What’s in your wardrobe of life? Is it lurking or is it shining? Is it serving you or not?

Walking back home after dropping my children at school this morning I looked down at my black work trousers. I noticed the neat crease down the centre, which has faithfully remained there since I bought them, and I had a shock. The shock was this; these trousers are about 20 years old! How embarrassing. I only have one pair of black work trousers and these are them. They are one of my faithful friends. Whenever I need a pair of smart black trousers for work they are there, ready and waiting to do their job, perfectly. Not fading, not lumpy, not out of fashion, just a simple pair of black trousers. Now I’ve not actually been able to wear them regularly during the last 20 years. No, I have become a mummy during that time and there were a few years when they remained hibernating in my wardrobe, due to my increased mummy weight, which meant we didn’t see each other for a while. But, having got back to my pre-mummy weight, they have become an essential part of my work wardrobe and, in essence, a stable part of my life.

As I reflected, I realised that our wardrobe of clothes is a bit like our lives. They are unique. No one has the same life as you. No one has the same wardrobe of clothes as you. It’s not about how your clothes look or what you wear, but what we decide to treasure and hold on to and what we decide to get rid of. 

Sometimes the wardrobe of our lives needs an over-haul. It may be that you are holding on to beliefs which do not serve you well. It could be that you are holding on to thinking which is out-dated from your past or as far back as your childhood. Are there things in your wardrobe of life which you are holding on to because they have always ‘just been there’ but actually they are not working for you or serving any purpose? How do you decide what to keep and what to let go of? What does it take to let go of something?

My faithful black trousers are an asset. They have served me well and continue to do so. Another item of clothing, my mum’s handmade dress, which she was wearing when she first met my dad nearly 50 years ago, is a treasured possession. I can’t fit into it, and I never will, but I love that it’s in my wardrobe. It gives me pleasure which is why it stays. Other items which may not have been worn for 12 months or ones I don’t really like are not serving any purpose – they need to go. But it’s so rare that I ever get round to getting them out.

Are you satisfied with your wardrobe of life or are you thinking ‘there must be more’? Do you need to replace old clothes with new ones which are more suited to the real you? What new tools of life do you need to acquire so that you can pick them up when needed to help you to face life’s challenges confidently?

If you feel that an overhaul of your wardrobe of life is a good idea for you at this time, consider exploring what life coaching can offer you.