Out with the old

Published 7:00 am Friday, January 1, 2016

The inevitable New Year’s resolution posts are starting to pop up on my social media feeds.
I used to make them every year, but being a realist, I know that I probably won’t follow through with them.
For the most part, every day I think about what I could be doing to make myself better.
Since I skip the yearly resolutions, I have a few other traditions I like to complete at the beginning of a new year.
One of the first things I like to do is clean out my closet. Throughout the year I accumulate many new clothes and sadly some still have the tags on them. I had good intentions at the time, but I always seem to have clothes that I don’t reach for. Since I’m married now, I’m also granted access to my husband’s closet so I clean his out as well.
So, I bag them up and bring them to a local non-profit group that will hand them out to those most in need. Hopefully some of the items will help keep someone warm or help them secure much needed employment.
Next up I tackle my shoe collection. I have a friend with teenage daughters and I always bring my lesser-worn footwear to them. They love the shoes and it makes me happy to know they are going somewhere where they will be worn.
Finally, I tackle my handbags, accessories and makeup. If I’m not using some of the items I give them to family and friends.
After it’s all done I feel so accomplished and have so much more room. However, knowing myself, I will purchase more of these things throughout the year, as I’m addicted to shopping and kind of defeats the purpose of cleaning, but I digress.
If you’re the type to make a resolution and keep it, I must express my admiration. And if you’re not into keeping resolutions, like me, find another productive way to begin a new year and be the best you can be on a daily basis, not just at the beginning of the year.

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