Do You Have A Scarcity Mindset?

Take a look at your closet, and keep reading to see if you're guilty of the three most common things I see when cleaning out someone's closet.

1. Everything is from someone else's closet.

There's nothing wrong with hand-me-downs. If a piece isn't getting loved, it's awesome when someone else sees value in it. But I have been in so many closets where the majority of their wardrobe is made up of cast offs from someone else. This makes it so you never know what you actually like. You have no idea what your style is, because you're only wearing what another person didn't want. It also means that you're not putting any value on yourself - if you don't think it's worth it to spend any money on yourself, that negative self image is going to show up in other areas of your life. 

How to fix it: Buy something for yourself that you love. Something that fits you really well, and is authentically you! Take note of what you like and dislike, and go through your closet to see if any pieces you've been holding onto are really someone else's idea of great style. Take out anything that isn't aligned with what you love and want to have on your body.

2. Everything was on sale.

Let me start by saying, there is nothing wrong with buying something on sale. Saving money is awesome. However, if you ONLY ever look at the sale rack, if you never give yourself the freedom to shop the whole store and see what is truly calling to you, you're not being authentic to your style. You're basically accepting the leftovers and saying you're only worthy of the discounted stuff. 

How to fix it: Shop, whether in person or online, without looking at prices. That doesn't mean you have to purchase - but allow yourself to go shopping and see what it is you love, regardless of price. Take note afterwards - what colors, fabrics, silhouettes were calling to you? Find something that you can afford to buy full price. And if you are on a budget, keep a list of the pieces you're loving, and take the time to source them out in a less expensive way. That way you're intentionally going after what you want, instead of settling for what was leftover on the sale rack.

3. Nice items go unworn.

Whether this means you still have the tags on it, or you just haven't found the 'right' occasion to wear it, if you own something beautiful it should be enjoyed. I have seen countless closets where there are expensive pieces, beautiful bags, the shoes someone looked at for years before finally buying - and they sit in the closet, with the owner waiting for the perfect opportunity to pull them out. The reasoning usually sounds something like, I'm afraid I'll ruin it, or I haven't had the right place to wear it. If you spend a good chunk of change on something, you owe it to yourself and your wallet to wear it, flaunt it, and love it! 

I had one client who bought a pair of shoes she had been dreaming about for years. She finally pulled the trigger, and was too afraid to wear them. What if they get scratched, they’re so expensive, they're too nice, I don't want to ruin them. But on the flip side - are you just going to stare at them in your closet? That's no different than staring at them in the store, wishing you could own them, except it's way worse because you actually pulled out your wallet and paid for them. If you never wear it or use it, it's just holding you back. It makes you feel like you're not worthy of the nice thing - you bought something nice and you'll never have another. This is another example of a negative self image that will show up in other areas of your life. You deserve to feel beautiful, and the pieces in your closet deserve to be worn. 

How to fix it: If you bought it, wear it! Put on the shoes for your next date night. Wear the dress, even if it's just around your house. Find any occasion to wear the pieces you love. You've invested in yourself, and you deserve to be thrilled about that. Pick a day, and just wear it.

Are you guilty of doing any of these things? Which one speaks to you more? Go look through your closet and be honest with yourself about what you see. How can you look at your closet with more of an abundant mindset, and how might that show up in other areas of your life?