25 minutes : ‘Tomato Timer’ vs. ‘Closet Tsunami’

Summer is in.

Summer in India usually breaks in as early as Mid February. A time when some parts of the world are welcoming Spring while some are still warming up to the cold winters.

Mangoes. Watermelons. Vacations. Coconut Water. Sugarcane Juice. But for me it was always a sense of ‘I need to have a new Summer Wardrobe.’ That’s what a typical summer meant till recently.

But this year as I complete 45 orbits around the Sun as an Earth being, I decided it had to be different yet simple, challenging yet fulfilling, and effective yet quick.

That is when I decided to meet my ever piling mountain of clothes. Some stacked away in shelves and closets. Some neatly tucked in some secret wardrobe. And most of them lying as a heap on my bedside constantly reminding me of the fact that I have so much despite the sense of wanting to have more.

A picture of one of my shelves — without the clutter.

In case you have forgotten the clothes are lying heaped up along my bed side. And if you are wondering what a ‘Tomato’ is doing there instead, you will either have to keep guessing it or maybe read further.

Will the ‘Tomato Timer’ really be of any use to me as I declutter?

Is it alright to use a productivity enhancer for a Wardrobe rescue?

Can the ‘Pomodoro’ technique fix my Summer Cupboard Overhaul?

Photo by Alex Ghizila on Unsplash

With all the above questions and more dancing in my head I decided to go ahead with it.

For those who know me, it is not a surprise that I am an expert at starting things and then leaving them be. And for those who don’t know me, at least now you know one thing about me.

I have been working on my habits for a while now. Making some good ones, sticking to ones that matter, feeling of dumping the habit and go improv, struggling to get back to the habit after a break have all become a part of my 24 hours now.

One thing I have learnt amongst others of this habit of habit making is that whether we act on it or not, every task has to have a plan.

A plan that can help us navigate through the task in action.

A plan that can come in handy when we are in a fix.

A plan that can make it easy to come back in case we falter.

A plan that can be a part of analysing our habits for better.

A plan that can act as a document for my journey from Heap to Happy.

Duo sitting on my mini Pile of (clutter) clothes reminding me to keep up my streak today.

If you are thinking what Duo, the Green Owl is doing squatting on my Closet Tsunami, let me assure you that he is my friendly pet who keeps reminding me to keep at my daily streak by doing a lesson a day. Maybe I will end up learning what different clothes in my closet are called in the languages I am learning.

Here’s a glimpse of the plan that I have come up with Duo to carry on this sacred mission of decluttering and rearranging my Wardrobe.

Objective: To have a well organised closet with minimal mayhem of clothes not fitting me any more, clothes not suiting me anymore, clothes not needed anymore.

Priorities: Stacking away the winter wear and bringing out the Summer wear for the season.

Making optimum use of the existing space — shelves, wardrobe organisers, and closets.

Having a clear idea about what stays and what doesn’t and how the latter is going to be disposed.

Categorisation: I have identified my clutter into 5 distinct categories. Although I am going to have a tough time deciding which category a certain piece of cloth belongs to at least for half of my wardrobe.

• To be thrown away — Ones that have been worn long, probably for more than a decade, ones that are torn or faded, and ones that cannot be passed on as legacy to anyone at all.
• To be given away — Ones that don’t suit me anymore, ones that I don’t like that much now, and ones that are good enough to be given away. I am sure I will take pictures and cherish them all my life.
• To be recycled away — Ones that either don’t fit me or suit me now but am still not over them, ones that might look better in some other form or shape, ones that can stay a little longer in my clutter.
• To be kept away— Ones that need to be kept away for the season (Winter stuff), ones that might not be used frequently (Party wear), and ones that will be worn on special occasions.
• To be kept in — Ones that I have to survive on through the summer, ones that I indulge in on a daily basis, and ones that form a part of the current trend I am following (it’s been Pajamas for the last 3 summers).

We are living in a digital world where our wardrobe dictates our mood mostly. It isn’t just about organising our clothes. It is about taking control of the mess in our lives to create enough space for efficiency, creativity, and a little calm. What better way to do it using the ‘Tomato Timer’!

Trrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggg

There goes my timer.

Got to get back to finding calm in the chaos of my pile of clothes. See you when the timer goes off again with more updates about how the war between my Tsunami Closet and the Tomato Timer can be resolved in 25 minutes.

Do you wish to declutter your wardrobe too using the ‘Tomato Timer’?

What are you waiting for?

Put the timer on, open your wardrobe and pile it on.