Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Tara Laxson.

I read about Project 333 a few months ago. I turned the idea over in my mind several times before taking on the challenge.

I knew where my struggle would be. There were items in my closet that did not fit me or my lifestyle, and yet, I didn’t want to let them go.

I picked a Saturday in March and made the decision to begin. I made great progress as I started sorting things into piles.

I started with the “love” pile. I ended up with 32 items that really define my lifestyle. They reflect who I am, the work I do and the places I go. These are the pieces of my wardrobe that feel like me.

The “donate” pile came together quickly. There were pieces of clothing and accessories that no longer (or never did) fit me or my lifestyle. Letting them go felt good, though I wished I would have donated them sooner so that someone could have been using them. Lesson learned.

As predicted, there were several items that didn’t make the “love” or “donate” piles. They didn’t look great on me or fit my lifestyle, but, they tugged at me. I boxed them up and put them in my closet. Over the next few weeks, I thought a lot about those items and why I didn’t want to part with them.

There were lots of different pieces in that box, a skirt that no longer fits, a pair of jeans I wore when I was much younger, tops that don’t look “right” on me, outfits I bought that don’t fit my life. They are pieces that engendered dissatisfaction. They didn’t reflect who I am now, instead, they reflected the woman I used to be, a woman I want to be, or, think I should be.

I realized with some sadness that holding on to these clothes meant holding on to the idea that who I am now isn’t enough. For years I’ve wasted mental energy sorting through a closet sprinkled with disappointments.

I completed the challenge a month ago. I donated the (unopened) box two weeks ago. Since then

• getting dressed is a much simpler process. I have fewer choices, they all look great, and my wardrobe is easier to maintain.

• I feel great when I look at my closet. There’s nothing in there that I don’t love.

• I see myself more clearly. I’m better able to focus on the present and what my life looks like now.

• I have more time and energy to devote to what’s important.

I’m grateful for this challenge. I could have cleaned out my closet on my own. But, like all the times before, I would have held on to things that no longer fit.

I feel more myself now. My clothes fit me. They project what I feel about myself and they fit the life I’m living now.

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