Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/122656
Yes No maybe homes & gardens | by katherine denton Take control of your panic room I am a not a doomsday prepper, but my home actually has a panic room where we can take sanctuary if the need arises. As a professional organizer, I have discovered that the majority of my clients have a panic room of a different nature. It's a room that induces panic rather than prevents it. It's the clothes closet. Have you ever felt insulted when you walk into your closet? The clothes hanging from their perch like birds taunting you. If only you were 5 pounds thinner, 10 years younger, 6 inches taller. The clothes mock you - nothing in here is going to make you look good. Does each day start with a desperate search for something to wear? If it does, know that you are not alone. I have been in the trenches with scores of men and women in their own closets, and I have had to face my own demons as well. The name of my organizing business is "My Friend, Katherine." After years of self-loathing I finally realized I was a friend to everyone except myself. I committed to granting myself the space of compassion and tranquility that I was creating for everyone else. Rather than criticizing my 44 l Macon Magazine body for what it wasn't, I accepted my body for what it is: a vehicle for accomplishing my higher purpose in life. My closet is no longer filled with tons of clothes. It is a well-weeded garden that abounds with clothes that celebrate the essence of who I am. Most of us wear only 20 percent of the clothes hanging in our closets. To help my clients' determine which clothes to keep, I play the "yes, no, maybe game" which you can do on your own or with a friend. Give yourself approximately 10 seconds with each piece of clothing and ask yourself, "Do I love this? Would I buy this again?" Go with your gut feeling. If you immediately say yes, put it back on the rack. If you don't, put it in a pile to donate. If you're not sure, then take the item out and add it to a "maybe" pile. I recommend looking in a fulllength mirror at your reflection or at a friend to gauge your initial facial reaction, which can be very revealing. When you are finished sorting, address the "yes" items first. Do you have a complete outfit for each "yes" item? If something is missing like april/MAy 2013