If any of you are considering minimalism, you probably want to start with your closet. Get rid of all those old and unnecessary clothes. Truth be told, this probably isn’t the best place to start because we grow so attached to our clothing. This is a difficult step. But nonetheless, this is where most people start. I even started here. Looking back at it, I would have picked a smaller place with less attached stuff to begin. Well, the past is the past and I can’t change that. What I can do though is share some of my dumbfounded wisdom.

When decluttering becomes a process, it is much easier to deal with. And I know we have way too many things and it can all feel so overwhelming. You want to start, but you don’t know where. You actually did start and you can’t find your way out of that stinkin room. There are guides all over the internet how to clean out your closet. Well, I found my way a little differently. Like most of the things I do, I research and then I combine all of the tips and tricks to suit my personality and my situation. What to do, what to do? I am just going to tell you before we get this little shindig rolling, this isn’t a time for “Maybe I’ll wear this.” or “What if this one occasion happens?” Sorry ladies, I am probably bursting the socialite bubble right now, but it’s most likely not going to happen. And I promise you, if it does, you will probably have something in your closet that will work just fine.

Shall we begin? The first thing is to clear out one room. If you have a different room that is easier to clear out or doesn’t need much elbow grease, move all your clothing there. We have space to work with, my friends. The next step is the least difficult and actually a little fun because it’s like you get to trash your room intentionally. Pull everything, I mean everything, out of your closet and dressers. The clothes. The hangers. The baskets. The storage containers. Dump all of those containers and storage bins out. You need to be able to see everything. Preferably put everything on the floor. We’ll get to the bed. I promise you didn’t just clean it off for nothing. But, you need to see every shiny shoe, every crumpled t-shirt, and every stained pair of jeans you own.

Once you have dumbed and rummaged through everything and it is all lying on your floor, you are ready to move on. Now this step is hard and you must be extremely selective. Remember, this is what you honestly value and what you believe to be truly beautiful. Select your 30 favorite pieces you must have. Like you would curl into a ball without them. You wouldn’t even be caught dead walking around Wal-mart without them. Okay, so you destroyed your room, and you have selected your favorites.

I’m just going to give you a word of caution. It only gets harder from here. So, now you need to find 4 bags/boxes/baskets to do the rest of the dirty work. Label each one — TRASH, DONATE, SELL, and MAYBE. Now, with the rest of the clothing that is on the floor, I need you to pick up every single piece. No joke, every single piece. If it has a stain, a hole, or the funk (you know what I mean), then it’s time to throw it out. Put those pieces in the trash. Next, let’s go to the donate and sell. These go hand-in-hand. If it is too small, too big, or you just really don’t like it anymore, it goes in one of these bags/boxes. If it is worth a bit of money, put it in the sell bag. Don’t waste your time on penny pinching. The key is to get rid of your clutter fast. The sooner you do that, the sooner you will be stress free. So the donate bag/box should have things that don’t fit or you don’t like that aren’t worth much. The sell bag can consist of items that have labels or whatever on them. OH!!! Fancy labels! I’m totally kidding. It doesn’t matter if you have labels or not.

You’re probably thinking about the maybe pile. This is stuff that you don’t totally love, but you don’t want to get rid of them either. So, you put everything that is left, after the trash, donate, and sell bags have been filled. However, with the maybe pile, you need to pick up every piece of clothing individually. Question it: “Do I need this?” “Do I love this?” “Can I live without this?” “Do I value this?” If you answer no to any of these questions, that piece of clothing goes into one of the other bags. If you answered yes, you can put it in the maybe pile.

After you have gone through all of your clothing, you need to put your favorites back into your closet. Then, put your donations right into your car. No going back through that stuff. The trash, well, you know where that goes. Make sure you do this immediately. In your sell stuff, take it to a consignment shop after dropping off your donations or immediately take pictures and post them to an online store. The maybe box gets to go into storage for 90 days. Whatever does not come out of that box, does not get to go back into your closet. You sell or donate these right after the 90 days.

That’s it. It seem daunting enough, but at least you have a game plan. I will tell you, a capsule wardrobe does work. It doesn’t work because you have the most flawless clothes or the most expensive. It works because you become used to those things and you find comfort in them. The capsule wardrobe isn’t a fashion statement. It’s about you figuring out who you are with less distractions and minimizing your choices so you have less stress in your life. You probably won’t look like a dime-piece every day, but it works. Your clothes are functional and that’s all that matters. Would you consider a capsule wardrobe?