Get Ready Time

“Get ready” time is a precious commodity.  I used to lose a lot of morning prep time because I couldn’t decide what to wear.  I have quite a bit of clothes and you would think getting dressed would be a breeze, but not always. 

Most mornings I stand in my closet and look back and forth, waiting for something that fits how I am feeling to jump out at me.  Some days the inspired outfit comes together in my mind quickly but on other days I just stand there stumped.  Friends of mine suggested picking out my clothes the night before; however, I don’t always know how I’m feeling that far in advance.  When I purchase new clothes dressing is easy because I always want to wear new pieces right away.  I don’t “save” clothes for special days because I believe every day that the Lord gives me is special.

So how did I overcome this “getting ready” challenge?  I’m not totally healed but I am being delivered.  Here are some ways that I have cut down on my extended “get ready” sessions:

• I do other things instead of standing in my closet looking around – I will leave my closet and do other parts of my morning routine like walk my dog, make and eat my breakfast, or put on my makeup.  When I finish these tasks then I go back to the closet and get dressed.  I can accomplish all I need to do each morning and get out of the house on time!

  
  

• I take the pressure off myself and just pick something already – sometimes I am not confident in how a certain outfit will look or I can’t remember the last time I wore it.  I must remind myself that being stylish doesn’t mean you never wear anything twice.  And I also overcome my insecurities by standing ten toes down on my style choice for that day.  I trust my sense of style!

  
  

• I maintain a neat closet and keep my laundry clean and put away – I am a reformed clothes basket diver (like a dumpster diver but instead of a dumpster it’s a clothes basket, couch, or wherever you pile the clean clothes).  When everything is in its proper place, it takes less time to pull a look together because I don’t have to find things. And my bedroom looks neater, too!

My dilemma may sound frivolous to some, but I don’t possess the ability to just throw something on and go.  I have always thought about what I am wearing.  My “excellence” may not be the same as whatever area others deem vital, but we all have something that we hold dear.  These three steps can be applied to just about anything.  What stops you in your tracks when you need to make a decision?  Are you putting too much pressure on yourself when you should decide (or make a move) already? Do you have tasks you’re avoiding that could better position you to do something? 

Think about style and your life.  Yes, it’s more that just clothes.