Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Losing It
When I was a kid I was constantly losing things. I lost the Lacoste shirt I bought with my saved-up babysitting money somewhere between Morris Brothers and home, a five-block walk. I lost the suede belt I begged my mother for after wearing it once. I could go on. I used to hate that out-of-control, I-can’t-win, crazy feeling.
Luckily, I don’t live like that anymore. Occasionally, I’ll think I’ve lost something and inevitably it is exactly where it’s supposed to be, just a little further back or deeper in. But it reminds me of that crazy feeling, and it reminds me how grateful I am that I rarely feel that way these days.
Here’s the thing: When you have less, you lose less—and it’s not just that you have less to lose. When you have less, it’s easier to keep track of your stuff, whether it’s clothing or documents. One thing I’ve been working on is having less clothing, but of better quality. I’m resisting the impulse to buy something I don’t really need because it’s on sale or cute. I’m trying to keep my eye on the prize: a wardrobe where I love every single piece, and everything looks good and washes well. I’m not there yet, but I’m trying. Last week I splurged on a gorgeous, made-in-the-USA Black Halo dress for my first book signing (Woohoo!) and gave away five dresses and a few nightgowns too. I put everything in a suede tote that I love, but that is just too heavy to carry, and dropped it all at the Goodwill.
I’m not a saint, I love my stuff. But I want to be able to find it.