Wardrobe challenge - 3 things I've learnt

"I don't have many clothes!" I thought. "I'm only taking part in this in order to Wardrobe challenge and my Online life training LEO to motivate them." 

That's how you can make a mistake.

For 7 days - always during my lunch break - I sorted out a different category of clothes: Shoes, socks, T-shirts, trousers...

First everything was cleared out of the wardrobes, then the things I like and wear were put back in.

What I often wore and liked was allowed to stay in the wardrobe, the rest went away - either to friends or to a social organisation. 

I was surprised to realise that there were a lot of things that I hardly wear and don't particularly love. Much more than I previously thought.

In the end, there were about 100 items of clothing that had accumulated in my wardrobes without me actually using them.

I have learnt a lot. 

My aha moments during the wardrobe challenge

• Be careful with gifts
  A good third of the clothes that I sorted out were things that I once received as gifts. Fur collars from my mum, shirts and cardigans from a friend... 

That was perhaps very nice of the people - or they probably just wanted to get rid of their stuff. I found it difficult to say "no". In theory, you can always use a new item. 

So the clothes ended up in my wardrobe. I wore very few of them very often. It just wasn't really right for me. The exception: 5 great pairs of jeans that fit like a glove. I love them. 

I have learnt:

1. In future, I want to be quicker to say "no" when I'm offered clothes that don't fit me 100%. 
2. I don't want to gently impose anything on other people myself. But of course I was delighted when a friend was very happy to receive one of my jumpers and a silk scarf. They were just her style! 

• Consuming things is often too slow 
  My favourite strategy for reducing is to use things for as long as possible or to wear clothes and shoes until they are no longer usable. That makes ecological sense. 

However, the strategy is very slow. A few years ago I had 35 pairs of socks and some tights. I think 20 pairs of socks is enough. In two years, I've only lost about 8 pairs. 

Gradual reduction works if you don't buy anything new. But it usually takes a long time. This is particularly the case with clothes such as T-shirts, because I usually wear my favourite items. In the meantime, you have the things you hardly use in your wardrobe and it only gets less very slowly. Because I don't want that, I have to find other ways. 

I have learnt: If you have far too much of something but want to get rid of it, the strategy is: I reduce too slowly, step by step. Some things can also be given away.

• Let your heart speak louder than your head. 
  When tidying up, the head often quickly announces: "You could still use that for this!" Or "Maybe there will be an occasion to wear these shoes again after all!" 

Sometimes the voice of reason speaks here, but often it is simply the internalised voice of authority figures. "You don't throw anything away...!" 

My aim was not just to reduce things. That's focussed on the negative: What can / must go. However, inspired by Marie Kondo, I wanted to focus on the positive. 

Only what I love is allowed to be around me, I often say. And I practise it more and more. 

Sometimes questions help: 

• Do I really love it? 
• Does it make me happy? 
• Is it a favourite piece?

In addition to the questions, it was even more important for me to listen to my heart and feel what my heart was saying. I'm not perfect at this yet, but I'll keep practising. 

I have learnt: The head is often faster than the heart. Listening to the voice of the heart takes time and space. 

The Wardrobe Challenge 2020 is over. I'm looking forward to 2021!

I was surprised at how many things I had in my wardrobe. I found it exhausting and am proud and happy that I went through my things. 

I now know which two items of clothing I really need in the near future and which one pair of shoes. I'm now looking for them specifically.

I have made up my mind: I'll do it again next year. Because maybe my taste will change a little, and maybe my body will too. 

I'm sure I'll be reducing quite a few more items of clothing over the next 12 months because I've used them up (underwear and socks) or because I've realised when wearing them that I don't really love them. 

I am grateful for the Wardrobe Challenge 2020 and look forward to 2021. 

If you still want to take part: The Instructions for the wardrobe challenge and the individual categories can be found here.