October has come to a close and so has our recent Project 333, 30 day challenge.
This has been a great year for me in experimenting with less. Living in a culture where more is more, Five Things is all about simplicity and realizing that we were never meant to do all. the. things. What I love about minimalism is that it reminds us that we were never meant to have all. the. things.
Fall was a perfect time for me to get back to the minimalist foundation I started the year off with. When you have to put your summer clothes away and pull out your cool weather wardrobe, that is a perfect time to decide what stays and what goes. At the end of summer you have a pretty good idea of what you wore the most. Chances are if you didn’t wear an item much this summer you are probably not going to wear it any more next summer. No need to store it over the winter and repeat the cycle next summer! Just pass it along to make room for the things you actually look good in and feel good in.
Last winter I started working out and was pleasantly surprised when a few of the clothing items I pulled out from last season didn’t fit anymore. If something is hanging off of you, even if it makes you feel good knowing you’ve slimmed down a pinch, it doesn’t look flattering and needs to go!
When I did this project in the spring (Experimenting with Less) I was definitely more strict with the rules. I counted my accessories, footwear, and outerwear in my 33 items. This time around I needed to have some flexibility, and decided to modify the rules a bit. I didn’t count my shoes because with the weather I needed have flats, sandals, tennis shoes and boots. October was weird this year- we had 80 degree days as well as snow in the same month! Life in Cleveland is the best and I wouldn’t trade it for anything… unless of course you have a house near the ocean you need to offload- hit me up!
Using the hanger hack to see what I actually wore this month was eye opening to me. Being able to see what I have worn, or not, over the 30 days was really helpful. Seeing the backwards hangers made me think about what I was choosing each time I went to my closet to get ready for the day. Sometimes I would see a backwards hanger and think, do I really want to wear this or am I just trying to use all the items I’ve chosen? It has also made some items glaringly obvious that I should give away. If I haven’t worn an item when I’ve been so limited, what are the chances that I will wear it when I have more options?
There were 8 items in my closet I didn’t wear once!
I found so much freedom doing Project 333, I’m going to keep going. It has given me such a different perspective on what I put on my body every day. No more starting the day with decision fatigue over my wardrobe! I love seeing only my favorite things that fit me well when I open my closet. No more clothes that are too small taunting me anymore! As a mom whose body has changed shape in a big way 5 times over the last 10 years, the last thing I need are clothes making me feel bad about myself. I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life and neither do you!
If you’ve been along for the Fall Project 333 challenge I’d love to hear from you! Did you have a hard time? Do you feel like you could keep going? What did you find the most challenging?
Maybe this is the first time you are reading about Project 333. If this is something that is intriguing to you go Project 333 for more information. You can start anytime. Let me know if you go for it. I’d love to hear all about your experience!
five things 