion: Visit Goodwill Industries of Northern New England online. They are really local in what they do and what they give back, with our donations; I discovered how local when Michelle Smith visited our chapter of professional organizers.

Why do this? Because then when you go through your closet, you’ll have a picture of where you’re donating to, of the families you’ll be assisting and the local organizations who benefit. We know our things are still good; they’re not just not who we are anymore, so who else could benefit? In my experience, across the board, it’s easier to let go of belongings when we have a sense of where their new homes will be. Try it and see what you think.

#3 Say “goodbye” out loud. Whether you’re reorganizing with someone else or working on  your own, go ahead and say it out loud. Tell your story one last time. BUT if by telling your story, you realize this is a lifetime friend/favorite treasure, please reconsider whether you really want to let it go.

#4 Pick a magic number. Keep 15 shoes per season, four pairs of jeans per child, eight shirts for work, or one drawerful of shirts and pants. Choosing a number or a physical limit (the drawer) makes decisions easier; you’re deciding on your own comfortable guidelines and taking some of the emotion out of the process.

#5 Invite a friend to your own fashion show. Who is the one friend who will tell you what really goods on you and what doesn’t? Invite her over and spend time together – maybe returning the favor if she wants to do it, too.

Letting go is about knowing your favorites, your priorities in life, your treasures …..and keeping the most important. When we let go of other items, it’s because we are moving on. We’re keeping the best of the past and bringing it with us into our next chapter in life.  Hopefully some of these questions will help you with that.

Related posts:

• Goodwill Fashion Finds: A New Job, New Clothes!
• Halloween! Costumes with Caitlin
• Clothes-knit community: Swap Maine returns to Portland