In March of 2016 (and as a follow-up to this post) I had a chance to witness sports history.  The never-before-been-done became possible! It began with a declaration. Then, a carefully orchestrated series of physical and mental actions transformed that vision into reality.

When it comes to organization, you must first decide what you are willing to do in order to establish order in your personal or professional life. Then, even more importantly, you must decide what you are willing to do in order to maintain it. Organization is less about the arrangement of your “stuff” as it is about the thoughts, beliefs and behavior related to that stuff.

For many people, the “holy grail” of organizing is that ever-chaotic closet. There are three habits in particular – including one little-known organizing “secret” – that will serve you extremely well in establishing and maintaining order in your closet. Once these three habits have been put into place, ALL of your efforts toward organization will be that much more effective.

Habit #1: Eliminate Wire and Plastic

Immediately after bringing a garment home from the dry cleaner’s, remove the plastic garment bag and change out the hanger. This takes a minute or two, but keeping your closet free of wire hangers and plastic wrapping is key to maintaining an orderly space. If possible (and even if you use an eco-friendly dry cleaner that does not use harmful chemicals), hang newly dry-cleaned garments in a well-ventilated area for several hours before hanging them in your closet. This practice helps eliminate toxins that that could be absorbed by your body and your home. Airing out your clothing in this manner is also beneficial to the fabric. In the case of a specialty item that you don’t often wear and wish to keep protected, remove the plastic wrapping and store in a fabric garment bag.

Habit #2: Be Rigorously Honest – With Yourself.

One of the reasons that space- and closet-organizing services are so highly sought after in the United States is that we are acquiring belongings at a faster rate than we are able to make decisions about what to do with them. On average, we use only about twenty percent of what we own – twenty percent! Some honest self-reflection will enable you to improve upon that percentage with your own personal possessions. When it comes to clothing, think about how you want to look and feel when you wear something. Be relentless in sorting, and try to stay open and willing to let some things go.

Start with your tops. First, take all your tops out of your closet and drawers. Pick up each one individually, and ask yourself the following questions:

• Is it beautiful?
• Do I wear it regularly?
• Do I feel amazing in it?

If your answer is not a wholehearted “YES!” to all three of these questions, set the garment aside and consider donating it.

Repeat the same process with all of your pants, skirts, dresses, and outerwear.

A wonderful organizing book by Marilyn Paul, It’s Hard to Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys, uses a phrase that still intrigues me: the “self-acceptance closet.” Your goal is to smile when you open up your closet. All of the clothes fit, they are in good shape (no holes, major stains, etc.), and you feel good when you put them on. By cultivating the habit of honest self-reflection, you will ultimately transform far more than just your closet.

Habit #3: The Closet-Organizing “Secret” – Hanger Uniformity

An overabundance of hangers can lead to disarray. Perhaps the number-one visual trick for a seemingly well-organized closet is uniformity in the style and color of hangers. If you currently use a hodgepodge of hanger types, remove all empty hangers from your closet and group like hangers together. See how many hangers you have and what types you have before going out and buying anything new. Set aside any oddball or bulky ones, so that similar types are placed next to one another.

The result will be an instantaneous – seemingly miraculous – boost in the tidiness feel of your closet. After finishing your hanger inventory and sorting through and releasing any items that no longer serve you, consider splurging and upgrading to completely uniform hangers.

I like acrylic hangers for skirts and slacks and non-slip hangers with rotatable hooks (all in the same color) for mostly everything else.

Once you have purged enough clothing and made sufficient space in your closet, wooden hangers can create a next-level sense of serenity and order.

Although the prospect of confronting your less-than-tidy closet may seem daunting, implementing these three tips will enable you to transform closet chaos into closet glory!

Are there are any practical closet-enhancing practices that have worked for you? If so, I’d love to hear about them! Please share with me and other readers in the comments below.