Recently, I shared with women in one of my coaching groups about the power of saying, “No.” Too often we forget that no is a complete sentence. To protect our remarkable leadership brand, we are seeking to create as Keystone leaders, we need to practice saying no. The space and the grace that our “no” gives us can help us to make better decisions, live more on purpose, and thrive so that we are on brand in every area of our lives.
One area that most of us find difficult to let go in is our closets. How many times have you opened your closet and thought, “I have nothing to wear.” Of course, it’s not really that your closet is empty. It is probably that the clothes you like and reflect your brand, visually, and style are hidden among the ones that you have not worn in ages, the ones with tags still on them, the ones that have gone out of style, the ones that do not fit, and you cannot see the jewels in your closet that you love to wear, fit you well, and speak to your leadership brand.
Several months ago, needed a closet realignment, and went through a major purging and decluttering project where I had to let go and say “no.” I’m determined to lead well and be remarkable in every area of my life and it was time to deal with my closet. As a result, I feel so FREE, rested, creative, and super productive.
There were several benefits to letting go:
- I could focus on wearing the things that I love and want to wear.
- There are things in my closet that could be of service to others by donating them to a charity.
- I could cash in on pieces that don’t seem right for me by earning some money by taking them to a consignment store or selling them online.
- Most importantly, I created a wardrobe where every piece of clothing reflected my brand.
- Lastly, clearing clutter helps me to better manage my ongoing struggle with ADHD.
I’m not saying this was an easy process. It was not at all. Why is it so hard to make edits to our wardrobe? During my purging project, I was forced to face some issues that I think all of us struggle with. Before I uncover some of these deeper struggles, grab a cup of tea. Let’s steep, sip, share, and prepare. Working through these struggles first will help put you in the right frame of mind for the purging project.
For many of us, we have memories and stories attached to our clothes. We have guilt about buying and not wearing what we purchased. It’s hard to face that waste of money. Or we look at clothes that were bought hastily or purchased while emotions were running high. It reminds us of habits we’d rather not face. You might be hanging on to clothing in a size that does not fit you anymore, and that reminder causes pain. These feelings are real and sometimes stand in the way of saying no. It is important to recognize them, accept them, and then move forward.
The good news is that you’re not alone. Chances are most of us have things hanging in their closets that should be in someone else’s closet, not theirs. These shopping misses or the holding on of clothes that don’t serve you in your current lifestyle are signs that you are normal. And just because these items are currently in your closet does not mean they must stay there. It is time to kick them out! It is time to purge the things that cause negative feelings and let the things that help you shine have the spotlight.
Now that we have talked about the issues and struggles of letting go and saying no. We are in the right frame of mind to tackle this project. Next time, we will go through the process of purging and how to successfully navigate letting go and saying no. By, the way, how’s that tea!
Remember, you don’t have to go at it alone! You can contact me to schedule a complimentary 30-minute visual branding strategy session.