Decisions, Decisions…
The average human mind makes 35,000 decisions a day. Sounds crazy, right?
And here you thought you were indecisive.
Fortunately, the vast majority of the many decisions we make each day are trivial and don’t require much thought at all. Deciding to read this blog post was a decision you made. (And a good decision, too!)
How do we make that many decisions? Let’s break it down a little bit. Take for example the decision to read this blog post. You decided to pick up your phone or sit at your computer. You decided to visit my blog. You decided that this post sounded interesting, and then you decided to read it.
That was 4 decisions. If you put your glasses on so that you could see better before reading, that was another decision you made. And when you’re finished reading this post, you’ll decide what to do next.
Maybe you’ll read another post. Maybe you’ll want more information about my services. Maybe you’re reading this on your lunch break, and you’ll decide to go back to work.
So what does all of this have to do with your closet?
When you have a closet full of clothes, your mind is not just making one decision about what to wear.
As you stand in front of your clothes, your subconscious mind is hard at work, looking at each individual piece in front of you and making a yes or no decision about that item.
If you have 150 pieces of clothing in front of you, you've started your morning by making 150 decisions.
Are you tired yet?
Add shoes, jewelry, purses, etc. to that and you can easily add on another 50 decisions. That’s 200 decisions in less than 5 minutes.
Then, when you get dressed, you’ll decide whether to put on your blouse or pants first. The decisions just don’t stop!
Another fun fact: The average woman wears 20% of what's in their closet 80% of the time.
That means that if you have 100 pieces of clothing, 80 of them are not getting worn most of the time. And every morning when you get dressed, your subconscious makes the decision not to wear them.
What's the quickest way to cut down on decision fatigue then? Get rid of the clothes that you aren't going to actually wear. (Make the decision to keep reading – this is where it starts to get really good!
This includes:
1. Anything that is too big or too small. If you can't wear it at this moment, right now, don't let your brain fatigue over a decision that is automatically a no. Take it right out of your closet.
2. Pieces you feel 'meh' about. You fit into it but for a variety of reasons, every time you put it on, you end up taking it off again and choosing something else.
Maybe it’s too pink, maybe the fabric is itchy, or maybe you just don’t think it’s flattering to you. Don’t let that piece take up valuable real estate in your closet – and your brain.
3. Pieces that aren't everyday styles. This could be cocktail dresses, professional attire that you only need for the occasional business trip, ski clothes, etc. If you need to keep them but you only wear them once a year or seasonally, take them out of the closet and put them somewhere else so that they aren’t within your line of sight in the morning.
Obviously, you aren’t going to wear your winter coat to a weekend pool party, but your subconscious still sees that coat in the closet daily and has to decide not to wear it. Give your brain a break.
4. True workout clothes that don't fall into the athleisure category. If you only wear them to the gym, save your brain space and put them away in a drawer.
5. Bum around the house and lounge clothes. Your brain doesn't need to waste energy deciding if you're going to wear that oversized, stretched-out, stained sweater to work today. Into the drawer it goes. And while we’re on the subject, unless you spend your weekends painting houses or something, you probably don’t need more than a few pieces like this.
The same decision-making process that happens when you open your closet happens when you open your drawers. No one needs to make 50 decisions about whether the coffee-stained or the spaghetti-stained T-shirt is more appropriate attire for cleaning out the garage.
By removing the clothes that are automatically a no, you can conserve your mental energy (and often emotional too, but that's a whole other post!) for the places that really matter.
Like work. Or even better, fun. Think of all the extra energy you’ll have to check out that new clothing store that just moved in down the street!
Having a clean, stress-free, organized closet that works for you instead of against you is a key factor in waking up excited to get dressed. Imagine opening your closet and getting dressed with a smile. You’ll no longer already be exhausted before breakfast. And you’ll be better prepared to tackle whatever comes your way throughout the day.
Maybe you’ll even discover that you really are a morning person after all!
This is why I'm now offering a NEW Style Edit service so you can release all those clothes that are an automatic no and reorganize what remains in a way that your brain can easily put together an outfit.
I told you the good part was coming! I’m here to help. Let’s do this thing!
Say hello to hassle-free mornings!
(At least when it comes to your clothes – I can’t promise your toaster won’t burn the toast again! 🙂)
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ABOUT:
I'm a Minneapolis personal stylist on a mission to eradicate outdated style 'rules' so women can unleash themselves in all their beautiful, authentic glory!
I offer personal styling services that empower women to wear what they love by helping them ditch any outdated style rules keeping them stuck, showing them how to dress in a way that embraces their beautiful body and, the key to it all, having fun! I believe in a liberated style approach so there are no style rules, body shapes, seasonal colors or dos and don’ts given out here. Rather, I help my clients tap into what lights them up and dress with the purpose of expressing their authentic selves rather than impressing others.
This is all done through a combination of styling services (including wardrobe edits, shopping trips and styling sessions) available in thoughtfully curated styling packages designed to help clients unleash their true self through the power of style.
When I'm not helping women take back their power style, you can find me reading (about a gazillion books at once), learning the art of pole dancing, making & decorating cakes, binging a random circa 2000's TV show with my hubby, Aaron, while playing with my adorable rescue pup or, of course, shopping! :-)