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This past weekend, I did two things:
Cleaned my office
Swapped my closet out
Yes, my spaces can also get cluttered and disorganized. When life gets busy, it can happen quickly. And when it does, the unruly visuals can make my head feel just as messy. Physical real estate inevitably takes up mental real estate. When it’s messy, it’s messy. When it’s organized and pleasant, well, it’s pretty great. But it takes time and intention to get your space to a place that is optimal for your living and functioning.
This goes for all spaces in your home, including your office and your closet. Your office should be a place that’s reflective of you and optimal for performance. Your closet should have the same effect. When you go to do work, you want efficiency. When you go to get dressed, you want that, too.
Office Re-Org
My challenge typically starts with something simple: the mail piling up. Unsurprisingly, I get about five catalog mailers daily from brands and retailers—insane when you do the math, but that’s another topic. My husband will then drop them into my office so that the stacking doesn’t take over other parts of the house. It’s a cumulative clutter.
All it takes is one thing to set off the chain reaction of untidiness. For me, it’s the mail.
But it wasn’t just the catalogs that were piling up. This clutter was causing me to feel unsettled when walking into what is supposed to be my productivity space. I had enough of it. So, I started small and with these mailers. Easy!
Going through each one—if it was from the summer or previous seasons, they’d all be recycled. No longer relevant. The bills followed. Most of my statements are also virtual (I thought I was paperless); these printed versions were redundant, so off to the shredder. The books followed, which became a bigger project of reorganizing my bookshelves based on topics. Satisfaction followed with the completion of no more books stacked on the floor and aesthetically pleasing shelves. Oh, and I wiped off the shelves before I put the books back up.
Lastly, I set up a stationery stand. I grabbed some old candle containers (wax cleaned out) and floral vases to use for my pens, pencils, and markers. Used a bigger blue Tiffany box (that held some crystal that was gifted to us) to put notecards I’ve purchased from stationery stores to hold them all in place, and stacked up my ribbons for gifting on this cart, just because they’re pretty.
Voila! My office was tidied up, and when I walked in on Monday morning, I felt a deep satisfaction and energy to jump right into work without distraction.
The Closet Swap
I started small in changing out seasons in my closet, too. Going through each section and determining what would not be relevant for fall/winter, each item was pulled off the hanging rod, shelves, and drawers, all inspected. Shirts were first, then bottoms: shorts, skirts, pants and jeans. Followed by dresses. And wrapped it up with the knitwear.
The material, coverage, and color are big factors in swapping for seasons. Linens and lightweight cotton all went to the upstairs cedar chest as the cashmere and merinos took their place in my main closet. Anything super bright or overly pastel-colored also went away for the season (minus white because that color can be worn year-round). Sleeveless dresses and shorter hemlines also exited my main closet to make space for wool suits, silk maxi skirts, and velvet blazers.
Sweaters were their own project after a break in my office and closet swap. The folding became a brief point of meditation for me. I didn’t need to fold them perfectly, but enough to be visible and organized— that’s the point. I don’t organize by material but rather by general color schemes. I wear my sweaters so much in the coming season that as long as they’re generally near each other in hues, then I will find what I’m looking for. That’s satisfying enough for me.
I recognize that I did all of this over a weekend, but it can be done over many days and weekends. Starting small is key to getting it done. I often recommend the four-minute sock edit as a starting point. Easy, fast, and big impact! You can use the napkin illustration at the top of this article to determine how you’ll categorize the decluttering of items. Be specific with the list of areas you will address. Do one at a time. Otherwise, you’ll have mental paralysis thanks to the physical overwhelm of what needs to get done.
Happy organizing!
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🚴🏼♀️🩳 The Best Bike Shorts
…and they’re from Target
🎯 A fit check for you and why I love them so much:
Super soft w/ a midweight stretch (spandex) — not too stiff/tight and not too loose in fit — the lighter colors are slightly shear, FYI
A little added hold around the high waist — double lined — personally, I like this area to have some extra support
I wear them for walks in the park, hiking, spinning, running, yoga and pilates
Length is my preference for coverage down my legs (8”), and don’t ride up when I wear them or workout in them
Great price! $20
I’m wearing them in Fern Green and posted a video about this color and Espresso + the fit on my Insta. Take your standard size in the shorts. Available in XS-XXL.
📣 What People Are Saying
Interested in personal styling & working with me? Learn more here.
Read / Watch / Listen
📰 T-Shirts Made in America — Menswear brand Buck Mason is on a mission to create comfortable, cool, and flattering clothing for men and is doing so by reinvesting in US-based production. This thoughtful approach to making clothing has resulted in their nearly perfect tee’s (my male clients are really into them).
📺 Make time for Prime — Looking for something to stream this month? I have been, too. Was reminded to finish the docuseries Coach Prime — it covers his third season coaching at Jackson State, an HBCU. After finishing all four episodes, I was left feeling positive and inspired, to say the least. It’s a good time to get hyped, given all that Deion Sanders and the Buffalos are punting at us, whether you’re a fan or not. And if you like Coach Prime’s style, look no further than his sunnies (they’ve gone viral). If you like his style of life, follow his IG for nuggets of wisdom and grace, on and off the field.
🎧 Focus Music — After some research on Spotify for a relaxing spa playlist, I landed on this one. I listen to it while doing computer work and even turned it on to clean my office over the weekend. Calm and focus are key to organizing.
🗣️ The Psychology of Fashion: Leadership and Influence
Join us on September 27 in St. Louis! I’m excited to moderate and connect with this panel of fashion contributors and experts on a topic that is at the core of my business, graduate research, and personal philosophy of fashion and psychology — and, ultimately, how it impacts you. Registration + more info on this hosted event by FOCUS St. Louis are below.
Fashion and style have always played a role in how people present themselves, and it can also impact how individuals perceive their own leadership potential. This discussion will delve into the psychology behind clothing choices and how they can enhance or undermine one’s authority, credibility and charisma. Discover the subtle language of apparel, the history context of power dressing and the modern implications of style in a leadership role.
In this panel discussion, we will explore how fashion and personal style can influence leadership and career success. Our experts will share their insights on how fashion can be used to enhance confidence, build your personal brand, and establish a professional presence while remaining authentically you. This discussion promises to shed light on the unseen power of what we wear.